Arizona Rep. weighs in on mental healthcare for teens
suicidal children in need of help are being turned away here in Arizona because there aren’t any beds in psychiatric facilities we’ve already told you some of the reasons why but new tonight abc15 investigator Lauren gilger reveals what state legislators are now saying after three weeks and several escape attempts I’m happy I’m bringing my boy home Murray and Jay Yates are bringing their son Steven home from st. Luke’s behavioral health center every mother wants their children underneath the roof they brought him here after he attempted suicide multiple times like an extra you watch over at 17 Stephen struggles with autism bipolar disorder and schizophrenia but how long the road has been to get any kind of help has made us were warned now we first told you their story a few months ago the Yates could not get their suicidal child into a mental health inpatient facility the abc15 investigators found with statewide budget cuts and varying protocols facilities often have few if any inpatient beds available for mentally ill children part of the problem they don’t know if insurance will cover the full cost when it doesn’t facilities and hospitals are forced to absorb the difference yeah so when the Yates went to the ER at st. Luke’s last month they were told once again there were no beds this time they walked out of the ER and went straight to the hospital’s behavioral health center they practically forced their way in you shouldn’t have to have a mom and dad to the point where they have to force their way in and so you take care of my kid now state representative victorious steel is also a licensed counselor she is the only legislature currently trying to get additional funding for mental health care for children parents should not have to struggle to the extent that this family has struggled HB 2490 would allocate a quarter of a million dollars to Train anyone who works with teens to recognize mental health issues early if we can get on the front end of this give parents and teachers and kids the help that they need then we may not need so much on the other end when it comes to providing hospital beds or seriously mentally ill but still knows 250,000 isn’t much and money has been the center of the problem for years the abc15 investigators found from 2009 to 2011 our state government cut 75 million dollars from the division of behavioral health the following year they got 39 million of it back we can’t starve the people from the services that they need you can’t take that much money out of behavioral health services and expect everybody to be just fine that’s scary because it’s his life this story unfortunately isn’t over for the Yates family just a week after this interview Stephen tried to commit suicide again he’s back in st. Luke’s now and his mother says he’s not doing well I’m investigator Lauren Gill gir abc15 news
Some suicidal children in Arizona are being turned away because there aren’t enough beds in psychiatric units.
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