Published in The Star-Telegram February 19, 2007

by Mitch Weatherly
Board Chair of United Way of Tarrant County

Spending on mental healthcare in our state ranks near the bottom in the country, even though the number of patients who need help is growing. We all see the effects every day: homelessness, child abuse, crime and poor physical health.

I have seen mental illness in my family, so my interest goes beyond financial or social concerns.

My brother, Milton, now in his late 50s, has lived with mental illness all his adult life. He has paranoid schizophrenia. My brother is well-educated, and his story is long and complicated, combining measures of joy and sorrow.

But Milton is more fortunate than most people with a mental illness. He has always had his three brothers to look out for him. Milton resides in an assisted-living home in Athens. My brothers Edward and Albert and I rotate weeks so that Milton receives in-person family support two out of every four weeks -- and more frequently during the holidays.

Over the years, we have seen it all. I know the frustrations of dealing with a system that doesn't always work. But I also know how the many dedicated mental health professionals make such a difference.

Mental illnesses can be an emotional and financial drain on the patients and everyone around them, including taxpayers. It costs an average of $140 per day to support an individual with mental illness in the county jail. If we could keep that person in the community by implementing compassionate and community-based care, we might help prevent criminal activity, and our cost could be only $15 a day.

I am proud to say that our county is doing something to improve the mental healthcare system.

As chairman of the board of the United Way of Tarrant County, I recently attended a legislative roundtable sponsored by the Mental Health Connection of Tarrant County. Fort Worth Mayor Mike Moncrief, Arlington Mayor Robert Cluck and Tarrant County Judge Glen Whitley announced the formation of a blue-ribbon panel charged with finding ways to make mental healthcare more accessible for all in the area.

There are several reasons that people with mental illnesses don't find the help they need.

One is the stigma surrounding the topic. People are often reluctant to get help because they don't want to be labeled as "crazy" or "insane." Who would want that? Some people with untreated anxiety, depression and other mental illnesses experience job loss and other financial stresses.

We need to develop understanding and compassionate attitudes about mental illnesses so that individuals with these diseases will seek help earlier, resulting in a better chance for successful treatment.

A second major issue deals with financing mental healthcare. For individuals with insurance, mental health coverage typically is much more limited than other medical coverage. We have many excellent residential treatment centers in Texas, but the cost is prohibitive for those without insurance.

Although many policies cover this residential treatment, they do so for only a limited time. Unfortunately, mental illness is not necessarily treatable within a predetermined time frame.

Additionally, according to MHMR, Tarrant County has only 271 short-term psychiatric beds. But even if we had more beds, we do not have enough psychiatrists in Tarrant County.

Many medications successfully treat mental illnesses, but prescriptions require a trip to the psychiatrist. Too often, treatment is delayed because individuals cannot get appointments for weeks or even months.

How can you make a difference?

First, examine your own attitudes and beliefs about mental illnesses. We all must realize that illnesses of the brain are just like illnesses in any other part of the body -- and they are treatable.

Second, contact your legislators and ask for support of insurance parity. If businesses will provide mental health coverage at the same level that they provide for other chronic diseases such as diabetes, we will quickly drop one of the barriers.

Much research is under way to improve recovery from mental illnesses. However, if we continue to underfund mental healthcare, individuals won't be able to take advantage of new treatments.

If we don't change negative attitudes about mental illness, individuals will be unwilling to get help. You can make a difference. Join me in the fight for a healthier Tarrant County.