Taunton State Hospital, the mental health facility repeatedly slated for closure by the Patrick administration, may be expanded to include additional beds and specialized care under a proposal from State Sen. Marc Pacheco.
If the proposal, submitted on May 6 to the Senate's Ways and Means Committee, is adopted in full, the state would restore 124 beds that the hospital lost in 2012, and add an additional 72 spots as pilot programs for mental health patients with specific needs, such as geriatric care or substance abuse.
The proposal does not estimate how much the programs would cost. Pacheco said he will likely pursue a provision allocating no funds to it for the 2015 fiscal year, and explore how much funding would be necessary in the future.