AUSTIN (Nexstar) — As lawmakers put together to return to the Texas Capitol this month, many rural communities hope the legislature will make vital investments into their psychological well being assets.
Potter County Decide Nancy Tanner handles psychological well being circumstances not solely in her county seat of Amarillo, however in additional than two dozen rural counties across the Texas Panhandle. Despite the fact that Tanner mentioned she has processed greater than 5,000 circumstances in her tenure, the closest psychological well being hospital to her constituents is greater than 200 miles away.
“I can inform you some unhappy, unhappy tales,” she mentioned. “I don’t need individuals to inform me, ‘properly, he killed himself.’ That’s what now we have to cease.”
She mentioned solely about one in 5 individuals with psychological healthcare wants within the circumstances she has dealt with have made it to a state hospital. Typically once they do, Tanner added they’re launched with out correct care and find yourself again within the system.
“There’s by no means an accessible mattress,” she mentioned. “We’re simply backlogged with the identical individuals.”
Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick estimated at a press convention final month that out of about 2,500 beds for psychological well being sufferers in Texas, no less than 1,000 are empty due to nursing employees shortages. He named rural psychological well being entry as one among his prime priorities for the 88th legislative session.
“As I’ve traveled across the state I’ve seen the necessity,” Patrick mentioned. “We don’t have a psychological well being facility within the Panhandle, so I’m proposing we construct one there. That is one thing now we have to do for our communities.”
He estimated his plan so as to add a brand new state hospital in Amarillo and a whole bunch of beds to present places will value $2.2 billion. He was particular in advocating for extra beds in El Paso, 300 extra in Wichita Falls and Terrell, in addition to 140 extra within the Rio Grande Valley.
Patrick additionally proposed new investments in tuition protection and pay raises for nurses to chop down on staffing shortages.
In Kingsville, Dr. Steve Bain with the brand new Institute for Rural Psychological Well being Initiatives mentioned the precedence must be on graduate college packages that practice new psychological well being professionals and incentivize placement in rural communities. The Texas A&M Board of Regents accepted the institute this November as a first-of-its-kind middle for rural psychological well being analysis and schooling.
“Our state ranks very low on its supply of psychological well being assets, notably to distant inhabitants,” Bain mentioned. “We’ve acquired to be consistently related with these communities, and that’s going to take time and group by way of our institute. It’s going to take analysis and analysis funding. And it’s going to take placing our graduate college students who want their practicum and internships into these rural communities.”
In testimony to the Texas Home, Bain instructed lawmakers that one in 5 Texas youngsters have a psychological well being dysfunction. Simply between 2019 and 2021, the Texas Poison Management Community noticed a 50% improve in requires suspected suicide amongst teenage women.
“We’re in an unprecedented time in our state’s historical past the place nice leaders like you can also make a distinction for kids, their households, and people who are dedicated to the holistic success of our younger Texans,” he testified. “Along with your assist, we are able to and should increase rural psychological well being packages.”
Tanner mentioned she is optimistic this session will deliver tangible enhancements.
“Lt. Gov. Patrick mentioned there’s cash within the price range,” she mentioned, including that the Senate Finance Committee was “very open” to her proposal for an Amarillo psychological well being hospital. The Amarillo Space Basis has already donated seven acres for the ability — couple that with the native medical college college students on the Texas Tech College Well being Sciences Middle, and he or she mentioned it solely is smart.
“I’m praying that it occurs. Will probably be my largest enterprise and my largest success as choose to get this achieved earlier than I depart right here,” she mentioned.
