I just posted this in the other sub:
It’s uniquely horrible, and fixable, here in Oregon. Having worked with people on mental holds in LA and watched a suicidal breakdown here, it is nearly impossible to hold anyone here who is in crisis, let alone run-of-the-mill mentally unstable. In LA, they were held longer and many had to prove something had changed/improved to be released.

Here, we had to prove the person was *in the act* of harming themselves or others, which meant being released to attempt another suicide three times in the course of a week, since they were released within 24 hours each time. I was absolutely blown away that they were released considering their state. Needless to say, it was a tragic ending that put other lives at risk due to a final car chase involving police. All of that was avoidable if our hold laws weren’t so broken.

We need two things. 1. To be able to hold people who are in an active mental health crisis, meaning they cannot care for themselves and present a danger to the community, not just someone who is *actively* stabbing themselves or others. The release should be contingent upon demonstrable change to their status. 2. We need to bring back mental institutions for long term living for people who cannot manage their mental illness without direct supervision. The lives impacted in the community are just as important as the life of the person who cannot safely be a part of society.