A coalition of consumer advocacy groups Tuesday called for a statutory legislative commission to reform Georgia's mental health system.

Speaking at a Capitol press conference, the groups, who advocate for people with mental illness and their families, also urged the Legislature to create an independent state ombudsman's office to investigate reports of neglect and abuse in the state's mental hospitals.

The groups cited an Atlanta Journal-Constitution investigation that found a pattern of neglect, abuse and poor medical care in Georgia's seven psychiatric hospitals. The newspaper series earlier this month reported at least 115 suspicious deaths of patients and more than 190 substantiated cases of physical or sexual abuse by hospital employees since 2002.

''Georgia has a mental health crisis," said Anna McLaughlin, past chair of the Georgia Mental Health Services Coalition. Noting that lawmakers took quick action when 35 teenagers died in traffic accidents, she said a similar response is needed now. "We have 115 suspicious deaths [in mental hospitals],'' McLaughlin said. "We need some leadership."

The Department of Human Resources, which operates the hospitals, said in a recent statement about the hospital deaths that 82 patients identified by the Journal-Constitution had underlying medical problems "that were appropriately treated."

In an additional 24 cases, the agency said, "we agree the hospital system should make improvements."

Officials say they have been working to improve mental health care by shifting resources and patients, especially those with developmental disabilities, to community-based services.

In an interview after the press conference, McLaughlin said some legislators are "very supportive" of mental health issues, but none has indicated a willingness to sponsor bills this year. "We're hoping they'll hear the real cry."

The coalition groups include Mental Health America; the National Alliance on Mental Illness; the Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network; and the Georgia Parent Support Network. The coalition also includes the Carter Center Mental Health Program.

NAMI last week asked the U.S. Justice Department to investigate what it called "unacceptable and intolerable" conditions in Georgia's seven state mental hospitals.

The advocacy groups also called for more community services for people with mental illness.

"You cannot single out the hospitals and say herein lies the problem,'' said Ellyn Jeager, interim executive director of Mental Health America of Georgia. "The problem is much broader." She called for lawmakers to fund the mental health ombudsman's position.

"How many of these lives would have been saved ... had this mental health ombudsman been funded?"

To read the series, go to www.ajc.com/hiddenshame