Treat mental health before it becomes a crisis
Most of us are familiar with the idea that doing the same thing repeatedly and expecting a different result is folly.
As our nation recognizes May as Mental Health Awareness Month, we have the opportunity to change our approach to mental health care in San Antonio. Do we have the resolve to choose a path beyond crisis intervention that addresses the mental health situations many of us will face?
San Antonio is often noted as “the biggest small town in Texas.” Indeed, we are a closeknit community, yet we have immense challenges.
A 2021 Bexar Facts poll noted that half of Bexar County’s adult residents’ mental health was impacted negatively by the pandemic.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention states that more than a third (37 percent ) of high school students say they have experienced poor mental health. Without mental health support, those youth can grow to become the estimated 1 in 4 adults who suffers from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year, according to Johns Hopkins Medicine.
San Antonio is striving to become a world-class compassionate city — a noble goal that speaks to who we are while honoring our history, culture and future.
As our community decides how to thoughtfully use funds granted by the American Rescue Plan Act, it’s time to invest in each other with a meaningful shift in addressing community mental health needs.
True compassion looks deeply at systemic issues and seeks solutions that are equitable and effective. We have that opportunity now to address mental health.
Studies and headlines tell us that we are in the middle of a mental health epidemic made worse by COVID-19 and likely to remain for many years. Our response historically has been to treat mental health issues only when they reach crisis level and threaten public safety rather than from a health and wellness perspective.
We need a system that addresses mental health concerns before someone becomes at risk of harm to themselves or others.
If we counterbalance and shift new investments to focus on public health through responsive, preventative approaches to mental wellness, we can change outcomes for generations.
Investing in our people with solutions that create wellness and resilience is more than compassionate — it’s the key to a life well-lived. Importantly, these evidence-based solutions are already available.
Peer support is a recognized, highly effective approach. It is a first-encounter solution that leads to lasting wellness, and the Texas hub for recruiting, training and supervising the peer support ecosystem is right here in San Antonio.
Peer support is provided by someone with lived experience who is highly trained and part of a wellness ecosystem that focuses on what the person they are serving needs. Someone willing to authentically share struggles and successes through meaningful connection. There is no better way to simultaneously address the stigma of mental illness than connecting with one another through shared life experiences.
As our city determines investments in American Rescue Plan Act funding, it’s time to invest in each other.