Crisis care: The new mental institutions A three part series looking at the current state of mental health care in Sonoma County. Sonoma County has a chronic shortage of psychiatric hospital beds. As as a result, a growing number of mentally ill residents are ending up in local emergency rooms and in the jail system. A four-part series, run on four consecutive Sundays, examines the causes and ramifications of the current state of the county's mental health system, and the people who are impacted the most. Hospitals Sonoma County struggles to fill gaps in crisis care for mentally ill Sonoma County has a chronic shortage of psychiatric hospital beds. As as a result, a growing number of mentally ill residents are ending up in local emergency rooms and in the jail system. Most local psychiatric patients sent to hospitals outside of county Was Quoyah Carson Tehee failed by Sonoma County's mental health care system? County Jail Jail is largest psychiatric facility in Sonoma County Jail cells have replaced psychiatric hospital beds for many of Sonoma County's most severely mentally ill residents. New Sonoma County jail wing seeks to improve care for mentally ill inmates Inmates with mental illness on the rise Solutions Sonoma County reshapes approach to mental health care Advocates say a different model is needed, one that treats mental health patients with the same dignity afforded to patients with physical illnesses. Array of mental health programs serves Sonoma County Mendocino County revives sales tax measure to fund mental health services Your Stories Readers share their stories of mental health crises Press Democrat readers detail their experiences with Sonoma County's mental health system, describing the heartbreaking toll of mental illness, and a system in need of repair. Letters to the Editor about mental health care in Sonoma County PD Editorial: Breaking down barriers to providing good mental health care Share your story We want to hear about your experience with local psychiatric emergency services. What do you do when you or a loved one faces a mental health crisis? Have you or a loved one sat in a hospital bed waiting to be transferred to an out-of-county psychiatric hospital or other mental health facility? Have you or a loved one received psychiatric services in the Sonoma County Jail's mental health unit? Please send a brief account of your experience to Martin Espinoza at martin.espinoza@pressdemocrat.com. Ongoing Coverage Sonoma County mental health advocates watching federal bill Decline in psychiatric hospital beds concerns Sonoma County Jail officials Sonoma County joins effort to shift care of mentally ill away from jails Mendocino County voters reject mental health, drug rehab facilities Hospitals to pay Sonoma County to care for psychiatric patients Sonoma County overhauling mental health services for those in crisis Mental health patients forced to seek treatment outside Sonoma County Kaiser Permanente faces renewed criticism over mental health services after Santa Rosa suicide Kaiser's mental health care at heart of dispute Sonoma County gets $3 million for mental health efforts Bridging mental health gap: Aurora Santa Rosa Hospital will provide inpatient psychiatric services Firm plans to open Santa Rosa psychiatric hospital As more services are cut, police increasingly fill gap services Treatment crisis feared: Memorial's psychiatric unit closure alarms mental health workers Loss of hospital facility would put patients under county care, Sheriff says As Norton Center closes, the county is losing its only facility for long-term acute pyschiatric help Memorial's psychiatric unit closure alarms mental health workers
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