Sonoma County’s Healthcare System Pushing Mentally Ill Patients into Emergency Rooms, Jails - Part 1 – Sep 5, 2017

KRCB-FM: North Bay Report

A new report by the Press Democrat found that a growing number of mentally-ill patients are not receiving the care they need...and instead ending up in hospital emergency rooms and jail. Find out why on the next North Bay Report, airing at 6:18 and 8:18 am and 5:30 pm. Or find it online at krcb.org
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, about four percent of adults in the United States suffer from some form of severe mental illness. Here in Sonoma County that's as many as 20-thousand people to take care of. But a recent investigative report by The Santa Rosa Press Democrat revealed that many mentally ill adults are ending up in emergency rooms or in jails. KRCB’s Tiffany Camhi sat down with Press Democrat Health Reporter Martin Espinoza to talk about his six-month investigation into the county’s mental health system.
Listen tomorrow to find out how Sonoma County is trying to better care for its mentally ill patients. You can find links to Press Democrat reporter Martin Espinoza’s reporting on the North Bay Report webpage at KRCB dot org/news. Hear this story on demand with our free KRCB mobile app. You can also find this and past stories on our new North Bay Report Facebook page. Comment, share and give us a like there. Follow the North Bay Report on Twitter @KRCBNews.