How should NH fund mental health?

To stop a lawsuit from the federal government, last year the New Hampshire legislature designated funds to pay for several mental health programs.  However, much of those funds came out of the Department of Health and Human Services’ existing budget – meaning the Department defunded some mental health initiatives not mentioned in the lawsuit.

Now the legislature is considering mental health funding for the next state budget.

Supporters of a funding increase point out that the demand for mental health services far exceeds capacity, at all levels of treatment.   Without adequate community-level treatment, patients are more likely to enter emergency rooms in crisis.  From there they often wait days for a bed to open up at the state hospital.

One of the defunded mental health initiatives would have created more inpatient beds.

However, there are other competing funding priorities in the next state budget.  For example, the University of New Hampshire says it will freeze tuition if state funding returns to pre-2010 levels.

Gov. Hassan’s office also says that many defunded mental health initiatives rely too heavily on institutionalization.  The programs named in the lawsuit settlement focus instead on community-based treatment.