Florida: Astonishing story of its mental health patients

Florida: Astonishing story of its mental health patients
Fecha de publicación: 
6 November 2015
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The newspaper released it on Wednesday under the title: “Disorder at mental health hospitals”.

It also approaches what it calls the painful story of its state regarding the treatment to its most vulnerable and neediest inhabitants.

Its text adds that the only surprise in the face of the “terrible conditions” at Florida’s health hospitals is that they do not surprise anyone.

Why? Because this is the territory where 500 children under state custody have died of violence, abuse and neglect over six years, where the prison system incorporated criminals into its payrolls, prison agents who imposed their authority through torture and violence.

Where too many juvenile prison system employees wait too long before requesting medical care for the sick or seriously injured teens.

So, it’s no surprise that, Tampa Bay Times/Sarasota-Herald Tribune journalists revealed the uncontrolled violence at psychiatric hospitals of the state, which are supervised by the Department of Children and Families.

In another moment, the editorial mentions “the endless budget cuts and the serious staffing shortages” affecting these institutions.

In 2011 and 2013 alone, the then secretary of the aforementioned Department, David Wilkins, oversaw $61 million in cuts from the hospitals for that type of sick people in Florida.

Two years earlier, about $35 million had already been cut from those mental institutions.

Direct impact? Elimination of a third part of its workforce specializing in dealing with those patients.

Suspension of training classes and counseling, thus harming improvement opportunities and placing their attendees in danger before the most unstable patients.

And once again, the editorial remarked, state officials, including lawmakers, have maneuvered to secure that violence be hidden from public view.

It also highlighted that is a way of perpetuating the habit of ignoring their wrongdoing in caring children, the elderly, inmates, disabled people and people with mental problems.

Embarrassing show of the illustrious human rights in Florida, in southern United States.

Cubasi Translation Staff

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