Cost of not caring: Mental illness in America

In a series of stories this year, Paste BN is exploring the human and financial costs the country pays for not caring more about the nearly 10 million Americans with serious mental illness.

The series examines how stigma and discrimination prevent people with mental illness from receiving life-changing care and services, and why so many people with mental illness become prisoners of addiction.

Paste BN will describe where people go when they fall through the cracks: overcrowded emergency rooms; overburdened jails and prisons; city streets; the morgue. Lastly, the series will present solutions that have the potential to dramatically improve patients' lives.

PART 1. Mental health system drowns from neglect

PART 2. People with mental illness suffer in sick health system

PART 3. Mental illness cases swamp criminal justice system

In Tulsa, transport for mental health reasons takes a toll

Police officers respond to calls for emotional issues by taking people to mental health centers in Tulsa, Oklahoma. In many instances, that means two officers drive hundreds of miles to find an available bed.

Join the conversation at #mentalhealthstigma.