Deltek Senior Analyst Kate Tussey reports.
If you missed it on your calendar this year, since 1949, the month of May has been recognized by Mental Health America as Mental Health Month. Last November, Deltek highlighted information found in a National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) report regarding funding cuts to mental health services across the nation. Economic hardships, high unemployment rates, and an increased need for services have been met with shrinking state budgets, as 28 states have cut funding for mental health services from 2009-2012.
Illinois is just one of many states facing a major budget deficit. Although the state’s Department of Mental Health wants to implement an electronic health record (EHR) system for its nine state psychiatric hospitals, according to the FY 2012-2013 Division of Mental Health Block Grant Application, mental health/behavioral health is not currently eligible for money to support activities related to a health information exchange or to assist in developing electronic health records.
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