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| Since Sandy Hook, Tracking Mental Health Changes Nationwide |
| By jjie.org - Daryl Khan |
| Published: 12/10/2013 |
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The near financial collapse in 2008 had state capitols across the country tightening their fiscal belts. As part of that new fiscal reality, money for mental health programs suffered deep cuts. Funds for mental health budgets were slashed a combined $4 billion from 2008 to 2012. However, in the wake of the shooting at Sandy Hook Elementary School last December experts have watched that trend sharply reverse. The National Alliance on Mental Illness recently prepared a report survey in its State Legislation Report to track the mental health changes made in state houses across the country. Mental health budgets increased in 37 states, stayed even in eight states, and fell in six others, according to the report. “An awful lot of legislators who have never been interested in mental health suddenly had a lot of interest in mental health in the wake of the tragedy at Sandy Hook,” said Kate Mattias, executive director at NAMI Connecticut. “We were able to talk to a number of legislators on both sides of the aisle about issues that were both long standing, and some that percolated to the top after of Sandy Hook.” Of those states that increased their mental health funding, Texas made the largest jump in spending, increasing it $259 million over two years, the largest increase in its history. South Carolina, which made the deepest cuts in its history in 2008, turned that trend around by increasing its 2014 budget, according to the report. “We did see after Newtown more states were willing to spend the money to support mental health, or at least bring the bills to the table and talk about them and that was something that was not seen before Newtown,” said Emily Cepla, NAMI’s program manager, Child and Adolescent Action Center. Read More. |
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