Senate Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force unveils new report
Senator Patricia Blevins says, “Make no mistake, this is a health crisis. It cuts through every demographic, every zip code and tragically every age group.”
Senator Blevins is one of the co-chairs of Delaware’s Behavioral and Mental Health Task Force.
The group has been meeting over the past year to find ways to help improve substance abuse and mental health treatment across the state. They released a report on their findings on Thursday.
Senator Bethany Hall-Long says, “In Delaware we know one in five adults are affected with a mental health or behavioral health issue. But, we often hide behind a stigma or a fear. We don’t want to come forward saying we feel depressed or anxious.”
Those numbers were addressed in the report. Some of the most staggering statistics were about children and prison inmates. Roughly 9,000 of Delaware’s children have a mental or behavioral health issue. 82 percent of those incarcerated are reportedly struggling with mental and behavioral illness.
Senator Hall-Long goes on, “We are facing the greatest human and social epidemic in generations.”
These findings led the Task Force to introduce legislation. Senate Bill 281 addresses suicide, making the Delaware suicide prevention coalition permanent. Senate Bill 245 calls for the creation of a Behavioral and Mental Health Commission.
The Commission would implement the recommendations of the current Task Force, monitor and oversee Delaware’s Behavioral Health System, and give recommendations to the Governor and General Assembly. These are ideas Delaware father Dave Humes firmly stands behind.
Dave Humes says, “Everything in this report all ties in together.”
Humes lost his 24-year-old son to a heroin overdose. He believes it may have been more than just drugs his son was battling with.
Humes continues, “I think my son did probably have some depression issues. But, when you’re sixteen or seventeen-years-old trying to get someone into therapy, they feel the stigma. They’re among their peers, so they’re going to fight that.”
In time, Humes and the Task Force think their recommendations could help.
The Task Force does have their report online, click here to find their recommendations they have for the state.
