Support changes in the mental health law

On October 11th, a hearing at the statehouse will take place for the following pending legislation:

An Act Expanding and Improving Children's Behavioral Health Services in the Commonwealth:House Bill 1872 sponsored by Representative Ruth Balser and Senate Bill 1133 by Senator Steven Tolman.

Please contact your legislator at 1-617-722-2000 to support this bill. Desparate changes are needed in how mental health services are paid for; delivered; and evaluated for all children in Massachusetts. There is a shortage of mental health counselors, social workers, and child psychiatrists to see children with behavioral and mental health issues. The reasons why mental health professionals are due to three reasons:

1) woeful inadequate and low reimbursements from commercial health insurance companies to pay for mental health services.
2) Non-reimbursements for no-shows in mental health clinics. How are mental health professionals supposed to be retained if they not paid for their time?
3) Unfair and inequitable productivity requirements that can not be met. When you work with the low income communities, their issues are so overbearing that they can't make their appointments with their counselors. They have other things going on their lives where they can't commit or call to cancel their appointments.

There was a study done by the Massachusetts Association of Social Workers a few years. They found the following results: 1/3 of their graduates did not go into the mental health profession; 1/3 dropped out after their first year working in the field; and 1/3 are still working in the profession.

It is time to investigate and hold hearings on why there are shortages of qualified mental health professionals to work with children.