Ron Ritchey

Fulton State Hospital

Fulton State Hospital consists of treatment units for high and intermediate security patients (Nixon Forensic Center, 300 beds), individuals with developmental disabilities (Hearnes Forensic Center), and the Sexual Offender Rehabilitation and Treatment Services (SORTS) program (Guhleman Forensic Center). Individual Population Service recipients come to Fulton State Hospital on both a voluntary and involuntary basis, sometimes being committed by the courts for evaluation or treatment. Fulton State Hospital also serves as a statewide treatment facility for persons found not guilty or unable to stand trial by reason of mental disease or defect. Clinically, our individuals have a very wide range of diagnoses, covering virtually all the major categories of the DSM-IV. The most common primary diagnoses include Schizophrenia-spectrum disorders, mood disorders, and Antisocial and Borderline personality disorders. Also treated are individuals committed for sexual offenses and have corresponding diagnoses of paraphilias. Additionally, many individuals have primary or secondary diagnoses of substance abuse, borderline intellectual functioning, and anxiety disorders, while a smaller number suffer from dementias (including those due to Alzheimer's disease, vascular conditions, HIV, or traumatic brain injuries), Huntington's disease, other organic disorders, and dissociative conditions. The average length of stay for individuals on the inpatient wards is 2.7 years. As would be expected with such a diverse individual population, a correspondingly wide variety of services are offered at Fulton State Hospital including: forensic evaluations and admissions, competency restoration treatment, acute inpatient treatment for Department of Corrections inmates, substance abuse treatment, and long-term treatment and rehabilitation for individuals with severe and persistent mental disorders and personality disorders.