David Barer

After years of steady waitlist growth, state data shows a glimmer of hope for an eventual turnaround.

As the waitlist for a state hospital bed in Texas continues to grow, mental health leaders remain dedicated to the widespread adoption of a strategy known as “Eliminate the Wait.”

New details revealed about a fatal incident within Texas’ understaffed state hospital system, where little information is made public about patients — even when they die.

If Adan Castaneda were charged with a crime and found mentally incompetent to stand trial in October 2022, he would be court ordered to a state mental hospital and stuck in jail for about two years before a hospital bed would become available.

This project was supported by the USC Annenberg Center for Health Journalism....

State data show a record number of people experiencing a mental health crisis are waiting in jails for beds in state hospitals that don’t have enough staff to operate at capacity.

In recent years, there have been efforts to increase other competency restoration alternatives – like jail-based or outpatient methods – but for some people, those options are not always available.

“They often refer to us as a restorative justice court, where we focus on assisting repeat offenders and connecting them to services so that those repetitive offenses stop,” said the court's administrator.

In Texas, those charged with crimes and found mentally incompetent are entitled to treatment at a state hospital before returning to jail and standing trial. The failing system waitlists hundreds. Sometimes they die sooner than receiving treatment.