On Thursday, a public hearing will give Mainers a chance to weigh in on emergency bill LD 3, An Act to Enhance and Increase the Availability of Mental Health Providers in Maine. This bill would fund a program allowing mental health providers who agree to work in an underserved area of the state for at least five years to receive assistance in repaying their student loan debt. This bill deserves support because more skilled professionals are needed in Maine to adequately address the growing mental health crisis now and in the future.
Nearly 1 in 5 people have some sort of mental health condition in the U.S. — that’s over 18 percent of the population, according to the National Institute of Mental Health. Many individuals are either not accessing care or relying on emergency services for psychiatric care due in part to a shortage of mental health providers (which includes psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, counselors, therapists and nurses specializing in mental health care). Lack of insurance and inadequate reimbursement for mental health services by payers for those who do have insurance has exacerbated the problem. In Maine, more than 40 percent of individuals with a severe mental illness are receiving no treatment at any given time, leaving them at increased risk for homelessness, incarceration and suicide, according to the 2018 Mental Health America Report.
Maine youth in particular are struggling with mental health issues. Maine has the highest rate in the nation of children diagnosed with anxiety and the third highest rate of children diagnosed with depression, according to a report recently released by the Maine Children’s Alliance. In addition, suicide is the second leading cause of death for Mainers ages 10 to 24. In Maine, suicides for all age groups increased by 17 percent from 2008 to 2014, a higher rate than the national average. Clearly, we need to do more to address this crisis.
As the oldest state in the nation, we will see thousands of Maine’s baby boomers retire over the next decade. According to the Department of Labor, Maine’s workforce will shrink by a third if nothing is done to address this issue. At the same time when older people are retiring, many young people are leaving Maine to look elsewhere for higher paying jobs that help repay student loan debt. If we want skilled college graduates who will become the next mental health workers to stay in Maine, its crucial to address this issue.
Add to these demographics a state mental health system that is underfunded with gaps in critical services, and you have an emergency on the horizon. There are many other things that could be done to improve this situation nationally and in our state, such as increased funding and insurance coverage for treatment of mental health care for children and adults.
We also need to address the shortage of mental health workers who will be needed to carry out this treatment, and this bill will help do that. Urge your legislators to support LD 3 to keep mental health workers in Maine.
Emilie Disney of Franklin is a graduate student in the University of Maine Social Work Program.