Study: Ohio can save with mental-illness treatment

Associated Press

COLUMBUS

A new report says Ohio could save millions of dollars annually by changing how it treats mentally ill offenders who commit minor crimes.

The Ohio Department of Mental Health forensic strategies workgroup says the state is spending too much money arresting and booking mentally ill people who need treatment.

The workgroup’s report issued late last month says the court process, including attempts to find someone competent, can take months and cost thousands of dollars.

The department’s deputy director of hospital services, Jim Ignelzi, says it’s better to get a mentally ill person what they need upfront.

The report estimates Ohio could have saved $5 million last year by diverting offenders to acute-care programs rather than sending them through the courts.

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