One of the coalition's first policy proposals was to give mental health parity with physical health, but it proceeded to slash mental health services for young people.
The "shattering event," as one former state mental health official called it, occurred days before Gov. Deval Patrick, a Democrat, released his proposed budget, which would slash mental health spending for the third year in a row.
While no one suggests that such budget cuts had anything to do with the Tucson shootings, advocates point out that slashing mental health programs does have consequences, including potential human costs.
As cash-starved states slash mental health programs in communities and schools, they are increasingly relying on the juvenile corrections system to handle a generation of young offenders with psychiatric disorders.
A year later managed care outfits convinced employers to reduce insurance costs by slashing mental health benefits.
The problems faced by the seriously mentally ill have worsened thanks to the financial crisis leaving states with massive deficits, which many responded to by drastically slashing mental health budgets.
Fewer funded paediatric nurse training spots; local closures leading to clogged emergency departments; and £80bn slashed from mental health services resulting in ever more troubled young people occupying acute hospital beds, because there's simply nowhere else for them to go.
Some states, like South Carolina and Arizona, slashed their mental health services by more than 20percentt.
Theresa May, for example, applauded Harry for opening up – which is nice, but odd in the context of her government systematically slashing NHS mental health budgets.
