There have been recent stories reporting about the length of time a mentally ill individual spends in jail waiting for an evaluation by a mental health professional. A family member of mine spent approximately three months in jail in isolation before treatment and hospitalization. This is not acceptable. This has to be a terrible situation for a person who is very ill and in need of help.
In the past I have had a difficult time finding an attorney in Vancouver to represent a mentally ill client. They, besides the case managers, are the only ones who are allowed inside the jail to determine what needs to be done to help these folks.
I do not place the blame on our law enforcement because this is not their responsibility. My understanding is that the state of Washington has not done a good job of taking care of our folks who suffer from mental illness. It is definitely time for change. I hope something will be done to make sure this does not continue to happen in the future.
I hope that mentally ill folks will not be released from jail just to comply with the law. This certainly would not solve the problem. I know it takes money, but the time has come to stop putting our heads in the sand and do something about it.
