LETTER: Mental health services should be appropriately funded
Mental health services should be appropriately funded
As the state budget deadline approaches, counties across the state are lobbying the Legislature and governor about the deficiencies of the troubled mental health system in Pennsylvania and the steps needed to ensure appropriate funding and resources are available to support those in need of these critical services.
State funding for mental health services has lagged behind the actual need for years, negatively impacting counties’ essential community-based mental health services, such as crisis intervention, support for individuals leaving state facilities, treatment, community consultation, education, day services, and prevention.
It’s a good first step for Gov. Josh Shapiro to propose to appropriate the first county health services increase since 2008. However, more urgent work needs to be done to resolve this problem.
The County Commissioners Association of Pennsylvania (CCAP) is seeking an investment of $150 million to the county mental health base for the fiscal year 2023-24. This includes a $50 million base funding increase ($20 million proposed by Shapiro, plus an additional $30 million) and allocating $100 million from the federal American Rescue Plan for adult mental health. We need these dollars to be well-spent and directed to individuals who need them while protecting taxpayer dollars.
The need for community-based services has risen drastically each year, leaving counties to rely on a growing share of property taxes to support the system on behalf of the commonwealth. Although, most of Washington County’s human services receive funding from state and federal grants.
As CCAP points out, we have a severe statewide issue with our mental health system. “Our system is at capacity, and our hospitals are overrun, our ER beds are full of behavioral health needs, our jails are bursting at the seams with mental health inmates, we have our children and behavioral health systems with dire needs.”
As Harrisburg’s budget process moves forward, we need a long overdue, thoughtful, and bipartisan debate on this critical issue.
I ask the members of the General Assembly to correct a problem that has lasted far too long and fund mental health services at an appropriate level recommended by CCAP.
Nick Sherman
Washington
Nick Sherman is a Washington County
commissioner.