Wisconsin Republicans Unveil Mental Health Bills
Wednesday, August 14th, 2019 -- 8:45 AM
(WRN) -Legislative Republicans unveiled a package of bills on Tuesday aimed at improving mental health in Wisconsin.Legislative Republicans unveiled a package of bills on Tuesday aimed at improving mental health in Wisconsin. One of the bills will increase the funding available to non profits for youth mental health services. Boys and Girls Club of Wisconsin executive director Andy Gussert says helping kids as they go through childhood is a vital and needed task.
"There are some people who may want to debate whether we should spend money on addressing youth mental health or trauma informed care. But it's not really debate. We will spend money on these youths at one time or another."
One of the bills increases youth aid for non profits like the Boys and Girls Club. Gussert says the math is simple: spend a little now to save in the end.
"And if we don't address the problem now, we're gonna spend more money on prisons, on unemployment lines, on treating opioid addicts."
One of the bills will overhaul how the state licenses psychologists, something that Dr. Bruce Erdmann with the state psychiatric association says is sorely needed.
"The current licensing law was drafted in the early 1990s, when the internet was in its infancy, email was only used by a select few and nerds, cell phones were unheard of, and no one knew anything about texting."
Republicans are also offering a tax break to any psychiatrist to sets up shop in the state, and double if they pick a rural area.
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