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Tragedy in the Making: State Mental Health Cuts

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Earlier this month, the National Alliance on Mental Health (NAMI) released a special report, State Mental Health Cuts: A National Crisis, which provides the first comprehensive look at the dire state of mental health budgets nationwide. According to extensive NAMI research, two-thirds of states have made cuts in mental healthcare in the past three years, even as the need has increased because of the recession and troops returning from war.

As NAMI executive director Michael J. Fitzpatrick said, “Budget cuts aren’t just about data. In real human terms, lives are at risk.”

Much has been made of the recent tragedy in Arizona and the 2007 Virginia Tech tragedy. Less visible tragedies take place every day in our communities – suicides, homelessness, school drop-outs, and more. With such severe budget cuts, people are not getting the help they need when they need it. These are not just individual, personal tragedies. They are family tragedies, community tragedies, and a national tragedy.

NAMI has issued a call for those in the mental health community – patients, parents, children, friends, loved ones, healthcare professionals – to take up this cause and talk to their elected officials at every level of government.

Together, we can make a difference and save lives.
Please click here to compose a message to your state’s elected officials.

The Villa Orlando and Pasadena Villa’s Smoky Mountain Lodge are adult intensive psychiatric residential treatment centers for clients with serious mental illnesses. We also provide other individualized therapy programs, step-down residential programs, and less intensive mental health services, such as Community Residential Homes, Supportive Housing, Day Treatment Programs and Life Skills training. Pasadena Villa’s Outpatient Center in Raleigh, North Carolina offers partial hospitalization (PHP) and an intensive outpatient program (PHP). If you or someone you know may need mental health services, please complete our contact form or call us at 877-845-5235 for more information.

 

Sources:

• Cqrcengage.com
• Nami.org