Tay Waltenbaugh: All of us must step up for the most vulnerable

Mental health challenges have always been with us, but the covid-19 pandemic has pushed Pennsylvanians, and our state’s mental health safety net, to the breaking point. Without meaningful and sustained support from our state lawmakers, many of our most vulnerable residents will confront unacceptable consequences.

As the Tribune-Review’s reporting has shown, in every community and across every age group, our family members, friends and neighbors are hurting. This reporting echoes the findings of a sweeping report and survey by Westmoreland Community Action (WCA).

In the survey, 70.8% of respondents said they or their family has been impacted by the pandemic. The top specific impacts included the death of friends and family members, depression, anxiety, the effects of isolation and loss of income. The report states that “We also saw an increase in individuals who became food insecure and an increase in adverse mental health conditions, substance use, and suicidal ideation were reported by adults as per the CDC.”

Think about this: Two important WCA programs are our crisis hotline and mobile crisis unit. Even before the pandemic, WCA was taking 600-800 hotline calls every month. Our mobile crisis unit was providing face-to-face intervention for between 40 and 60 mental health emergencies per month. The pandemic only increased that volume.

This safety net was beginning to fray long before covid-19 struck because the “base funding” for these services has not been increased for more than a decade. (In fact, this funding was cut by 10% during this period.) This funding is the foundation that the entire system relies upon. It is used for everything from assistance programs in schools, crisis services and housing to varying levels of mental health treatment.

In Pennsylvania, counties partner with providers to deliver vital services on behalf of the state. Flat funding limits county governments from providing adequate and necessary rate increases to providers to keep pace with escalating costs, most principally, labor and benefits. Providers cannot hire or retain staff to meet the demand, which was a challenge before the pandemic.

Wages in every sector have gone up dramatically in the last 24 months, which is welcome news for workers. Providers and counties cannot keep up without increased funding and, as a result, some services have been reduced or eliminated. Cuts and reductions can have a profound impact on public resources including local police departments, schools and hospital emergency departments.

Mental health services are part of the broader system of care, but when they are not available, local police departments are called on to help residents manage or respond to untreated mental health issues. Emergency rooms and even county jails are becoming the “safety net” for far too many Pennsylvanians who do not have access to the treatment they need.

It is encouraging that the Westmoreland County commissioners are consolidating all county human services programs into one department, which will make it clear that these services are a priority. Our commissioners also need to reach a consensus on how to best invest the $105 million in federal relief funds that the county has received through the American Rescue Plan. These funds can be put to immediate use and help fund any number of services. Still, our county’s vulnerable residents and all Pennsylvanians need more support.

I urge our local state legislators to support a meaningful increase in funding for these services as part of the 2022-23 state budget, which is under consideration right now. I am also asking readers to contact their legislators and urge them to step up for our vulnerable residents. These services save lives.

Tay Waltenbaugh is the former CEO of Westmoreland Community Action. He has worked as a community advocate for human services in southwestern Pennsylvania for nearly 40 years.