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House Co-Sponsorship Memoranda
House of Representatives
Session of 2019 - 2020
Regular Session
MEMORANDUM
| Posted: | January 9, 2019 09:00 AM |
|---|---|
| From: | Representative Jeanne McNeill |
| To: | All House members |
| Subject: | Study on Shortage of Mental Health Providers |
| In spite of a growing need for mental health services across the Commonwealth, Pennsylvania is experiencing mental health provider shortages. These shortages are widespread and impact all age groups, ethnicities and genders. As an example, a recent report by the Pennsylvania School Safety Task Force found that the availability of school-based mental health and support personnel in Pennsylvania falls short of recommended staffing levels. It was even reported that many school social workers in the Commonwealth cover multiple schools with thousands of students, which leads to worker burnout and unavailable or inaccessible services for students. Overall, student access to mental health resources was the most agreed upon topic among participants of the task force. Studies have shown that mental illness can even impact an individual’s overall health and may lead to substance abuse and the development of chronic medical conditions. The economic consequences of untreated mental illness include costing the nation billions of dollars per year due to lost workplace productivity and diverted resources from first responders. I intend to introduce a resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the mental health provider shortage in Pennsylvania and issue a report. Please join me in co-sponsoring a resolution directing the Joint State Government Commission to conduct a study on the mental health provider shortage in Pennsylvania |
Introduced as HR193