Satcher Sees Crisis in Mental Health Care Funding

Former U.S. Surgeon General David Satcher, in Nashville to receive an award, says he sees a crisis in funding mental health services for children.

Doctor Satcher, also a former president of Meharry Medical College, says simple access to proper mental health care has always been a difficult issue. But now, given tight budgets around the nation, mental health care is in a squeeze….

“Obviously as a nation we’ve been caught up in a war, and the budget has become a major issue. And oftentimes when we cut, some states, you know, will cut, first and foremost, mental health. But I mean there’s hopefully some good news on the horizon about increases in support.”

Satcher noted that the U.S. Senate and House reached preliminary agreement last week on a “mental health parity” bill, which would require employers who offer health insurance to cover mental health conditions with benefits comparable to those offered for physical health.

The bill is expected to cost the federal government more than a billion dollars over five years, mostly due to lost tax revenue. The new policy would cover employers of 50 persons or more.

Satcher, the 16th surgeon general of the United States, received the “caring for children” lifetime award from a national training institute focused on teaching government and private mental health care providers to work together.

WEB EXTRA

As surgeon general, Satcher issued a “prescription” for the American people that was directed at individuals taking responsibility for their own health. But he says government should still be held accountable for some things.

“If for example it’s not safe for children to be physically active in a community, that’s a community responsibility. If children have difficulty, parents have difficulty, accessing care for their children, that’s a community and governmental responsibility. We ought to have the right policies in place. So responsibility starts with each one of us, and our families. But certainly, unless there are in place the right policies and the right community support, it becomes very difficult even to carry out the surgeon general’s prescription.”

That prescription isn’t about medication but actions. It calls for:

• Moderate physical activity, at least 5 days a week, 30 minutes per day

• Eat at least 5 servings of fruits and vegetables a day

• Avoid toxins – tobacco, illicit drugs, and abuse of alcohol

• Responsible sexual behavior: abstinence plus optimal protection when sexually active

• Daily participation in relaxing and stress reducing activities.

Satcher was surgeon general under President Bill Clinton, 1998 through 2002. He was also assistant secretary of health and headed the Centers for Disease Control and Protections. Since 2002 he has been director of the National Center for Primary Care at the Morehouse School of Medicine in Atlanta.

He was president of Meharry Medical College in Nashville 1982-1993.