Authors: Edward T. McMullen
Recent efforts to trim the fat off the sacred cow of state government has produced a strong whiplash by the defiant Department of Mental Health. In the last quarter of 1997, it was rumored that the cost to care for a consumer in our state hospital ran more than $300.00 per day. Upon hearing of this information, the South Carolina Policy Council requested information from DMH pursuant to our States Freedom of Information Act. Unfortunately, DMH has arrogantly withheld information which might encourage a constructive debate on the most cost efficient and preferred least restrictive means of caring for our mentally ill patients or consumers of mental health services.