Full Funding of Behavioral Health Services Is Critical for State’s Bottom Line
Community-based services for mental health, substance use
disorders (SUD) and intellectual/developmental disabilities
(I/DD) have endured chronic underfunding for decades. The
resulting challenges for children and adults in need to access
these critical services have been exacerbated by the coronavirus
pandemic and the trauma resulting from heightened awareness of
social injustice. Some providers have needed to reduce services
due to the limited funds also having to be used for new expenses,
such as personal protective equipment for staff and clients,
retrofitting of their facilities to meet social distancing
guidelines, and additional cleaning and sanitizing supplies.
"The demand for services has increased exponentially as a result
of uncertainty, isolation, unemployment and loss stemming from
the pandemic and the impact of social inequities, the trauma of
which has resurfaced for many due to recent incidents of violence
against Black, Indigenous and People of Color," said Debra L.
Wentz, PhD, President and CEO of the New Jersey Association of
Mental Health and Addiction Agencies.
Recently reported statistics further underscore the critical need
for both maintained and increased funding in the FY2021 State
Budget. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in
a report issued last week, one in four young adults between the
ages of 18 and 24 reported having considered suicide in the past
month because of the pandemic, and more than 40 percent of those
surveyed indicated they have experienced a mental or behavioral
health condition connected to the COVID-19 emergency.
Stress on families, including children, has increased
significantly during the pandemic. For example, according to
research published in Pediatrics, 27% of parents experienced mental
health declines and 14% reported children's worsened behavioral
health since March.
"The tremendous rise in demand for mental healthcare and
addiction treatment services that is occurring during the
pandemic is expected to continue long after the state of
emergency is determined to be over," Dr. Wentz stated. She
explained that many individuals with mental illnesses and SUDs
have experienced worsening of these health conditions and many
others have developed these illnesses during the pandemic.
Furthermore, the negative mental health impact of the crisis will
be long-lasting for many people and symptoms may not surface for
several more months.
"New Jersey's budget must maintain funding for behavioral health
services for all children and adults with disabilities and
increase funding to cover additional safety-related costs that
providers have incurred, and to expand capacity to meet the
growing need. If sufficient funding is not provided, tens of
thousands of individuals will not receive treatment or will seek
it in emergency rooms. This preventable outcome will cost the
state tens of thousands of dollars more than the highly effective
community-based services," Dr. Wentz stressed.
