Wisconsin Assemblyman Paul Tittl says he is helping plan a Mental Health Task Force this year.
The goal is to facilitate improvements in mental health services and reduce the stigma surrounding using a therapist or counseling.
The last Task Force was ten years ago, which was before the COVID-19 pandemic, and the number of those in need of services has greatly increased.
Tittl said while on the WCUB Breakfast Club, “There’s a lot of different issues that arose out of COVID. Kids not going to school, social interaction, and stuff like that, so they’re going to do another Speakers Task Force on mental health.”
Manitowoc County, the state, and the entirety of the nation is facing a shortage of licensed psychiatrists and mental health specialists, which Tittl says has become a focal point.
“I still think that one of the biggest things that we’re going to be looking for is people,” he explained. “There’s not enough people practicing, there’s not enough people getting the services to tell people or help them when they’re in a crisis mode.”
Tittl, being the Chair of the Mental Health Committee, continues to advocate for the mental health needs of the state and hopes that this Task Force will bring some more support to the community.
