Report: Mass. lags in mental health services delivery
Massachusetts is “way behind” in its delivery of mental health services, with treatment options hampered by budget cuts since 2009, inadequate funding for police training and a shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds that puts daily stress on hospital emergency rooms, according to a new report.
The report from the state chapter of the National Association for the Mentally Ill was released Monday, two days before the House Ways and Means Committee is scheduled to unveil its redraft of Gov. Deval Patrick’s $36.4 billion budget, which has been criticized by activists for raising mental health spending by only 1 percent.
The report calls for a $16 million increase in the Department of Mental Health’s annual budget, and a $2.7 million increase in funding for courts that handle drug and mental health cases and issues facing military veterans. It predicts Patrick’s budget, if enacted, will lead to 250 adults and 215 children losing services, and estimates that DMH spending would need to rise $85 million to return to 2009 levels, adjusted for inflation.
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