ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) – A pregnant woman with severe mental illness who was reported missing Sunday has been found safe, according to Atlanta police.
On Sunday, the Atlanta Police Department issued a “Be On the Look Out” for Victoria Harris, a 25-year-old pregnant woman who lives in West Midtown.
Police officials said Victoria was last seen on May 16 by hospital personnel at Piedmont Hospital on Peachtree Road.
Family members said there have been more recent sightings around Buckhead and near Northside Hospital.
“I don’t know where she is,” said Brittaney Bethea, Harris’ sister. “Based on what the medical chart is saying and what people are saying who’ve seen her, (it) doesn’t sound like she’s safe,” she said.
Bethea is Harris’ power of attorney and emergency contact. She said Harris was diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder and bipolar disorder after 2020.
Harris checked herself into Piedmont Hospital in Midtown on May 13, according to medical records shared from Bethea to Atlanta News First.
“(They) said that she walked into Piedmont barefoot. It said that she was so unable to care for herself, that she was in imminent life danger and crisis,” said Bethea.
Bethea said she talked with Piedmont doctors and medical staff on May 13, 14, and 15 as the hospital was trying to figure out the next steps.
Bethea said Piedmont tried to refer Harris to another mental health facility, but those attempts were unsuccessful.
Bethea said the facility denied care to Harris because of her 20-week pregnancy status.
Atlanta News First reached out to that facility on Monday, but facility officials did not respond.
“It wasn’t until the 16th (of May), that morning that I learned she (Harris) was discharged, and nobody contacted me at all,” said Bethea.
Atlanta News First reached out to Piedmont Healthcare over the weekend and again on Monday. Nobody responded to ANF’s questions tied to this case.
“I’m very frustrated. I feel like if I didn’t work in public health, I wouldn’t even know where to start,” said Bethea, who has a master’s degree in public health.
Local advocacy groups said the missing person case shows gaps in Georgia’s healthcare system, specifically impacting pregnant women with mental illness.
“Looking at the overall continuum of care, and mental healthcare specifically in Georgia, we’re seeing many gaps,” said Miriam Goodfriend, policy director at Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies, Coalition of Georgia.
Goodfriend said Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies is calling for increased staffing and training of mental healthcare personnel.
She said there are also lags in the execution of mental health policies passed through the General Assembly.
She pointed to the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act, HB 1013 passed in in 2022.
The legislation ensures that insurance providers cover mental illness in the same way they cover physical ailments.
However, Goodfriend said the on-the-ground implementation of this policy is still not fully understood by patients, healthcare providers, and insurance companies.
“The breakdown of communication and providers having good faith but not having the tools and referral pathways and trainings they need to truly understand the mental health issues and the mental health system as it stands in Georgia is the gap that is really holding us back for making larger scale systemic change,” said Goodfriend.
Goodfriend said Healthy Mothers, Healthy Babies supported the passage of HB89, which makes psychiatric records available to health officials to review after the death of someone who is pregnant. With more information, Goodfriend said the legislation aims to give the State a better snapshot in preventing maternal deaths.
In the latest state data, mental health conditions are the third-leading cause of maternal deaths in Georgia.
If you have any information about Harris’ whereabouts, you’re asked to call 911, the Atlanta Police Department at (404) 546-4235, detective Dr. Angela Hulse-Stewart at (404) 658-7830 or detective Brittaney Bethea at (678) 390-0540.
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