Mental Health Crisis in Tennessee | Local News

A study by “Mental Health America” found Tennessee ranks among the worst states for access to mental healthcare. The Volunteer State ranked 43rd on this list.

The first signs of mental illness

A local family is among those struggling to find and maintain the care desperately needed. Cassandra Turner says her daughter, Chelsea Barnes, was an amazing and kind child whose life hasn’t been easy.

“We lived from house to house… sometimes homeless,” says Turner.

As Chelsea got older, her behavior and mental health declined. Turner says Chelsea started hearing voices in her mid-20s.

“As she started getting into drugs, you could really see the decline,” Turner says.

Turner and her husband are recovering addicts. They told Chelsea she had to stop using drugs, too. When she didn’t, they kicked her out of the house.

“I thought tough love would be the answer, but sometimes tough love doesn’t work. When it comes to mental illness, it made it worse,” said Turner.        

Entering the cycle     

By 2021, Chelsea was diagnosed with Schizophrenia and living on the streets. It was at this point she encountered Chattanooga Police Officer Brandon Watson with the Crisis Co-Responder unit.

“At that time, she was a missing person. Nobody had seen her for years,” says Watson. “She wasn’t really able to articulate anything.”

Officer Watson helped Chelsea get into a medical facility. This was the first of many encounters he’d have with the young woman.

“She was on this cycle: jail, ER’s, mental health hospitals, back to the street, back to jail,” says Watson.

One hot July day, Officer Watson responded to a psychiatric emergency call on the Market Street Bridge. It was Chelsea.

“She wasn’t having a mental health crisis. Her feet were so charred from the hot road that every step was agonizing pain for her,” Watson says.       

Officer Watson put Chelsea into his patrol car and gave her some water. Then something different happened.

“She was able to give me her aunt’s phone number, in that moment,” Watson says. 

Up to this point, Chelsea wasn’t able to communicate that clearly. Now, Officer Watson was able to get her home.        

Officer Watson told her family, “Whatever happens tomorrow, don’t let her back on the streets.”

Unfortunately, Chelsea’s story doesn’t end reunited with her family.

“Then all of a sudden, I think it was a year, year and a half, she turns back up again,” Watson says.

New developments & decline

Chelsea was back on the streets, and her mental health had deteriorated even more.

“She had developed a new thing where an entity was possessing her and causing her to severely injure herself…severely… to the point she was unrecognizable,” says Watson.

Officer Watson called Chelsea’s mother. Together, they took her to Joe Johnson, a mental health facility in Chattanooga with a walk-in crisis center.

“They did the assessment. Got her in the E.R. It wasn’t less than 24 hours before she was back out on the street,” says Watson. “So, my guidance to the mother was keep doing it.”

And that’s exactly what Cassandra has done.

“She’s been in and out of Moccasin Bend. She’s been in and out of probably every hospital in Chattanooga,” says Turner.

Chelsea was admitted to Moccasin Bend in May of 2023. She was released in November when the facility determined she no longer needed hospitalization.

“That’s when it spun out of control,” Turner says.        

In December, Chelsea went to a half-way house. She was arrested after hitting someone there. Turner says she was then put in isolation in the Hamilton County jail.         

“She ended up beating her head against the ground. She has a split right here. She almost killed herself,” Turner says.

Officer Watson had another encounter with Chelsea on May 7 when he responded to a call at Joe Johnson. In body camera footage, Chelsea tells Officer Watson she was in Moccasin Bend for less than a day before being released. You can see her still wearing a protective helmet and mitts in the footage.

“I can’t quit hitting people,” Chelsea says. “I don’t know what to do. I’m really a good person, but I have a bad side with the voices.”

Officer Watson transported Chelsea to an emergency room to be stabilized, where she was released again.

“We just keep running the cycle and hopefully something sticks. And, in my opinion, that’s not care. That’s gambling. And we’re gambling with somebody’s life,” Watson says. “It’s almost like they’re screaming into the void, and it’s heartbreaking.”

Cassandra doesn’t know what to do next, but she isn’t giving up on her daughter.

“I’m gonna keep fighting. It doesn’t matter what I have to do. I’m going to keep fighting for her because she can’t fight for herself,” Turner says.

Where’s Chelsea now?

Chelsea’s mom says she’s been in six facilities at least 10 to 15 times since we first spoke in April. She’s expected to return home Friday, after being hospitalized for 10 days. Chelsea’s also been dropped by the Hamilton County Mental Health Court, allowing her to also seek treatment in Georgia. Cassandra Turner is still seeking long-term placement for Chelsea.

Chelsea Barnes is just one example of families struggling to find proper mental healthcare.

Local 3 News continues to investigate the biggest hurdles and what can be done to get past them.