While a decade-long funding battle over county mental health funds continues at the Capitol, nonprofits continue to find ways to help Pennsylvanians.
PA, USA — Kim McDevitt highlights the sentiment of many mental health advocates across Pennsylvania.
“I am deeply concerned that mental health funding has not increased in Lancaster County in over 10 years,” said McDevitt, executive director of Lancaster County Mental Health America.
When Gov. Josh Shapiro signed the 2023-2024 budget into law, $20 million was allocated for county mental health programs. This is the first time funding for these programs has increased since funding was cut by 10% in 2012.
Mental health experts stress that this is a start, but not enough.
“It’s really hard to connect people to more intensive services because of the lack of funding,” McDevitt said. “There is a labor shortage and people are leaving or not entering the mental health field because of the lack of income, salaries and payments.”
According to Mental Health America’s 2023 National Report, at least 152 million people across the United States are in the mental health workforce shortage. The same report shows that in Pennsylvania there is approximately one mental health provider for every 420 people.
“I have depression and wanted to get counseling, but it took me 18 months to get counseling,” said Mark Kussner, a York County native. Kussner started as a patient and now works as a volunteer with the nonprofit organization Building Bridges for Brianna. “I didn’t want to wait 18 months.”
Kussner sought help through one of the members of the organization she knew. Soon after, he began receiving help through the “Building Bridges for Brianna” therapy program.
Launching in September 2023, people will receive three free therapy sessions. Then, each subsequent session is just $35 until you can move into a permanent facility.
The group announced in early May that it could now offer its services to non-York County residents. Currently, anyone in need of services throughout Pennsylvania can receive them through the organization’s therapists. This treatment program also offers telehealth services.
Building Bridges for Brianna also recently moved offices to expand its operations. The group is currently located on his second floor at 45 E. Main St. in Dallastown.
“Having enough therapists and counselors in this area is huge,” said Matt Dorgan, founder and president of Building Bridges for Brianna.
“While we were in treatment with Brianna, we found that there was a six to eight month wait time to switch treatments or find another counselor,” Dorgan said.
The organization was founded after Matt’s daughter Brianna died by suicide in December 2020. “If someone feels they need help, they need it now. Six to eight months may be too late for them.”
Dorgan said that a few weeks before her death, Brianna told him she wanted to become a therapist. She said she wants to help people facing the same things she is going through.
“It just touches me because I get to see it happen and she’s here. She’s the driving force behind this thing,” Dorgan added.
Building Bridges for Brianna receives no state or federal funding. All money the group receives is raised and donated. “We had some great donors who heard our mission, understood what we were trying to do, and saw that the need was really there,” Dorgan said. . “It’s a struggle to find available funding. We don’t want to be forever dependent on community members to install this.”
The issue all comes down to money.
And advocates tell FOX43 they won’t stop fighting for this cause, but Pennsylvania’s mental health system could be on the brink of collapse if the Legislature doesn’t put funding at the forefront. .
“We need to build concrete infrastructure and systems to address mental health needs,” McDevitt said. “We’ve never given mental health the respect it deserves. We’re very careful about physical health care, but not so much about mental health care.”
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