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ED Psychiatry Crisis |
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Sunday morning, Lowcountry residents woke to see MUSC's Dr. Christine Carr on the front page of the Post and Courier, discussing the crisis of psychiatric patients that have nowhere to turn but the emergency department. These patients present a significant safety risk to themselves and others as they wait hours and sometimes days for inpatient psychiatric treatment. According to the National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD), 23% of Americans are affected by mental illness or substance abuse in any given year. At the same time, states have cut >$4 billion in mental health services in a 4 year period. NASMHPD suggests that this money could be restored to state behavioral health programs if the state participates in Medicaid expansion under the Affordable Care Act.
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