(WWLP) – Westfield Senator John Velis joined the Children’s Mental Health Campaign to rally for increased budget funding for youth and family mental health services at the State House on Thursday.
Governor Healy’s budget plan features significant cuts to the Department of Mental Health (DMH), many of which will result in far fewer resources and programs for children who need mental health care.
Senator Velis is the co-chair of the committee on mental health, substance use, and recovery, and he says restoring this funding is a top priority.
“The earlier you intervene…the earlier you intervene, the better the downstream outcomes will be,” said Velis.
For some families, losing DMH funding would mean losing inpatient mental health care for young children.
Three Rivers, in Belchertown, is the only residential treatment facility for children ages 6 to 12 in the state, and the governor’s budget plan cuts it completely with no replacement plan.
“Children in mental health crisis languish in hospital ER hallways…I am so grateful we found Three Rivers, but I know there are families like mine across the state who are still struggling,” said Erin, the mother of a Three Rivers patient.
For many Bay State families, this funding is a matter of life and death for their children, but uncertainty looms over the next budget.
The budget process is complicated this year by the loss of federal funding, so it is not yet clear which programs will see the brunt of budget cuts.