Friday, Dec. 20, 2013 | 2 a.m.
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Gov. Brian Sandoval has named 18 people to a council that aims to find ways to shore up the beleaguered state mental health system.
The mental health system in Las Vegas has been criticized for providing poor service to clients. A story in the Sacramento Bee reported the Rawson-Neal Psychiatric Health Hospital bused patients out of state without adequate treatment plans. Some patients had criminal holds on them in Las Vegas but were released, and some committed crimes when they reached their destinations.
There have also been complaints that people with mental illness have spent an inordinate amount of time in hospital emergency rooms before being admitted to Rawson-Neal.
In making the announcement, Sandoval said the council will "address the needs of the most vulnerable in our society."
The council will be headed by Dr. Joel Dvoskin of the University of Arizona College of Medicine and will include state legislators, members of the law enforcement community and mental health experts.
Retired Clark County District Judge Jackie Glass will be vice chairwoman.
Other members of the council are:
• Clark County District Attorney Steve Wolfson
• Clark County Sheriff Doug Gillespie.
• Dr. Dale Carrison, chief of staff at University Medical Center
• Karla Perez, regional vice president of Universal Health Services
• Richard Steinberg, president and CEO of the WestCare Foundation
• Timothy Burch, director of the Clark County Social Services Department
• Mike Willden, director of the Nevada Health and Human Services Department
• Richard Whitley, administrator of the Nevada Division of Public and Behavioral Health
• Clark County Public Defender Susan Roske
• Monte Miller, CEO of KeyState Corporate Management
• Katherine Miller, director of the Nevada Veterans Service Department
• Former state Sen. Randolph Townsend
• Nevada Assembly Speaker Marilyn Kirkpatrick, D-North Las Vegas
• Nevada Assembly Minority Leader Pat Hickey, R-Reno
• Nevada Senate Assistant Majority Leader Debbie Smith, D-Sparks
• Nevada Senate Minority Leader Michael Robertson, R-Las Vegas
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