Wed., January 20, 2010 5:14pm (EST)

Central State Closing to Mental Health Patients

By Josephine Bennett

Updated: 3 years ago

MILLEDGEVILLE, Ga.  —   The Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities is permanently closing Central State Hospital in Milledgeville to patients requiring mental health services. Last week a team from the Department of Justice conducted a lengthy inspection of the facility after concerns arose regarding patient safety, patient on patient aggression and environmental problems at the facility.

State officials say mental patients at the facility will be transferred to other facilities or discharged back to their communities. In November the hospital was placed on diversion and quit accepting new patients.

The move to consolidate services is part of the state's larger strategy to improve the system by providing more community based care.

The hospital will continue to care for adults with developmental disabilities as well as those in their nursing home. The maximum security forensic unit will stay at Central State as well.

Around 200 employees will be affected by the closure. The state says they will try to work with them to find other opportunities within the system.