LINCOLN (AP) — Gov. Mike Johanns toured the state's three mental hospitals Monday as part of an evaluation that could lead to the closing of up to two of the facilities.
"I think there's some things we can do" to improve Nebraska's mental-health system, said Johanns, after touring the regional mental-health centers in Norfolk, Hastings and Lincoln.
He toured the facilities with Omaha Sen. Jim Jensen, chairman of the Health and Human Services Committee. Jensen's bill (LB724) last session called for a comprehensive study of the state's mental-health system — which could result in one or two of the centers being closed in favor of more community-based programs.
Such programs rely less on long-term commitment of patients to hospitals and more on programs such as halfway houses, which give them more access to the community.
While Johanns praised the staffs at the regional centers, he said the buildings are becoming outdated.
"We're dealing with buildings that are 45 to 75 years old," he said. "And let's face it, they have a very institutional quality to them."
The state spends $63 million a year to run the three centers, and cannot get any federal Medicaid funds to help run them.
If the state moved to more community-based programs, the federal government will pay up to 60 percent of the cost, Johanns said.
"You do the math and you see there's some real opportunity here," Johanns said.
Johanns and Jensen said no timetable is in place for closing any of the regional centers, but that the employees working at them could be moved into the community-based programs across the state.
"We're not going to eliminate any beds at any center until there are community beds available," Jensen said. "I think that we can provide better service — and that's very, very important."
Johanns has made the improvement of mental-health programs one of the priorities of his second four-year term, which started in January.
It is estimated that only 21 percent of Nebraskans with mental health needs are receiving the necessary care, said Mark DeKraai with the University of Nebraska Public Policy Center in Lincoln.
There aren't enough psychiatrists or other mental health professionals in most of the state. Federal officials have designated much of Nebraska outside Omaha as a mental health shortage area.
The three regional centers have a capacity for 591 patients: 261 at Lincoln, 174 at Norfolk and 156 at Hastings.
In fiscal 2002, 1,375 adults and 63 youths were served in the three regional centers. The average stay was 186 days.
Print This Story
Email This Story
