Did you know that 1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year? Did you know that 1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year? Did you know that 1 in 6 youths aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year? That 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14 and 75% by age 24?
Suicide is the second-leading cause of death among people aged 10-34. Mental illness and substance abuse disorders are involved in 1 out of every 8 emergency department visits by a U.S. adult, a total that’s estimated to be around 12 million visits a year.
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Over 20% of people experiencing homelessness in the United States have a serious mental condition, while 37% of adults incarcerated in state and federal prison have a diagnosed mental illness, a number that rises to 70% in the juvenile justice system.
Now if this doesn’t support the need to reimagine how we address the offender population and mental illness, I don’t know what does.
There’s a unique approach staring everyone in the face: A standalone mental health offender facility that can serve as the hub of a system of services to finally deal with this. I asked Orleans Parish Sheriff Marlin Gusman why this facility’s development is being met with opposition from city leadership. He was as mystified as I am. You can hear our full discussion below.