Mar 13, 2007 2:45 pm US/Central
State Rep Attacks Mental Health Policy After Fire
Lang: Problem Of Mentally Ill Homeless Goes Back To Closing Of State Institutions In 1970s
Regine Schlesinger, WBBM 780
CHICAGO (CBS) ―
A state lawmaker who's a longtime advocate of improved mental health care, says the story of an apparently mentally ill homeless woman, who's accused of setting the deadly Wrigleyville fire, is a legacy of a failed state policy.
As WBBM 780's Regine Schlesinger has that part of the story, State Rep. Lou Lang (D-Skokie), from Chicago's North Side and the north suburbs, says the problem of the mentally ill living out on the streets, goes back to the 1970's when the state decided to wash its hands of those with mental problems.
"We opened up the doors of our state institutions, and just let them go (and) said, 'If you want treatment, come on back -- we'll help you -- if you don't, it's your business, and what we ended up with was a mess," Lang said.
Representative Lang says as a state, Illinois is still not dealing with the problems of the mentally ill unless they or their families ask for help. While we no handle on the numbers, he says it's clear there are others like Mary Smith, out on the streets who are ticking time bombs who pose a danger to themselves and others.
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