way2manychickens

way2manychickens t1_ixf2of1 wrote

Unless you have insurance, finding a place to take you in as a mental health patient is slim. You have to qualify for Medicaid (or insurance that covers mental health care), facilities need to have an open bed (which are scarce in some cities and states). I only know this because I took a friend having a mental health crisis to the hospital. Took many hours to find a bed, AND she had to qualify for Medicaid before they'd admit her. It's crazy.

Edit to add: the emergency department at a hospital will take you in to evaluate. But they can't admit an unstable psych patient into their regular patient rooms for a psychiatric issue. It's a danger to the other admitted patients and staff. They can only admit to a hospital with a psych ward (again, most hospitals do not have a psych ward which is why beds are hard to come by). Psych hospitals are set up very different from a standard hospital to protect staff, other patients, and themselves.

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