Sandoval wants Nev. mental health system studied
By Phillip Reese and Cynthia Hubert, Sacramento Bee
Gov. Brian Sandoval on Monday announced the creation of a special council to review Nevada’s embattled mental health care system and offer recommendations for improvements.
The announcement followed a Sacramento Bee investigative report published Sunday that found numerous patients discharged from Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Hospital in Las Vegas to Greyhound buses bound for other states were later arrested at the destination cities for crimes that included murder, assault, theft, vagrancy and sex offenses.
The new Behavioral Health and Wellness Council will be “comprised of members of the Legislature, law enforcement officials, national experts, and providers of behavioral health services in Nevada,” Sandoval said in a statement. It will “assist in closing gaps in services and offer policy recommendations to help improve the quality of life for those individuals living with behavioral health conditions.”