Thursday morning at the state Capitol, Pennsylvania county leaders will call on the state for immediate action to improve the state’s mental health system. County leaders, including district attorneys, jailers, county commissioners and mental health administrators, say the current mental health system is on the verge of collapse. The proposal is for $250 million in additional funding for county-based mental health programs. They say that over the past few years, the population has been growing in their areas and the cost of providing services has increased. without an increase in funding to offset inflation and more people seeking support, leaders say counties often strain resources or face decisions about whether or not to cut a program. Annie Strite, mental health administrator for Cumberland and Perry counties, said those problems are also reflected in the Susquehanna Valley. He said Cumberland County has more than 80 people on the waiting list for mental health support and has seen an increase in those in their 65s. and 74 seeking crisis services. Strite said it’s critical to make sure those seeking care get support as soon as possible, as failure to do so can lead to them ending up in hospitals, jail or even homelessness. “For me personally, having worked in the system. for over three decades, I can tell you that I think the needs are immense right now,” Strite said. “In talking to some of the families and some of the people that we’ve seen, I think we’re at a critical point where we need to make positive changes. We really need to make these investments.” They begin to make their statements at 10 a.m. inside the main rotunda of the State Capitol.
At the state Capitol Thursday morning, Pennsylvania county leaders will call on the state for immediate action to improve the state’s mental health system.
County leaders, including district attorneys, jailers, county commissioners and mental health administrators, say the current mental health system is on the brink of collapse.
The proposal is for $250 million in additional funding for county mental health programs.
They say that in recent years the population has been growing in their areas and the cost of providing services has increased.
Without an increase in funding to offset inflation and more people seeking support, leaders say counties are often stretched for resources or faced with decisions about whether or not to cut a program.
Annie Strite, mental health administrator for Cumberland and Perry counties, said those problems are also reflected in the Susquehanna Valley.
He said Cumberland County has more than 80 people on the waiting list for mental health support and has seen an increase in those between the ages of 65 and 74 seeking crisis services.
Strite said it’s critical to make sure those seeking care get support as quickly as possible, because failure to do so can lead to them being in hospitals, jail or even homeless.
“For me personally, having worked in the system for over three decades, I can tell you that I think the needs are immense right now,” Strite said. “In talking to some of the families and some of the people that we’ve seen, I think we’re at a critical point where we need to make positive changes. We really need to make these investments.”
County leaders will begin making their remarks at 10 a.m. inside the main rotunda of the State Capitol.
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