HOUSTON -- Local 2 investigates a mental health care system that leaves thousands of people without critical treatment. Local 2 discovered not only is this caused by a lack of funding, but state law also prevents many people from receiving mental health care.

"You've got major, major issues ahead for our community," said Dr. Steve Schnee, the head of the Mental Health Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County.

Schnee's warning echoes throughout the mental health care community.

"And I think we're just waiting. It's time bomb waiting to go off," said Lois Moore, chief administrator for the University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center.

How did we get to this point? The short answer is money.

The 78th Texas Legislature was facing a massive deficit so cuts had to be made. One of those cuts involved what types of mental illnesses the state will treat on a long-term, outpatient basis.

"What we've sort of done in the state is take a Band-Aid approach," said Schnee.

Texas provides money to only treat three types of mental illness on an outpatient basis -- bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and major depression with psychotic features.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders published by the American Psychiatric Association lays out roughly 300 diagnosable mental illnesses.

"In limiting access to individuals, in particular those that I work with that are homeless, to three diagnoses, you leave out an entire population," said Anthony Love, president of Coalition for the Homeless of Houston/Harris County.

"We all have to understand, we will spend the money," said deputy chief of psychiatry for the Harris County Hospital District, Dr. Britta Ostermeyer.

Ostermeyer said limiting funds for outpatient mental health care creates a surge of people continually going into crisis. As Local 2 Investigates showed, a lack of funding has led to a staggering lack of bed space in Harris County. This, in turn, causes those with mental illness to clog ER's, jails, courts and is feeding the chronically homeless population.

"That prevents them from accessing housing, jobs, having normal relationships, etc.," said Love.

Even if you are a person who can qualify for outpatient care, the process is daunting.

"Many people don't have a car or bus fare to get to eligibility centers. For those suffering from a serious mental illness, filling out the volumes of paperwork required for treatment can seem impossible. If a person does not have an ID, like a lot of homeless people, then they can't get help -- unless they go into crisis," Local 2 Investigative reporter Robert Arnold said.

"I told them, 'I need some help man. I'm hearing voices,'" said Michael Moon, who was homeless for more than two years. "Oh, man you had to sleep with both eyes open. They'd steal your shoes if you let them off."

Moon lost his job and tried to get help for his mental illness, but said he had trouble navigating the paperwork. It wasn't until the Houston Search Organization found Moon, got him an apartment and helped him sign up for outpatient treatment that he got his life back on track.

"I've got a beautiful apartment," said Moon. "I've got somebody that I can go in there and he says 'How you feeling today?' I go once a month."

Qualifying for outpatient services is not a guarantee of instant help.

"For those who don't have insurance they have to wait weeks, months or they don't get an appointment at all," said Ostermeyer.

The numbers explain why the wait can be so long. The Harris County Hospital District already receives an average of 1.2 million visits a year at its community based health centers.

The Harris County Psychiatric Center has 17,000 inpatient and outpatient visits a year.

MHMRA of Harris County sees close to 10,000 adults and children every month. MHMRA has to take those coming out of jail or a psychiatric hospital first. If an individual is not from one of these areas, they go on a waiting list.

"If you're hallucinating today, it's not going to help to get services a month or two later," said Betsy Schwartz, with Mental Health America of Greater Houston.

The economic impact of mental illness costs the state and local governments $1.5 billion a year. The Texas Department of State Health Services reports if lost productivity because of mental illness is factored in, that number climbs to $16 billion a year.

The Texas Department of State Health Services also expects 47 percent more adults and 195 percent more children will need mental health crisis intervention by next year.

More Information:

Mental Health and Mental Retardation Authority of Harris County
Anyone in a psychiatric emergency or in need of information can call 713-970-7000 or 866-970-4770.
If the person voluntarily seeks treatment, he or she may call or go to the Neuro-Psychiatric Center (MHMRA), located at 1502 Taub Loop, 713-970-7070, or Ben Taub General Hospital (HCHD), located at 1504 Taub Loop, 713-793-2000. Both of these facilities are in the Texas Medical Center.
The University of Texas Harris County Psychiatric Center
If you or someone you love needs help with mental illness or general counseling, please call our facility for a confidential assessment. We want to help you or assist you in locating the right source. We can be reached at 713-500-8800.