ST. PAUL, Minn. – Over 40 organizations working to improve the lives of adults and children living with mental illness – and their families – are calling on lawmakers to make substantial investments in the mental health system.
“We’ve often said that our mental health system isn’t broken. It was never built,” Sue Abderholden from National Alliance on Mental Illness Minnesota said. “Over the years, we have identified what works and started to build it, but now – with the incredibly increased needs due to the pandemic and racial injustice – our system is overtaxed, and people are not accessing care when and where they need it.”
Abderholden said we need to break down barriers to care and build a system urgently needed.
“The number of people who died by suicide in 2021 went up by over 100 people to over 800 Minnesotans who died by suicide, and they are predicting an even increased number in 2022,” Abderholden said. “So, we are in a full-blown crisis; the second pandemic, if you will.”
Abderholden said providers can’t hire enough people to carry out the work, beds are left empty, and there are fewer people to provide needed services.
Comments