State legislators, constituents and mental health advocates gathered at Eden Resorts and Suites to find solutions to Pennsylvania’s mental health crisis.
LANCASTER, Pa. — May is Mental Health Awareness Month.
State lawmakers and mental health advocacy groups say one of their main concerns this year is the lack of funding for Pennsylvania’s mental health programs.
On Thursday, he will have breakfast with constituents and mental health advocates at Eden Resorts and Suites to discuss ways to address the mental health crisis across the commonwealth.
But what is the current crisis in Pennsylvania?
Many mental health advocates say worker shortages can limit access to mental health care and create excessive wait times.
At least 152 million people nationwide are in a mental health workforce shortage, and Pennsylvania ranks 33rd out of 51 states when it comes to the number of people seeking treatment from a health care provider, according to the latest data from Mental Health America. is ranked.
And for children, it looks even worse.
A 2015 study by the National Alliance on Mental Illness recommended that Pennsylvania should have 47 child and adolescent psychiatrists for every 100,000 children.
There are about 16 in Pennsylvania. That’s just 422 child and adolescent psychiatrists for 2.7 million children.
Rising costs due to inflation are causing workers to retire and programs to close here in south-central Pennsylvania, mental health advocates say.
“People are leaving the mental health field because they don’t make enough money,” said Kim McDevitt, executive director of Lancaster County Mental Health America. It’s closing down,” he said.
Governor Shapiro and state legislators approved a $20 million increase in county mental health funding in last year’s budget. But mental health advocates say that alone is not enough to sustain the mental health system.
The $20 million could keep things going, but rising costs and a dramatic labor shortage have advocates and state lawmakers worried it’s just a drop in the bucket.
The County Commissioners Association is asking the state for a $250 million increase to improve services. It would be collected through a state funding formula and distributed to Pennsylvania’s 67 counties.
“I think that’s a realistic number,” said Indiana County state Rep. James Struzzi. “I asked the county commission to show us how that money will be spent.”
“This is to address that,” said Michael Schlossberg of Lehigh County. “We need to build the political will to say, ‘You know what? I want to spend money in that area, I don’t care what it takes.'”
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