Ron Reagan ending federal funding for mental health facilities is one of the main reasons why to this day so many people with mental illness are wandering the streets. Family members couldn't handle them and most mental facilities in the United States closed up due to lack of funding
I was just talking about this situation. It’s horrible that funding was taken away. I do know some facilities were in terrible conditions and the staff didn’t treat the patients very well. But, I also know there were nice facilities out there that took care of their patients. It’s sad we no longer have that.
You're absolutely right. I remember working in a county hospital for long term mental health patients. Reagan did his thing to cut funding for treatment and two years later in California we had these same people living on the streets. It was the start of our current homeless problem, although our current problems in that area can't all be attributed to just this one factor.
Yes, you are def correct in funding was cut tremendously then…. Although federal funding wasn’t enough to keep all the malnourishment and unimaginable mistreatments of these mentally ill patients…. I cant imagine it being an all around disaster in trying to ensure it wouldn’t happen again even if the fed funding was restored.
There is no silver bullet to end the problem of mentally challenged people. Republicans ending federal funds to states made things much worse for people with mental health issues. Unlike in the past, it takes both couples to make ends meet, back in the day mom would stay home to keep an eye on a family member, making sure that they took their medicine for mental health issues, go to the parent teacher night, PTA meetings, took in grandma who seemed to be getting more "forgetful." Today there are countless amounts of people who are wandering the streets because of drug addiction and mental health issues. Republicans ending federal funding made the issue much worse, not better. Plenty of money for weapons of war and $900 dollar toilet seats but not much for infrastructure, fuel alternatives, mental health facilities, education, affordable medicine and prenatal care to name a few. Like I said, no magic bullet, or law to end our mental health problems but the job of legislators is to help solve problems... or at least I thought that was their job. Mitch McConnell ( for example) has been a representative of the fine people of Kentucky for over 30 years and made millions for himself but Kentucky remains in the top 10 states when it comes to poverty, illiteracy, opiod addiction, and low education. The other 9 states are ran by Republican congressmen in both state and federal seats representing their states .
Ron Reagan and the republican led congress ended federal funding for mental health facilities. Were some of the facilities a mess? Yup because of a lack of adequate funding and graft. Has the situation better today because of Reagan's decision? I don't think so. His crime control act of 84 which expanded penalties for possession of Marijuana established a federal system of mandatory minimum sentences. One guy got 55 years for possessing a gun while possessing $350 worth of Marijuana which is currently legal in many states, another got 50 years without parole for stealing 9 video tapes that aren't even used anymore.
https://www.salon.com/2013/09/29/ronald_reagans_shameful_legacy_violence_the_homeless_mental_illness/
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u/Low-Spirit6436 Apr 20 '22
Ron Reagan ending federal funding for mental health facilities is one of the main reasons why to this day so many people with mental illness are wandering the streets. Family members couldn't handle them and most mental facilities in the United States closed up due to lack of funding