Mental health was top of mind at the Nevada State Legislature Tuesday.
Behavioral Health Day brought an opportunity for agencies to talk with lawmakers about changes they would like to see.
"I think it shouldn't only be a day," said Oscar Delgado, CEO, Community Health Alliance. "In all honesty it's important someone is here advocating every single day, every opportunity they have."
Multiple mental health professionals from across the Silver State were in Carson City discussing gaps that could be filled.
Nevada often ranks low when it comes to mental health care compared to the rest of the nation.
There are more than 50 bills upcoming in the session that center around behavioral health.
However, there are some big priorities for these advocates.
"Funding has been an issue in Nevada for quite some time, but we are also seeing issues with access to care," said Steve Shell, Founder and President, Behavioral Health Association of Nevada. "We don't have enough providers to adequately care for all the residents in our state who may have a mental health or an addiction issue."Â Â
The nonprofit, Behavioral Health Association of Nevada, spearheaded this campaign.
Shell founded the organization last year, creating a statewide coalition that focuses on intervention and prevention.
Shell also stressed the importance of working across party lines to get some of these bills passed.
"So we have a variety of meetings scheduled today with both Republicans and Democrats," he said. "They all seemed very interested in what we had to say today, so we really feel this session we really will be able to get things done on both sides of the aisle."
These are the bills he's keeping his eye on.
Senate Bill 47 is looking to create a study to see if insurance companies are authorizing behavioral health care the same as medical care.
Senate Bill 68 is looking to allow social workers from other states to become licensed faster in Nevada.
This is aiming to get more professionals to the region.
"To know right now that we are in a crisis and there shouldn't necessarily be barriers," Delgado said. "We want to make sure those people are professional and have the credentials but we need to streamline."
Some other professionals are keeping their eyes on other legislation.
"We want to talk to people about the importance of retaining and expanding Medicaid," said Deacon Shoenberger, Psychologist, Health Psychology Associates.
"One of the things I'm keeping my eyes out for is anything that helps retain clinicians in the state of Nevada and that includes reimbursement," said Natalie Sanchez, Clinical Director, Health Psychology Associates.
So we will be keeping our eyes on these bills as they make their way through the session.
