TESTIMONY TO THE JOINT SUBCOMMITTEE TO STUDY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY
October 26, 2016
Karen Cameron: “Thank you for the opportunity to present to you today. My name is Karen Cameron and I am the Director of the Virginia Interfaith Center for Public Policy’s healthcare program. The Interfaith Center is a non-profit organization of broadly diverse, morally driven advocates working to advance public policies that better serve low-income, vulnerable, and underrepresented communities in the Commonwealth of Virginia.
“First, we would like to applaud your efforts to address untreated behavioral health needs that so often tear our communities and families apart, reduce economic prosperity, and cause needless individual suffering and even death. Fortunately, this “often stigmatized” issue is receiving public attention and we are optimistic that substantial solutions will come forth from your efforts and the efforts of others who care deeply about those impacted by untreated mental illness.
“As reported in today’s Richmond-Times Dispatch, Virginia has continued to “lose ground” in addressing those Virginians with mental health needs. We are now ranked 38th in the nation by Mental Health America for the prevalence of mental illness among residents and their ability to access care, based on 2014 data. This is down from 27th in 2011. Perhaps most disturbing is that only two states rank below Virginia in youth with depression receiving treatment, with only one out of four receiving the care they need.
“Although faith leaders have often found themselves to be among the first to know about an individual congregant’s behavioral health needs, limited public knowledge of the issue, community based services and access to appropriate treatment services has ballooned the needs that faith leaders find themselves addressing. Moreover, the ability of pastoral care to meet these needs is limited and faith leaders often find that referral to appropriate resources is limited severely by no or limited insurance coverage, inadequate community mental health providers, or limited statewide coordination of services.
“Recently, I spoke with a pastor who was called by one of his parishioners. Her adult son had come to her home in the Richmond area with severe depression and suicidal thoughts. They took her son to the local community services board. But the CSB couldn’t provide the services he needed because he was a resident of a neighboring community. Then, when the son was taken to his community’s CSB, they didn’t have adequate services to provide for his needs and, because he didn’t have insurance, there were no private care options available to him. Eventually, this young man committed suicide and his mother’s life was devastated by the loss of her son, knowing that should he or she have had more resources or he have lived in another community he may have been saved.
“The Virginia Interfaith Center strongly believes that a large part of the solution is for all Virginians to have comprehensive healthcare insurance. Not only will people be able to choose the most appropriate care and provider available, but universal coverage would likely increase the number of mental health providers in underserved areas because there will be a payment source for a large majority of those living in underserved communities. This could be done with little to no cost to Virginia but result in significant benefits to the individuals who suffer with behavioral health needs, as well as their families and communities by drawing down federal Medicaid dollars.”