Nevada buses hundreds of mentally ill patients to cities around country

[HereSince1628]

5. Don't just blame the past, it's also a consequence of current medicaid policies of the states

Yes, Reagan cut funding for in-patient care.

What's often forgotten is that he actually did that AFTER mental health experts and the public at large turned against the poor conditions of many mental health facilities. The community-based model emerged after WWII and gained increasing support across the late 50's, 60's, and 70's.

The general concern led to investigative documentaries such as the Titticut Follies, which presented such a horrible image of state run in-patient mental healthcare in Mass that the governor of the state sued to have the movie banned from public viewing.

The up-side dream of community-based mental health was to get people out of being warehoused in non-stimulating, unrewarding environments where they often slipped into 'institutionalization syndrome'. The hope was to put patients into circumstances where they could achieve their highest level of life-satisfaction and productivity. A noble goal, that became perverted as legislators looked for places to trim state spending and curb tax-growth.

Yes, all that's true.

But the cost-cutters are at it again. Current state administrations are curtailing state contributions to medicaid and thereby mental health funding.

It's not necessary or particularly useful to blame events ~30 years ago for the current crisis. It IS necessary to blame states for currently not finding ways to deal with caring for the most needy in society.