Columnist: Lack of Permanent Leadership at Department of State Hospitals ‘Raises Questions of Priorities’
Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Morain argues that "the lack of permanent leadership" at the Department of State Hospitals "raises questions of priorities." He noted that the department -- which has a $1.6 billion budget and is responsible for the care of 6,560 people with mental health issues -- "has been without stable leadership" since December 2010. According to Morain, "One reason could be pay." However, he notes, "There are deeper issues, too. The department has been a stepchild for decades, a reflection of society's inability to confront and treat severe mental illness."
- "Dan Morain: A Cost of Dismantling Mental Health Care" (Morain, Sacramento Bee, 7/31).