This week’s special legislative session includes several proposed bills focused on mental health — including HB7008, a “duty to report” bill that would require mental health professionals to take “certain steps” to protect potential victims if they determine that one of their patients has an intention to commit bodily harm.

Dr. James McKenzie is a psychiatrist at the Lloyd C. Elam Mental Health Center and a professor at Meharry Medical College. While speaking at a Moms Demand Action Tennessee press conference, he expressed concerns that the “certain steps” described in the bill are too vague and could lower the threshold for involuntary commitment.

“I can’t emphasize enough how unwelcome and unhelpful this change would be for mental health providers,” he said.

McKenzie added that he believes that access to mental health care is crucial, but also not an adequate replacement for gun reform.

“An idea that’s been brought up multiple times is that we could change the mental health system in a way that would curb gun deaths enough that we don’t have to make any laws that are actually about guns,” he said.

Other physicians shared their experiences treating victims of gun violence.

Dr. Chetan Mukundan is a pediatrician and a member of the Covenant Presbytarian Church whose patients include several Covenant students. He emphasized that gun violence can have long-lasting effects on survivors’ mental health.

“These kids are now tormented by sounds that remind them of what happened. Triggers like fireworks, roofers nailing a neighbors’ new roof or a fire drill at school,” said.

Two of his patients were killed in the Covenant School shooting.

“They can no longer speak. But I can, and I’m obliged to do so for them,” he said.

Mukundan called on lawmakers to pass “meaningful” gun reform, and added that gun reform and mental health care are not mutually exclusive.

“Unless our legislature acts meaningfully, the question will not be ‘Will this ever happen again?’ but will be ‘When will this happen again?’ The failure of lawmakers to act now will make them complicit.”

Rose Gilbert WPLN News

Physicians and faith leaders joined Moms Demand Action Tennessee to discuss the mental and physical effects of gun violence.