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Tag: Georgia mental health

  • Georgia to build first new state psychiatric hospital in more than 50 years

    Georgia to build first new state psychiatric hospital in more than 50 years

    Georgia to build first new state psychiatric hospital in more than 50 years

    Georgia is moving forward with plans to build its first new state psychiatric hospital in more than five decades, a project aimed at reducing the growing number of people in jail waiting for court-ordered mental health treatment.

    According to the Georgia Recorder, lawmakers approved $409 million for a 300-bed forensic hospital that will be built near Georgia Regional Hospital in DeKalb County. The facility will serve people with mental illness or developmental disabilities who have been charged with crimes and ordered by a court to receive psychiatric treatment. More than 700 Georgians are currently waiting for placement in a state hospital, leaving many in county jails for months.

    Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities Commissioner Kevin Tanner said the additional beds are urgently needed to reduce the backlog and improve access to care.

    The project comes as Georgia works to shorten wait times through a recent agreement with mental health advocates that requires faster evaluations and admissions for forensic patients.

    Mental health advocates told the Georgia Recorder they support expanding treatment capacity but caution that increasing hospital beds should not come at the expense of community-based care. They argue continued investment in crisis centers, housing assistance and outpatient treatment is essential to helping people recover in the least restrictive setting possible.

    State officials say the new hospital is one part of a broader effort to strengthen Georgia’s mental health system while expanding access to care across the state.

  • Wellroot expands mental health services for Georgia foster youth

    Wellroot expands mental health services for Georgia foster youth

    Wellroot expands mental health services for Georgia foster youth

    Wellroot Family Services has expanded its behavioral healthcare services to provide mental health support for more children and families in Georgia.

    The nonprofit provides foster care, family resiliency counseling, transitional and independent living for young adults, family housing and kinship care.

    “We know that when a child is in a trauma-informed environment, and believes that they’re safe, believes that there’s someone listening to them, believes there’s something they can talk to — It’s basically a vaccine for future trauma,” Christina Lennon, chief strategy and innovation officer at Wellroot Family Services, told Georgia Public Broadcasting.

    Wellroot Family Services is now a Core 2 Medicaid provider, which allows them to provide critical mental health support to clients.

    The nonprofit recently opened a new property in DeKalb County to help foster kids transition to adult life by giving them resources and a place to live.

    Allison Ashe is the president and CEO of Wellroot. She told 11Alive that it’s up to the community to support these young people with the Division of Family and Children Services facing an $85 million deficit.

    “Young people who have experienced the foster care system are much more likely to experience homelessness, they’re much more likely to experience incarceration or teen pregnancy,” Ashe said. “If the state doesn’t provide the resources for those types of programs, then young people sort of fall off a cliff once they turn 18 years old.”

    The new housing opened in the Oakhurst neighborhood, and the program helps young people learn how to live independently.

    “They’re taught life skills on everything from budgeting and finance to how to do their laundry to how to cook,” Ashe said. “They’re supported in finishing high school, getting into college, and they’re also provided critical mental health and counseling.”

  • Georgia launches mental health parity dashboard, fines insurers nearly $25M

    Georgia launches mental health parity dashboard, fines insurers nearly $25M

    Georgia launches mental health parity dashboard, fines insurers nearly $25M

    Georgia’s Mental Health Parity Act was passed in 2022 and requires Georgia health insurers to cover mental health and substance-use conditions at the same rate as physical health conditions.

    However, compliance has been difficult.

    Now, a new centralized dashboard is set to launch that will track issues with insurance coverage for mental health care claims, according to WABE.

    John King, Georgia’s Insurance and Safety Fire Commissioner, announced Jan. 12 that he would fine health insurance companies nearly $25 million for violating Georgia’s Mental Health Parity laws.

    “I said it before and I’ll say it again: insurance companies will not take advantage of consumers under my watch,” King said in a statement. “These companies are not above the law, and I am taking definitive action to hold them accountable for denying Georgians the care they need.”

    The website will be monitored by the nonprofit Georgians for a Health Future to help track violations, according to WABE.

    The commissioner’s office is conducting in-depth examinations of 22 health insurers that was triggered by an initial report in 2023. Initial examinations found more than 6,000 parity violations.

    “I want insurers to know that I am serious about the health and wellbeing of all Georgia consumers. I will not hesitate to take action against any company that continues to violate the law – no exceptions,” King said.

    Consumer insurance complaints can be filed at oci.georgia.gov. 

  • Debt can strain young adults during the holidays. Experts have tips on coping

    Debt can strain young adults during the holidays. Experts have tips on coping

    Debt can strain young adults during the holidays. Experts have tips on coping

    Credit card balances often climb at the end of the year, and for many young adults, the added financial pressure can take a toll on mental health.

    Assistant professor at University of Georgia’s School of Social Work Gaurav Sinha, told Georgia Public Broadcasting that financial strain and emotional well-being are closely linked — particularly for people ages 18 to 34. He said debt can contribute to stress, anxiety and, in more serious cases, depression.

    “People tend to buy gifts, host parties, travel, and you have to put a lot of thinking in that, right?” Sinha said. “People constantly, they stress about like, ‘How much I can spend? What should I buy?’”

    He said it’s important to recognize when financial goals and holiday expectations are competing for attention. That tension can weigh heavily on mental health, especially when people feel obligated to stretch their budgets to meet social or family expectations.

    Sinha recommends carving out time to rest and taking short breaks while planning seasonal activities can help ease the emotional load that often comes with holiday spending.