Official: Mental health system lagging

Monday, Feb. 17, 2003 | 11:07 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- One of every two people who seek state-provided mental health services in Nevada does not receive treatment, a legislative budget committee was told today.

Carlos Brandenburg, administrator of the state Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services, said an estimated 5.4 percent of the population, or 85,000 people, have severe mental problems. The division is able to provide services to only 25,000 people, or half of those who actually seek care from the state, he said.

During a budget presentation to the Senate-Assembly Joint Budget Subcommittee on Human Resources, Brandenburg said many mentally ill patients spend 48 hours in emergency rooms of hospitals before the state can get somebody there to help them with their mental problems.

"Thirty-five percent of these high-risk patients leave without evaluation or treatment," he said, telling the committee that individuals have to wait 60 to 90 days to receive medication from the clinics.

Brandenburg received a receptive ear before a packed hearing room.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, the chairman of the subcommittee, noted the ups and downs of the state's economy during the past decade. Every time the state builds up its mental health services, the economy turns downward and "we whack everything," he said.

"We are not keeping up with the need," Rawson said.

Rawson said he has received numerous e-mails urging legislators to cut mental health programs to the bone. He said these people don't realize that it is bare bones now.

Addressing the construction of the $32 million new mental health hospital in Las Vegas, Brandenburg said Nevada ranked 43rd in the nation in the number of public psychiatric beds per 100,00 population. He said Nevada has 126 beds or 6 beds per 100,000 population.

He said Nevada also ranks 43rd with per capita spending for inpatient psychiatric hospitals at only $15.49.

He said the number of psychiatric beds in private hospitals has declined in Las Vegas from 70 to 58. "This puts tremendous pressure on the public sector to absorb them."

Brandenburg said a study between legislative sessions showed there should be a 37 percent increase in the rates paid to residential support homes and a 33 percent for community training centers. He said these private contractors provide valuable services to the state for those with mental problems.

Gov. Kenny Guinn has recommended a 7 percent increase in rates in January and 8 percent the following year.

Ed Guthrie, executive director of Opportunity Village in Las Vegas, said his facility has received a rate increase from the state in only three of the last 10 years.

Opportunity Village, which has campuses in Las Vegas and Henderson, offers training and jobs for the mentally disabled. Guthrie said 600 individuals are helped each year.

At present the state pays $5.37 per hour per individual. That is budgeted to go up 7 percent and 8 percent in the next two years.

Guthrie said the state paid Opportunity Village $2.8 million the last fiscal year, which is less than 25 percent of its budget.

He said there is a variety of training and work programs. He said these people provide culinary service at the four dining rooms at Nellis Air Force Base. And they clean 500,000 square feet of government and private offices.

Guthrie gained support from Ed Schumacher of Boulder City and Patti Roberts of Las Vegas who have children working or in training at Opportunity Village.

Schumacher, 86, said his daughter works at Opportunity Village earning a small paycheck but enjoying her job. He said the "modest increase" in rates suggested by the governor "will help Opportunity Village serve more handicapped people like Ann (his daughter)."

Roberts said her 21-year-old son will graduate from the Clark County School District and has been involved in a training program to learn job skills. She urged the committee to follow the recommendation of Guinn.

District Judge Peter Breen of Reno urged the subcommittee to continue funding for the mental health courts. He said some of these people with mental problems are in a "never-ending" mode where they go from the streets to the jails and back to the streets.

He said he supported money in the governor's budget for housing and services for these individuals. He said it was difficult to have a defendant before him who is fresh out of jail and inform him or her they must wait six weeks for an appointment for mental health services.

Adelle Van, executive director of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill, was among about 30 people observing the hearing from the Sawyer State Office Building in Las Vegas. Her husband is a veteran and has suffered from brain disorders, but she calls herself "one of the lucky ones, because my husband has VA benefits and Medicare, all of which has helped take care of him."

"I'm here in hopes of helping others," she said. "Mental health needs funding to help people get off the street, offer support support groups and education."

Noting a 3 percent cut mental health services took earlier this year, she said "we don't want to see anymore cut."