COUNTY: Study will tell what we already know

Re: “County at last approves mental health study” (TNT, 9-3).

As a provider of residential care for the long-term mentally ill for more than 33 years, I find it fascinating that the Pierce County Council members’ solution is another study to tell them what they already know: There isn’t enough money, there aren’t enough beds and there are not enough personnel.

Increasing the number of intensive care beds may help one part of the equation, but there must also be an increase in the number of residential beds as well as the number of mental health professionals in order for the long-term mentally ill to successfully transition back into independent living.

This story was originally published September 8, 2015 at 11:08 AM with the headline "COUNTY: Study will tell what we already know."