GUEST COLUMN:

When will we have a better response to the mental health crisis?

Sun, Oct 24, 2021 (2 a.m.)

There are thousands of personal stories of mental health to be told across Nevada. I know this firsthand as a mother, as an individual and as a teacher.

As the country experiences record highs of anxiety, depression and other mental health issues exacerbated by COVID-19, our state is no different. In many cases, Nevada is woefully behind. In 2021, 71% of youths with depression in Nevada did not receive treatment. Only 11.2% of youths with mental health issues received any kind of consistent treatment, and our state is ranked last in Mental Health America’s youth mental health care rankings for this year.

How did we get here?

I think it has to do with how we approach crisis and translate that response into care. The more people who are left untreated for potentially serious mental health conditions, the higher the potential for severe mental health episodes and mental health crises. It’s a progression. We need to show up for our kids, we need to support ourselves, and we need to support others in our community who need help.

I often teach in schools where the children have acute behavioral needs. As anyone who’s worked with children in crisis knows, the needs are varied and it is critical to get your responses right the first time. When one of my students experiences a mental health crisis, it is upsetting to see a child in agony and in such desperate need of assistance. What’s worse is when we don’t have the systems in place to get someone the immediate help they need.

Too often the consequences of our society’s collective lack of preparedness fall on the person experiencing the crisis, as they receive inadequate care, care too late, or no care at all. The mishandling of mental health emergencies is a flaw in our care system that has been going on for decades, and it’s time to do something about it.

We deserve more coherent and compassionate policies when it comes to mental health, not just for our children but for all of our loved ones who may be struggling.

Even though Nevada ranks as one of the most difficult states to access mental health treatment and care, one of our very own is leading the way toward a healthier future. Sen. Catherine Cortez Masto, D-Nev., recently proposed a bipartisan bill that would broadly expand the capacity and quality of our nation’s response to mental health crises. Right now, police or other first responders who are not adequately trained to deal with mental health crises are those who most often respond to mental health emergencies. This often leads to an escalated crisis through unnecessary arrests, police brutality, hospitalizations or worse.

Cortez Masto’s bill looks to open a wider safety net for those in need of mental health assistance, establishing around-the-clock hotlines for people experiencing a crisis. In addition, it would mandate the creation of mobile crisis services and units of mental health professionals trained to handle mental health crises. These units would not only de-escalate, but would ensure that we have mental health first responders show up with the proper training to respond to crises. Additionally, the legislation would result in the creation of urgent care facilities designated specifically as behavioral health clinics, stabilization beds for patients experiencing crises, and even short-term residential options to help get people back on their feet after mental health emergencies. Most importantly, all these services would be covered for all patients no matter where they get their health insurance.

Legislation such as this is necessary to keep people out of harm’s way. It’s a better response, and we’ll see this ripple into the health of our kids, our friends and the rest of our family. I know I want better for my two children. As Nevadans, parents and human beings, we need to demand better. As the long-term emotional effects of COVID-19 remain unknown and with all the uncertainty this country faces, we should help pave the way for more sympathetic and sensible care for the ones who need it most. The health of our minds is inseparable from the health of our bodies.

Anne Scott is a Las Vegas resident and substitute teacher.

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