Economic Side Effects: Is Mental Health an Imminent Crisis?
By Mary Lou Aurell
There are hints in a New York Times interactive feature known as “How do you feel about the economy?” Stressed, scared, powerless, betrayed appear most frequently on the website. Worried, depressed and apprehensive are in second place.
Gordy Hoelscher, the director of Range Mental Health Center in Hibbing, thinks these reactions could portend what’s ahead. “Historically, during times like these we have seen increases in mental health and chemical dependency issues,” he explained. Such surges occurred in the late 70’s and early 80’s when the iron mines closed.
Hoelscher feels the mental health field is currently experiencing a delayed response from the public. “As people start losing their unemployment benefits and have to cut back or take a second job, we will see an increase in substance abuse, parent and child conflicts, marital conflicts and depression,” he said.
This increase will come sooner from those who have lost jobs connected to mining or those who have lost their health benefits. “Sometimes individuals wait until they are desperate before they come in,” Hoelscher noted.
When the unemployed lose their pharmacy benefits, many can only afford generic drugs that may not correct their condition or they just stop taking their meds, he added. These situations escalate their emotional plight.
Range Mental Health Center does refer patients to drug company programs that offer free meds or to public programs that can help them with medical expenses. However,
uncertainty surrounds the public programs because of the state budget crisis.
“All of this has a snowball effect,” Horlscher said.
Charlotte Maki, Hibbing Hospital’s nurse in charge of RN’s, agrees with him. “A few months from now stress will cause mental health concerns, particularly in chemical dependency and domestic violence, when unemployment benefits run out,” she observed.
Already the Range Mental Health detox population has increased and its substance abuse outpatient census is up. “We only have so much capacity,” Horlscher said. “There’s a six to seven day wait for those who want to come in.”
“However, we won’t turn anyone away. St. Louis County residents may qualify for free treatment. If not, we can set up a payment plan for them.”
Those who need outpatient mental health services in Itasca County do not receive the same free financial support. According to Greg Walker, director of the Northland Counseling Center in Grand Rapids, Itasca County Health & Human Services (H&HS) pays for one outpatient diagnostic visit and six follow up visits for drug management or therapy.
Lester Kachinske, H&HS director, said his programs focus on the serious and persistently mentally ill. “Where we can, we try to stabilize these individuals and avoid their hospitalization,” Kachinske explained.
Northland Counseling, which has a second center in International Falls, added six clinicians to its staff since last August to meet the increasing demand for its services. They have been able to hire despite the growing demand for mental health professionals
By October 1, 2008, all of their clinicians’ schedules were full and they were booked six weeks out, Walker said.
It would seem that the center’s addition of clinicians is signaling a mental health crisis, though Walker feels that right now it’s difficult to predict that crisis. However, he feels it is obvious that people are being affected by the same economic factors Horlscher cited.
The funding cuts mental health centers are experiencing are making it tougher for them to serve their clients, Walker indicated. What will happen when patients start losing their insurance is still unanswered. Like Range Mental Health, Northland uses sliding fee scales to help clients who can afford to pay something towards their treatment or will point patients toward a payer source such as Minnesota Care.
However, state funding for such assistance programs is in jeopardy because of the state’s budget problems. Walker is sure many medical benefits will be cut. The state is not showing that its budget cuts adhere to best practices, he said. It should be helping to keep the mentally ill in their communities where they can be productive, he clarified.
“Why not cut state administration?” Walker asked.
Itasca County’s coming budget cuts in health and human services programs also will affect Northland Counseling’s work. “The county does not have nearly enough money to help us now,” Walker said.
Kachinske’s department will have to do less with less and one of the areas that could be hit the hardest is mental health.
Meanwhile the stress of Minnesota’s citizens is intensifying.
In March the state’s unemployment rate reached 8.2 percent as state employers eliminated another 23,200 jobs. According to this article in the Minneapolis StarTribune, this is the highest employment rate in about 25 years.
Nationwide there are 6.1 million Americans receiving jobless benefits.
There are hints in a New York Times interactive feature known as “How do you feel about the economy?” Stressed, scared, powerless, betrayed appear most frequently on the website. Worried, depressed and apprehensive are in second place.
Gordy Hoelscher, the director of Range Mental Health Center in Hibbing, thinks these reactions could portend what’s ahead. “Historically, during times like these we have seen increases in mental health and chemical dependency issues,” he explained. Such surges occurred in the late 70’s and early 80’s when the iron mines closed.
Hoelscher feels the mental health field is currently experiencing a delayed response from the public. “As people start losing their unemployment benefits and have to cut back or take a second job, we will see an increase in substance abuse, parent and child conflicts, marital conflicts and depression,” he said.
This increase will come sooner from those who have lost jobs connected to mining or those who have lost their health benefits. “Sometimes individuals wait until they are desperate before they come in,” Hoelscher noted.
When the unemployed lose their pharmacy benefits, many can only afford generic drugs that may not correct their condition or they just stop taking their meds, he added. These situations escalate their emotional plight.
Range Mental Health Center does refer patients to drug company programs that offer free meds or to public programs that can help them with medical expenses. However,
uncertainty surrounds the public programs because of the state budget crisis.
“All of this has a snowball effect,” Horlscher said.
Charlotte Maki, Hibbing Hospital’s nurse in charge of RN’s, agrees with him. “A few months from now stress will cause mental health concerns, particularly in chemical dependency and domestic violence, when unemployment benefits run out,” she observed.
Already the Range Mental Health detox population has increased and its substance abuse outpatient census is up. “We only have so much capacity,” Horlscher said. “There’s a six to seven day wait for those who want to come in.”
“However, we won’t turn anyone away. St. Louis County residents may qualify for free treatment. If not, we can set up a payment plan for them.”
Those who need outpatient mental health services in Itasca County do not receive the same free financial support. According to Greg Walker, director of the Northland Counseling Center in Grand Rapids, Itasca County Health & Human Services (H&HS) pays for one outpatient diagnostic visit and six follow up visits for drug management or therapy.
Lester Kachinske, H&HS director, said his programs focus on the serious and persistently mentally ill. “Where we can, we try to stabilize these individuals and avoid their hospitalization,” Kachinske explained.
Northland Counseling, which has a second center in International Falls, added six clinicians to its staff since last August to meet the increasing demand for its services. They have been able to hire despite the growing demand for mental health professionals
By October 1, 2008, all of their clinicians’ schedules were full and they were booked six weeks out, Walker said.
It would seem that the center’s addition of clinicians is signaling a mental health crisis, though Walker feels that right now it’s difficult to predict that crisis. However, he feels it is obvious that people are being affected by the same economic factors Horlscher cited.
The funding cuts mental health centers are experiencing are making it tougher for them to serve their clients, Walker indicated. What will happen when patients start losing their insurance is still unanswered. Like Range Mental Health, Northland uses sliding fee scales to help clients who can afford to pay something towards their treatment or will point patients toward a payer source such as Minnesota Care.
However, state funding for such assistance programs is in jeopardy because of the state’s budget problems. Walker is sure many medical benefits will be cut. The state is not showing that its budget cuts adhere to best practices, he said. It should be helping to keep the mentally ill in their communities where they can be productive, he clarified.
“Why not cut state administration?” Walker asked.
Itasca County’s coming budget cuts in health and human services programs also will affect Northland Counseling’s work. “The county does not have nearly enough money to help us now,” Walker said.
Kachinske’s department will have to do less with less and one of the areas that could be hit the hardest is mental health.
Meanwhile the stress of Minnesota’s citizens is intensifying.
In March the state’s unemployment rate reached 8.2 percent as state employers eliminated another 23,200 jobs. According to this article in the Minneapolis StarTribune, this is the highest employment rate in about 25 years.
Nationwide there are 6.1 million Americans receiving jobless benefits.
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