Pat Wandling: Manhattan killings bring America’s mental health crisis to the fore

This week’s horrific murders of four people in Manhattan, by a man with a known history of mental illness, made national news and brought the mental health crisis to the fore once again.  

Nearly 60 million Americans experienced some form of mental illness in the last year. And one in five adults and one in six between the ages of six and seventeen experience mental illness each year according to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, which has an affiliate in Bucks County. 

While such stark statistics reflect the direness of the crisis, nearly 40% of all Americans view mental health issues as less serious than physical conditions. Understandably, among the goals of mental health professionals and advocates are increasing public awareness, providing more access to care, and eliminating the stigma of mental illness.  

The horrific, daylight murders in New York and the suicide of the alleged shooter should remind us the often-stated mental health crisis in America demands urgent attention. Not all mental health issues are violent and extreme. Many individuals and families, however, have been touched by mental illness; their stories underscore the priority of public awareness and the need for community services. On average, there is an eleven-year gap between the time symptoms first appear and when an individual receives care.

Notably, Bucks County is at the forefront of community-driven solutions to mental health issues.

It is not unusual for someone going through a mental health crisis to find themselves in an encounter with police, according to Bucks District Attorney Jen Schorn. Today, many of these cases are handled in the Bucks County Wellness Court, an intensive case management program for individuals who have been diagnosed with a serious mental illness which resulted in their involvement in the criminal justice system.

While the number of cases in Bucks County last year was not readily available, the Wellness Court’s website states people with mental illness are more likely to be jailed than receive medical care during a crisis. With roughly two million people entering jails each year nationwide, most are not violent and many haven’t been convicted of a crime.

In jail, they rarely get proper treatment, their conditions worsen, and they face longer stays and higher risks. Seriously mentally ill individuals are also more likely to be detained longer than sentencing maximums, denied probation or parole, and placed in isolation, as outlined on the Wellness Court’s site.  

After release, lack of health care, housing, and job opportunities often leads to homelessness and rearrest. This cycle strains public resources without improving safety or addressing the real needs of those affected.

A wide-ranging partnership between the mental health and criminal justice systems resulted in a team comprised of members of the Bucks County District Attorney’s Office, Court Administration, Probation and Sheriff’s departments, Department of Behavioral Health/Developmental Programs, and an Advocate Counsel. 

Also, a deputy district attorney is assigned as chief of diversionary courts, which includes the wellness and recovery courts and other prosecutors who assist with the treatment courts.

Bucks County’s focus on the issue of mental health also involves federal support through the office of Congressman Brian Fitzpatrick, cochair of the House Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force.  

The congressman, whose district includes all of Bucks County and a portion of Montgomery County, has a longstanding commitment to addressing America’s mental health crisis through evidence-based, community-driven solutions that save lives, he has said. 

Among the legislation introduced or supported by the congressman are several school-related bills — expanding mental health care for educators and school staff, addressing shortages of school mental health professionals and adding resources for students.  

Fitzpatrick’s legislation also addresses mental health issues for older Americans. He supports legislation ensuring Medicare coverage for social services and expanding access to various mental health services for seniors. 

Responding to a local tragedy, the congressman recently introduced the Barriers to Suicide Act. “More than 1,000 lives are lost to suicide on our railways each year. In our community, that crisis recently took three of our own — one to suicide, and two more in a brave attempt to save him,” Fitzpatrick said of the Bristol Borough tragedy. 

“I’m working to equip communities with funding for proven, life-saving barriers at rail stations and other high-risk sites,” he continued. “We can’t bring back those we lost — but we can act in their memory, and we can save lives with the tools we know work.”

Fitzpatrick’s bill establishes a federal grant program to help state and local governments install suicide prevention barriers and nets at high-risk public sites — including bridges, rail stations, and parking structures. It has bipartisan support.

More information on mental health services is available on the Bucks County website  www.buckscounty.org.

Pat Wandling hosts Speak Your Piece weekdays at noon on WBCB 1490.