There are approximately 10,000 individuals that end up in locked psychiatric institutions or units in Alaska annually. Patient advocates estimate up to 47 percent of the patients are mistreated.
Smarter state management and care of disabled psychiatric patients (trust beneficiaries) would reduce suicides, reduce recidivism, reduce Post Traumatic Stress Injury because of poor treatment in institutions, promote positive recovery outcomes and reduce negative patient/law enforcement encounters.
Because most of the acute care psychiatric patients are considered disabled, the law AS47.30.847 states that a patient advocate must be available to assist patients in filing a grievance or help in the seeking of other redress. The loophole is no regulations have been written by the Dept. of Health and Social Services to say when the patient advocate would be available. Hospitals have gone out of their way to make sure the patient advocates are not readily available to patients. Advocates go home at 5 p.m. and do not work on weekends or holidays.
Hospitals, not the state, set the due process for psychiatric patient complaints. Patients find themselves back on the streets frustrated and angry with no answer to legitimate complaints.
The state through regulations and laws has to establish a partnership between disabled psychiatric patients and acute care psychiatric institutions and units. And that would mean giving additional and enhanced rights to disabled psychiatric patients.
Faith Myers
Dorrance Collins
Anchorage