January 10, 2013
Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Dear Editor,
Find out what's happening in Little Silver-Oceanportfor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Recent events such as Hurricane Sandy and the tragedy at Sandy Hook Elementary School have brought the subject of mental healthcare into the forefront. Unfortunately, the focus on mental healthcare and mental wellness usually only occurs after highly visible tragic events.
The fact is that while behavioral health treatment needs (mental health and addictions) have steadily grown, services and programs to serve this population have not. As CEO of CPC Behavioral Healthcare I can tell you that we have seen a steady increase in the number of people who have come to us for assistance with our last fiscal year totaling 8,339 people. This represented about a 7% increase over the previous year and the last few years have all seen increases from 4-7%. The increases are not limited to CPC as other area providers report similar increases. In fact the demand for services results in waiting lists for people to be seen.
With all the sources that fund organizations like CPC (both government and private) feeling the financial strain of the times, sometimes it seems like the importance of funding these organizations is being shuffled to the back of the pack. But the fact is that organizations like CPC are here all the time for the community and not just in times of natural or man-made disasters.
I know that many agencies & organizations along with CPC would like to do more if they had the means. Early intervention and detection of mental illness is extremely important and could potentially head off problems down the line for some people but not enough is being done in this area because of the cost.
Overcoming the stigma of seeking help for any emotional, mental, or addiction episode is difficult enough and much has been done to overcome that barrier, but we must ensure that access to those who seek it is not hindered. In the long run it’s in everyone’s best interests to invest in a solid, available system of care for behavioral & emotional healthcare.
