To reduce backlog, state mulls more mental health beds in Norwalk

In an effort to alleviate a growing backlog of people awaiting mental health treatment, the state legislature is considering adding 250 beds to Metropolitan State Hospital in Norwalk.

Last year, lawmakers approved the design phase of the $31 million project, which would bring the total number of beds at Metropolitan to 1,000 by 2018.

Judges order those found too sick to stand trial, not guilty by reason of insanity or a danger to themselves or others to the state hospital system for psychiatric care. But because of the bed shortage, those who are referred can wait several weeks or even months for a placement  - often in local jails.

The statewide waiting list, which began about a decade ago, reached 638 patients in May, according to Stephanie Clendenin, chief deputy director of the California Department of State Hospitals.

"We continue to see an increase of approximately 10 percent per year," she said. "The courts continue to refer more and more patients to us."

"We are activating what we think will be able to address the waitlist at the time, but again the referrals continue to increase beyond what was anticipated," Clendenin said.

No one is sure what's behind the rise in the number of people with mental health issues getting ensnared in the criminal justice system.  Earlier this year the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors ordered an investigation into the reasons behind the increase of those turning up in county mental health court. 

The long wait times to place some mental health patients in beds prompted the ACLU of Northern California to sue the Department of State Hospitals last year. The case is pending in court.

The Metropolitan State Hospital expansion project envisions repurposing an existing building at the facility to house individuals bussed in from jails. Clendenin called it the "fence project," because it will include the construction of a fence 16 feet high topped with security coils.

Delma Castaneda, who lives nearby, opened her mailbox to find a notice of the construction, but said she didn't know the patient population will expand. 

"That’s hiding an issue there that they know is probably going to concern residents," Castaneda said. 

George Lopez, another neighbor, supports the expansion after seeing several buildings on the 160-acre campus remain boarded-up for years. But he also says there should have been more transparency about the project.

"They should have let the community know what’s going on," Lopez said. "Like when they were building the freeway – everybody knew about that."

State and local officials said they are actively doing outreach. The Department of State Hospitals sent flyers to the Norwalk facility's neighbors about the project. And last month, the state published a notice in the local paper, the Norwalk Patriot, advertising a June 1 public meeting on the project - although the item did not mention that the effort will include the addition of 250 beds to the hospital.