Mind-Boggling Developments in Mental Health

A year ago I left the publically funded mental health system. I had been playing one role or another in that system for many years. Whether it was as therapist, clinical supervisor, Director it was burnout time. Enough was enough. The system is driven by the medical model that often has little to do with an individual’s mental illness or recovery. The medical model brings with it the “tyranny of diagnosis.” Every client or patient must have a diagnosis. That diagnosis has come to further dictate the so called, “evidenced based treatment model” to be utilized in treating each diagnosis. The diagnosis is attached to the individual and may follow them for years. All of these requirements along with the expected accountability, means mountains of paperwork, much of which is duplicative. Funding to support the system has always been inadequate. Funding problems mean caseloads larger than any therapist could effectively treat. In addition, inadequate funding leads to salary levels that mean poorly trained staff delivering services that guarantee failure and frustration for both therapists and clients.

Now, as reported in today’s USA Today Newspaper, the National Alliance on Mental Illness reports that States have slashed $1.8 billion from mental health spending since 2009. Kentucky leads the way, having cut 47.5% in non-Medicaid mental health funding. Kentucky is followed in order by Alaska, South Carolina, Arizona and Wisconsin. Some states have increased funding with Oregon, North Carolina and Florida moving in that direction.

We can only expect further cuts in essential services for people in need with the financial problems our Country and States have. This has been further emphasized by the surging Tea Party and Republican machine. According to the article, 1 out of every 17 Americans lives with a serious mental illness. They have lost such services as emergency hospital treatment, long-term hospitalization, community clinic services and crisis intervention services. The net result is these people will end up filling hospital emergency rooms and our jails and prisons. There will be no savings experienced but the cost will simply shift. We are likely to have more incidents like the shooting in Tucson recently.

While this and other critical services are being cut we continue to pour billions and billions of dollars into the military to continue the war in Iraq and Afghanistan. Isn’t it mind-boggling that we don’t re-examine our priorities?

Stan The Man