The loss of a job, unemployment and economic hardship are all contributing factors in stress related mental illnesses including, anxiety, depression and suicide. With the loss of 10,000 jobs over the past 30 months, it is no wonder that the need for mental health services is on the rise-this along with a rise in the number of Kent County residents without insurance to cover the cost of treatment. Service providers rely on the state to subsidize the cost of treatment for those who do not have insurance.

Despite this growing need for mental health services, public and private funding has steadily declined, 30% since 2000. As a result, community-based mental health services have been left underdeveloped and understaffed. This is one of the many reasons why we can not afford to short-change the Michigan budget.  Without a means to generate funding for mental health our community will all experience even greater hardship.

It is a tragedy that in the absence of fully funded services and treatments, many people with mental illness find themselves warehoused in our prisons, jails and juvenile justice systems. Fifty to 75 percent of young people in juvenile justice facilities have at least one mental disorder. Many have multiple diagnoses and co-occurring substance abuse problems.

If legislators eliminate the Single Business Tax without a clear plan to replace the $1.9 billion in revenue, critical health and human services including funding for mental health treatment will be cut. Under the Abbasse ESTREP Plan, revenue will be generated to ensure funding is in place to provide mental health services that are comprehensive, culturally competent and accessible.