PRINTER'S NO. 977

THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA

SENATE RESOLUTION

No.

168

Session of

2019

INTRODUCED BY BROOKS, LEACH, BLAKE, LANGERHOLC, J. WARD, ARGALL,

COLLETT, YAW, TARTAGLIONE, AUMENT, COSTA, KILLION, BREWSTER,

YUDICHAK, MENSCH AND MUTH, JUNE 14, 2019

WHEREAS, The National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2016-

2017 estimates that approximately 17.68% of adults in

Pennsylvania, or 1,786,000 individuals, have a mental illness;

and

WHEREAS, The National Survey on Drug Use and Health for 2016-

2017 also estimates that approximately 4.3% of adults in

Pennsylvania, or 441,000 individuals, have a serious mental

illness; and

WHEREAS, According to the National Alliance on Mental

Illness, over 20% of youths between 13 and 18 years of age

Commonwealth; and

WHEREAS, The National Council for Behavioral Health reported

a shortage in the number of psychiatrists in 2012, estimating

that the United States needs 6.4% more psychiatrists and, by

2025, the United States will need between 12% and 25% more

psychiatrists; and

WHEREAS, There are shortages of professionals to treat

persons with serious mental illnesses, including those residing

in the State hospitals in Pennsylvania and within the Department

of Corrections, which is one of the largest providers of mental

workforce crisis has been developing, largely due to a shortage

of mental health care providers; and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania ranks 35 out of all 50 states and

Washington, DC, for mental health care workforce availability,

with a patient to mental health care worker ratio of 600 to 1;

and

WHEREAS, Pennsylvania has a Statewide average of 179 mental

health care providers per 100,000 people, which is below the

national average of 214 providers per 100,000; and

WHEREAS, According to Mental Health America, an estimated

care workforce crisis include higher demand for mental health

care providers, high turnover rates, an aging workforce and low

compensation for workers in the field; and

WHEREAS, The shortage of mental health care providers also

has direct and indirect costs on the economy, including a loss

of efficiency and productivity for employees and employers; and

WHEREAS, Serious mental illness costs the nation more than

$193 billion in lost earnings per year; and

WHEREAS, Mental, substance-use and general health problems

and illnesses are intertwined, and coordination of all these

WHEREAS, Adults in the United States living with a serious

mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than those

without, largely due to treatable medical conditions; and

WHEREAS, Research has identified a definite connection

between mental health and the use of addictive substances, as

many patients with disruptive or uncomfortable mental health

symptoms tend to self-medicate by using alcohol, drugs or

tobacco; and

WHEREAS, The use of drugs and alcohol does not address the

underlying mental health symptoms and often causes additional

considerably more prevalent in rural counties and a significant

discrepancy exists between access to mental health care in rural

counties as compared to urban and suburban counties; and

WHEREAS, While the mental health care provider shortage is

pervasive, it impacts certain populations to a larger extent;

and

WHEREAS, One in four older adults experiences some mental

disorder, including depression, anxiety disorders and dementia,

and this number is expected to double to 15 million older adults

by 2030; and

WHEREAS, According to the Centers for Disease Control and

Prevention, suicide is the third leading cause of death for

youths between 10 and 24 years of age; and

WHEREAS, It is believed that telemedicine, which involves the

use of electronic communications and software services for

patients without an in-person visit, will expand the mental

health care workforce by offering flexibility to work from home

and will enable collaboration between licensed mental health

care providers and primary care providers; and

WHEREAS, Encouraging the growth and retention of the mental

Commission to establish an advisory committee to conduct a study

on the mental health care provider shortage in this

Commonwealth. The advisory committee should include, but need

not be limited to, the following members:

designee;

the American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy;

Psychologists of Pennsylvania;

Community Providers Association;

of County Administrators of Mental Health and Developmental

Services;

Boards Association;

of Higher Education;

Association of Pennsylvania;

Society;

Health Consumers' Association; and

report to the Joint State Government Commission; and be it

further

RESOLVED, That the Joint State Government Commission review

the advisory report and prepare a final report of its findings

that shall include, at a minimum:

health care provider shortage in this Commonwealth;

care providers in Pennsylvania in 5 and 10 years;

private mental health care workforce;

number of licensed mental health care providers in rural

counties compared to urban and suburban counties;

sufficient numbers of licensed mental health care providers

available in schools, including eliminating barriers to

direct employment by schools and proposed staffing ratios of

mental health care providers to student population;

its findings and recommendations to the Senate no later than one

year after the adoption of this resolution.