Panel Discussion on Juvenile Justice in New Orleans: March 22

Check it out.

Funding Cuts in Baton Rouge to Mental Health Services in New Orleans

Here's a story by Tom Gogola, staff writer for The Lens on state cuts to the city's in-patient mental health services.  As someone concerned with violent crime, this is particularly troubling.  Click here for the entire story.

City officials met Thursday morning to try and solve a nagging $15 million problem: How to restore critical health-care money for LSU Interim Hospital cut from Gov. Bobby Jindal’s mid-year budget adjustment.

Hospital officials responded by proposing cuts to in-patient mental health and substance-abuse services now offered at the facility. Though Jindal’s office didn’t say where the cuts were to be made, hospital officials say many programs can’t be touched, leaving them little choice but to pare down the areas proposed.

After last week’s announcement of the proposed cut, local politicians have been proffering a draconian vision of a city that can ill-afford any backsliding in its mental-health and substance-abuse services.

Mental Health in New Orleans

Does anyone have any data on homelessness and mental health in New Orleans, or crime/criminal justice and mental health in the city?  I'll take any stats (tell me the original source if you know it) or anecdotal accounts.  Ultimately I want to know the number of homeless who are arrested and who also have been diagnosed with a mental health issue.  Any information is appreciated.  What mental health services currently exist in the city?  Are they residential or out patient?  What's the average length of time of continued service?  How much does service cost?  How clean and safe are they?  Are the same people recycled through them?  Have you seen any changes in this population over the past few years (since Katrina)?  How can we better serve this population?

The same questions apply to homeless shelters.

Anything would be helpful.