I was angry and dismayed about cuts to preventive services at Howard Mental Health due to inadequate staffing.
Bridge/Act 1 often helped people to access substance abuse treatment. Assist is a place where people are stabilized and avoid being in the emergency rooms for days (the most costly alternative).
I worked 40 years in mental health, both at UVM and Howard Mental Health. All that time, I saw inadequate funding for mental health service.
In-patient psychiatry can stabilize a few people in the short term but it is the community mental health agencies that are key for necessary services and care. Community mental health workers often receive half the pay of comparable jobs at the university hospital.
We have seen an increase in opiate abuse, more children with mental health problems, patients waiting for days in the ER.
As a community, we need to put more emphasis on preventive care and community services. Everyone — the individual, family, and the community — would benefit socially and economically and, most important, alleviate suffering.
Carol Clawson
South Burlington
