Hundreds of Missourians continue to languish in jail waiting for mental health services

Hundreds of Missourians continue to languish in jail waiting for mental health services

Valerie Huhn, director of the Missouri Department of Mental Health, speaks to reporters after being appointed to the job on Dec. 29, 2021 (photo courtesy of the Missouri Governor's Office).There are 430 Missourians across the state in jails waiting to be moved to state psychiatric hospitals, up from around 300 at this time last year. The average time those people wait in jail before receiving treatment has held steady at 14 months, according to …