No more study, it’s time to adopt mental health tax
How long do we have to wait? How long should we wait? Pierce County is in a crisis and has been for a long time. Far too many people in our community suffer from behavioral health conditions and have nowhere to go to get help.
Well over 75 percent of Pierce County residents have no access to important outpatient and community-based services. We see them on our streets every day, but they’re also family and friends.
Council members Connie Ladenburg, Rick Talbert and I sponsored a study of Pierce County’s behavioral health system, which received bipartisan support to move forward last year. This study was conducted by the Human Services Research Institute. While the problem was clear, we needed details to make informed decisions and help determine the best response to the crisis.
The results are in, and they are heartbreaking. We now know about 19.5 percent of adults in Pierce County meet the criteria for a mental health disorder, and 4.6 percent have a serious mental illness that significantly impacts day-to-day function.
About 11 percent of youths 12-17 have experienced a major depressive episode in the past year. Equally troubling is the suicide rate in Pierce County, which is 18.5 per 100,000 residents compared to the state average of 15.4 per 100,000.
Shockingly, suicide is the fourth-leading cause of death for children ages 10-14.
This is unacceptable. The HSRI report defined “a good and modern behavioral health system.” We are far from it.
The report states: “Those who do receive care experience a fragmented service system, with separate silos delivering mental health, substance use, general health and social welfare services. People are being turned away because there are too many that need help and not enough professionals to do the work to help them. Those who are underinsured or on Medicare are likely not to have access to resources.”
Recently we’ve had meetings to hear from the community on their reaction to our study. A public hearing is scheduled Nov. 14 at 1:30 p.m. in the Public Safety, Human Services and Budget Committee.
The testimony we have heard from hundreds of people is overwhelming and clear. It’s time for the County Council to act.
Doing nothing contributes to staggering costs in our emergency rooms and jail. Doing nothing leaves people in tents on sidewalks and riverbanks. Doing nothing perpetuates emotional family turmoil.
We have the data and now we have a plan.
After adopting savage cuts to Washington’s behavioral health system, legislators handed this moral obligation to county governments. They also gave us a tool to respond to this new responsibility, a .01-percent sales tax.
Of Washington’s 39 counties, 22 have stepped up to pass this legislation, including every large urban county. Almost 80 percent of our state’s population is already covered. Rather than waiting for the County Council, the city of Tacoma decided to go at it alone, passing the tax and showing us what can be accomplished.
Ladenburg, Talbert and I have proposed a bill to adopt this funding and the recommendations in the report establishing a “continuum of effective treatment and supportive services that span health care, employment, housing, and education sectors.” We will invest in community education, prevention, early intervention, outpatient treatment, community-based services, crises and inpatient services, and services for justice-involved populations.
We also propose creation of a coordinated committee of stakeholders to review the gaps and develop solutions for system-change found in this report. The County’s Community Connections department has begun to develop a strategic plan to establish goals, objectives, actions, metrics, evaluation measures, a system of data points and collection. This committee will set the foundation for the delivery of services across all spectrums for years to come.
Residents suffering from these illnesses have exceptional needs, and their over-representation in jails and other less fortunate places is a man-made tragedy.
This crisis demands action. We believe it is time for the County Council to accept this responsibility, pass the bill and care for those in need.
Derek Young, a Gig Harbor Democrat, represents the 7th District on the Pierce County Council.
This story was originally published October 22, 2016 at 2:09 PM with the headline "No more study, it’s time to adopt mental health tax."