Many individuals who need mental health in the Ohio Valley are not receiving it.
Kentucky State Rep. Lisa Willner, a Louisville Democrat and licensed psychologist, listed many potential solutions in a conversation with WKU Public Radio.
Among them were "Tim's Law," which requires some people hositalized with a mental health incident to receive treatment.
Willner also explained why there's a disparity in care for physical and mental health.
Editors note: Questions and responses in the following transcript have been edited for timing and clarity.
Rep. Willner:
Part of that has to do with stigma. Part of it has to do with a shortage of mental health providers in the state of Kentucky. It has to do with Mental Health Parity laws whereby insurance companies are supposed to treat mental illness the same way that they treat any other illness. But, in fact, that's not what happens.
Reporter:
How have insurance companies, for lack of a better word, skirted complying the way the law was intended?
Rep. Willner:
I think it comes back to a lack of understanding of mental health and behavioral health. I think it comes back to patients themselves possibly not understanding that if you're living from crisis to crisis, and that's become your reality. Maybe you're not even aware. Maybe insurers are not even aware that consistent long term treatment really can allow people to recover and lead productive lives.
Reporter:
And where do you feel like the system's fallen short there, and how have we gotten there? Is it really just a matter of stigma and lack of awareness, or are there some bigger issues at play?
Rep. Willner:
We used to invest heavily in our community mental health centers, and this is really the safety net providers for outpatient treatment. And at one time, way back in the 1960s, Kentucky was a real pioneer in the community mental health movement. And we were ranked number one for treating mental health issues, and that support for our community mental health centers for the social safety net has slipped and slipped and slipped.
Reporter:
Where do you feel like things are headed from here?
Rep. Willner:
We have a choice to make. We can keep doing what we're doing and continue to see those systems lose support, lose funding, lose personnel, lose expertise, lose their attractiveness as training centers for new mental health providers. Or we could raise revenue in the state, we could invest in these social safety net services. We could build our community mental health centers, our public health departments, back into the powerhouses that they once were. We could restore treatment, we could add providers, we could be an attractive training ground for prescribers for clinical psychologists for social workers, for licensed counselors. So we have some choices to make.
Reporter:
What do you feel like everyday people can do right now to help improve the system?
Rep. Willner:
I think it's very helpful in Frankfort when we hear from our constituents, when people share their stories, when people can look legislators in the eye, or speak with them on the phone, or even leave messages about the kinds of challenges that they're facing.
Reporter:
Thank you so much. I appreciate it.
Rep. Willner:
Thank you. I enjoyed the conversation.
