Florida and Texas, more veterans, less mental healthcare

For too many veterans this is a huge problem. Too many of them do not want to go to the VA for mental healthcare help for PTSD, if they go at all, but when they decide they want help, the VA can't take care of all of them as soon as they want it. They turn to civilian mental health workers. With Texas and Florida having so many veterans, being this low on mental healthcare spending, it increases the stress our veterans face when it comes to taking care of them.

Florida 48th among states in funding for mental health services
By Skyler Swisher
STAFF WRITER
Published: Sunday, December 23, 2012

Backlogs in hospital psychiatric wards, a lack of crisis services, shortages of boots on the ground and long wait times for help are the results of funding cuts to mental health in Florida, local advocates say.

As the nation reels from the shooting rampage in Newtown, Conn., mental health service providers and advocates are urging lawmakers to commit more dollars to behavioral health services, stressing the need for additional counselors, mental health beds and school psychologists.

Far too often, the mentally ill have to endure long waits to get the help they need or might not have access to services at all, said Pattie Hunt, whose 52-year-old son has had schizophrenia since he was 19.

"There is a total race to the bottom as far as mental health funding, and Florida wins all the time," said Hunt, a member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness' Volusia, Flagler and St. Johns chapter. "They seem to take pride in cutting funding for mental health because it's not popular, and no one wants to talk about it. Our jails have become our mental health centers."
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