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Cutting state psych hospital budgets could backfire

The last post focused on budget cuts proposed by Texas criminal justice agencies, but in the San Antonio Express News I noticed this possible cut in the human services sector that could give county jails a lot of problems if enacted:Some agencies had made their proposals public earlier, including human services agencies that could save $303 million in state spending through such cuts as reducing Medicaid reimbursements for health-care providers and serving fewer patients at four state psychiatric hospitals, including the one in San Antonio. Those cuts would cost the state another $238 million in federal matching funds.About half of the beds in state psych hospitals are "forensic beds" which are used for competency restoration, or ensuring mentally ill people are stable and on their meds before they're tried...continue to full post

Full post as published by Grits for Breakfast on February 17, 2010 (boomark / email).