A long waiting list at Montana's only state-run psychiatric hospital has left inmates untreated and stuck in county jails. To fix it, health officials want changes to involuntary commitment laws.
In several California counties, new mental health courts open up in October. Officials hope to persuade people with psychosis to accept treatment. Critics say, it looks more like coercion.
The pop star was forced into psychiatric care — and compelled to pay for it. That could happen to anyone during an episode of serious mental illness, adding a financial threat to the health woes.
A mother in Lancaster, Pa., tried for years to help her grown son get consistent treatment for schizophrenia. Then, hoping to get him involuntarily committed for care, the family called the police.
