Is cutting mental health budgets in today's environment the right direction?

Sgt Spencer Sikder — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:14:11 -0400

http://www.newsobserver.com/news/politics-government/state-politics/article35913603.html

NC budget cuts $110 million from regional mental health

The state’s eight regional mental health agencies must absorb a financial hit in the form of a $110 million budget reduction that state legislators told them to fill with money from their savings.

Response by CSM Michael J. Uhlig made Sep 22 at 2015 4:56 PM

CSM Michael J. Uhlig — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:56:38 -0400

To recommend the same service with considerably less funds sounds a little crazy to me.

Response by LCDR Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2015 4:57 PM

LCDR Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 16:57:16 -0400

I don't think cutting any health budgets is the right idea. Then again, budget reductions has to come from somewhere.

The specifics of this instance are a little hazy, but it does look like there are sufficient funds to cover regional mental health for the state. So it wasn't so much that mental health will go unfunded, but that it could be cut without a loss of services. Long-term though I doubt that would be the effect.

Response by Cpl Private RallyPoint Member made Sep 22 at 2015 7:15 PM

Cpl Private RallyPoint Member — Tue, 22 Sep 2015 19:15:15 -0400

That will just put more with mental health issues on the streets without proper medication and/or monitoring. That sounds like a very bad move.