The closure of two state psychiatric hospitals in Dayton and Cambridge is bad for patients, their families, and the community.

• Mental health advocates say the proposed closures would trigger a harmful domino effect for the already-crowded local emergency rooms due to longer patients stays in the psychiatric intensive care units of community hospitals.
  
  
• In addition, families and clients will suffer when patients are moved hours away without regard to the travel burdens placed on families or decreased support during the recovery process.