State hospitals are on the rise. Several states are collectively putting billions into safety-net hospitals with ties to both the civil and justice systems. At the same time, the private sector struggles to convert demand for services into business opportunities.
In the wake of Kennedy-era deinstitutionalization, public and private investment in psychiatric hospitals, which care for those with the most dire and acute behavioral health issues, has fallen well short of patient demand and need. Similarly, investment in community-based behavioral health and social services has not reached a level to either allow for care in lower-acuity settings or prevent them altogether, Behavioral Health Business reports. Read more.
