To: President Donald Trump, The Texas State House, The Texas State Senate, Governor Greg Abbott, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate
Fund Mental Health in Texas!
We are tired of all the mental health atrocities in Texas. Make make mental health a top priority!
Why is this important?
Every day we are being reminded about the dire state of mental health in our country. Mental health hospitals, services in schools, aftercare facilities, and rehabs have all had funding cut and this trend must stop. As a counselor in Texas, every day I work with clients that need more care than is currently available for them.
Why spend more money? The key here is actually we would save more money in the long run. People who are in crisis often get sent to hospitals and then mental health hospitals. The hospitals try to help get these people in and out as quickly as possible because funding and the number of beds are inadequate. Many times these people are then released back to the community with little or no support and they go into crisis again and potentially take their own life and possibly others as well. This means increased costs by another trip in an ambulance, police support, ICU, and another stay at a mental health hospital.
How do we stop this? Other states and countries have helped curb this cycle by thoroughly revamping their mental health systems. One vital piece that would help Texas is aftercare facilities for those who recently are released from the hospitals. This would give them a place to recover, adjust to medications, and be in a place where they can be monitored and supported as a medical and therapy team works to correct what has been going wrong. More funding would also aid to help those agencies that help to support those in need before they go into crisis. The State of California has found that for every $1 they spent on rehabilitation facilities, they saved $7 in incarceration costs.
So, sign here to help save Texas money, to help save the lives of Texans in need, and to help mental health be a top priority!
Why spend more money? The key here is actually we would save more money in the long run. People who are in crisis often get sent to hospitals and then mental health hospitals. The hospitals try to help get these people in and out as quickly as possible because funding and the number of beds are inadequate. Many times these people are then released back to the community with little or no support and they go into crisis again and potentially take their own life and possibly others as well. This means increased costs by another trip in an ambulance, police support, ICU, and another stay at a mental health hospital.
How do we stop this? Other states and countries have helped curb this cycle by thoroughly revamping their mental health systems. One vital piece that would help Texas is aftercare facilities for those who recently are released from the hospitals. This would give them a place to recover, adjust to medications, and be in a place where they can be monitored and supported as a medical and therapy team works to correct what has been going wrong. More funding would also aid to help those agencies that help to support those in need before they go into crisis. The State of California has found that for every $1 they spent on rehabilitation facilities, they saved $7 in incarceration costs.
So, sign here to help save Texas money, to help save the lives of Texans in need, and to help mental health be a top priority!