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State hospitals closed but new treatment options lag behind, report finds

Media Outlet: 

WHYY/NewsWorks

There's a long list of closed state-run psychiatric hospitals in the region. The goal was to get people out of institutions, and to provide treatment in their communities. But a new report claims the closings have left many mentally ill people without treatment options. "So deinstitutionalization was happening, and absolutely policymakers saw a cost-saving opportunity, (and they) they didn't fully invest all funds back into the community mental health services," Mark Salzer, who chairs rehabilitation sciences at Temple.