Residents alongside county and state officials were among those who gathered Friday, December 5, to discuss mental health needs in the area for the Tri-County Mental Health Summit at Fannin County Family Connection.
The event began with a panel including Allen Morgan and Dante McKay with the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities, Fannin County Sheriff Dane Kirby, local Psychologist Dr. Kyle Raque and Shawna Harkins with Positive Pathways in Blairsville, Georgia. Carol Chamberlain, co-organizer of the event, moderated until District Attorney Frank Wood arrived from court.
Kirby explained that the local jail often serves as a “landing zoning” for those suffering with mental health issues and sees “a lot” of offenders with these problems.
He and Morgan said many times these individuals stay in the jail awaiting mental health evaluations longer than they would have if they’d plead guilty due to shortages in providers and bed space at facilities.
Kirby also attributed drug use to a lot of mental health crises.
Once released, he said they often go back to the same patterns of crime and not taking necessary medications.
Wood affirmed Kirby’s statements saying he deals with these cases every day in the court system and said it “needs to be talked about a lot more.”
Julie Shirah of Blue Ridge Medical Center said they have seen 62, or nearly six a month, 1013’s from law enforcement, which is an involuntary emergency commitment due to self-harm or danger to others.
She said 26% of their emergency room patients have a mental health issue solely, including drug addiction, with the percentage increasing yearly.
Raque explained when a patient is exhibiting an immediate threat to oneself or another is in his office, he has a legal obligation to report it to law enforcement.
In these cases, he must keep them in his office until the sheriff’s department arrives. From there, they’re transported to the hospital.
Morgan explained that with a 10-13, facilities are required to keep patients for 72 hours and can then be released due to their constitutional rights.
Raque told about a juvenile patient who was sent to a mental health facility in Savannah, Georgia, as that was one of the closest options, explaining difficulty making contact once they’re out of the area.
He also referenced a time when a patient who he had never met before was discharged from a mental hospital, was driven to his office, and left there in the middle of the night. This has happened multiple times, he said.
Morgan told of the state’s 24-hour call center that’s available by calling or texting 988.
In dire situations, a transport is dispatched to get individuals where they need to go, but Harkins referenced a time when no one was dispatched.
Allen and McKay explained that the department’s focus is on the under and uninsured and while they have contractors who work with Medicaid, it’s not in their purview.
During the question-and-answer period, Patrice Kilpatrick with MedMark Treatment Centers in Blairsville, was applauded by some in the audience when she said, “The only people taking care of our people that are in crises and in need are the other people in the community.”
Morgan urged anyone who experiences prejudice by insurance providers regarding mental health needs to reach out to the insurance commissioner.