North Dakota is facing a significant shortage in mental health care services, with large swathes of the state classified as “mental health deserts.” According to the U.S. Health Resources and Services Administration, North Dakota ranks ninth in the nation for mental health deserts, leaving nearly 30% of residents underserved.
The state’s rural nature and difficulty recruiting professionals to these areas have compounded the problem, along with staffing shortages exacerbated by burnout, especially in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. Though telehealth services have provided some relief, local practitioners say they still face a huge gap between demand and available providers.
Dr. Alexandra Kohlhase, a psychologist with Essentia Health, noted, “I think that we see a lot of patients virtually from very far away. And I think that the demand suggests that there certainly are not nearly enough providers for the need.”
Recognizing the severity of the issue, both Republican Gov. Kelly Armstrong and Democratic State Sen. Tim Mathern are pushing for legislative action to address mental health access in North Dakota. Mathern recently introduced a bill in the North Dakota Legislature that proposes a $100 million investment in mental health services, aimed at addressing the state’s mental health desert crisis.
“This bill is a recognition that mental illness should be treated in our communities, just like any other illness,” said Mathern, advocating for the importance of community-based care.
The proposed bill would allocate more than $100 million to the Department of Health and Human Services, enabling the state to renovate its state hospital and create four psychiatric treatment service regions, each with supportive housing. This initiative seeks to move away from the traditional reliance on jails and prisons as de facto treatment centers, as well as dramatically change how the state addresses mental health care.
Gov. Armstrong, referencing his grandmother’s long leadership of the North Dakota Mental Health Association, stressed the importance of practical solutions to expand care. “Finding practical solutions that will increase access to services while reducing the reliance on our jails and prisons as treatment centers is a top priority of our administration,” he said.
Mathern sees this plan as a means to not only improve access but also reduce stigma surrounding mental health issues, which can lead to better outcomes and fewer behavioral issues. He emphasized that investing in mental health resources now would ultimately save money by preventing more expensive consequences later, such as those associated with untreated mental illness.
If passed, the proposed bill would go into effect in August, bringing significant changes to North Dakota’s mental health landscape and potentially setting a new standard for community-based care.
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