Lieutenant Governor Candidate
Hampton Dellinger
http://www.hdforltgov.com
The transition of our mental health system has been far too difficult for too many patients and their families. When the system comes up short, those in need of mental health care all too often end up in jails, general emergency rooms, and senior care facilities, none of which are properly equipped to meet the unique needs of the mentally ill. This is not fair or equitable for anyone. The mentally ill do not get proper services, and the public ends up paying police officers, rather than mental health professionals, to respond to mental health crises. Despite the state’s commitment in recent years to privatizing the mental health system, we must never forget that caring for the mentally ill is ultimately a public responsibility.
Many pieces of our system aren’t working, beginning with our psychiatric hospitals. We should not close Dorothea Dix and John Umstead Hospitals until we are sure that we have beds and services available for every North Carolinian in need. And we must provide effective community-based services (whether the needs pertain to housing, personal assistance services, crisis intervention services, therapy services, and/or drug intervention services) that are not only available, but adequate, well-funded, and well-managed, with the long-term goal of transitioning individuals out of institutions and allowing them to live in the home and community of their choice. North Carolina’s ranking as one of the worst states in terms of per-capita funding for mental health must improve.
We must also have better coordination between local management entities and contract providers, particularly in cases involving individuals subject to court-ordered outpatient treatment. For the health of those individuals and the safety of the public, we need significant accountability, fact-based, transparent decision-making, timely reporting, and genuine consumer involvement by the Division of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities, and Substance Abuse Services for all of their services.
I applaud the efforts of NCMentalHealthVOTE to shine the spotlight on the mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse system, as the only way we will change the system is through a strong commitment from our leaders in Raleigh. I have made improving our system a priority in my campaign from the beginning -- pushing for a year-round commitment to comprehensive mental health services -- and I will continue to do so. I invite you to learn more about my plans for improving our mental health system at http://hd08.com/issues/dix.html.
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