HomeMy WebLinkAboutC.054.93011_1049 (2)Swann said it had taken longer to obtain the national accreditation for the Crisis
Center. He said the transportation problem (involuntary petitions) had impacted all
three counties, and there had been an increase in petitions.
Commissioner Johnson asked when the problem would get better. He said the
situation was so severe that a few weeks ago, the county had to appropriate additional
funds for the sheriff's department to add two new deputy positions for the transports.
Swann said (1) there had been more involuntary commitments in the past few
months, (2) more of the people being involuntarily committed had other chronic
medical problems associated with their psychiatric disorder and (3) the receiving
hospitals were closing down fast. (In the central area of North Carolina, over the past
six years, 240 beds have been lost.) Swann said that when a patient had serious medical
complications, the first order of business was getting them stabilized. He said these
patients had to go to a hospital and law enforcement had to stay with them. Then, when
stabilized, the patients had to be transported to a secondary hospital, and sometimes this
required an ambulance transport. Swann said the hospitals often denied admittance. He
said recently a 74 -year-old resident of an adult care home with chronic obstructive
pulmonary disease (oxygen dependent), along with having a major psychiatric disorder
that made him dangerous and violent, needed care, but no facility was willing to accept
him. He said the individual eventually wound up being transported by an ambulance.
Commissioner Williams asked if the Crisis Center had never been built, if the
patients would be going to Broughton Hospital.
Swann said perhaps, or they could be staying in emergency rooms until there
was a "receiving hospital." He said in both examples, law enforcement personnel
would be used for the transport.
Commissioner Robertson said that in listening to Mr. Swann, it sounded like
instead of saying when the situation might improve, the board members were being told
why the situation wouldn't improve. He asked if there were other options available to
reduce the waiting time for the law enforcement officers.
Swann said "system redesign" could occur.
Robertson asked how far out in time was the redesign.
Swann said, "It is mostly out of our control." He said, "When the
psychiatrically ill are assessed early on, we can intervene before they get to that need."
Robertson asked if the problem was primarily with the patients having both
physical and mental problems.
Swann said for the most part. He said the patient's age and gender were also
factors. Swann said adolescent patients, without physical problems, but with
psychiatric or substance abuse problems, would almost guarantee a 15 -hour process.
He said the time involved with a client was tracked from start to finish. Swann said a
geriatric patient with medical complications and psychiatric problems would take 12
hours, and the law enforcement personnel were experienced enough to predict on their
own how much time would be needed.
Commissioner Williams said there had been a discussion about the three -
counties providing the security. He said this method would allow the deputy to
transport the patient and then relinquish custody to the security person. Williams said
he understood; however, that one county was resistant to the concept.