The need for mental health services is constant whether one lives near a big city or in a rural area like ours.

Access to those services, unfortunately, is not constant.

The closure of two mental health inpatient centers in neighboring counties – and the ensuing pinch that may have on services offered at Warren County – shines a spotlight on the issues of rural mental health care access. At a time when mental health referrals are skyrocketing here, the closure of inpatient mental health units in Sharon and Bradford has raised concerns about increased pressure on local facilities, including Warren General Hospital. These closures were discussed at a recent ATOD/MH/DD board meeting. Jennifer Gesing, executive director at Beacon Light, noted that the increased demand for inpatient mental health services could strain WGH’s capacity, potentially resulting in longer wait times and stress on staff and resources.

Access to mental health services is a numbers game – and counties like ours are at a disadvantage. This isn’t just a Pennsylvania issue. Lack of treatment resources is resulting in patients being funneled into Warren County, and when there aren’t enough resources to meet the need in Warren County patients are pushed toward Erie or Pittsburgh or even into neighboring Chautauqua and Cattaraugus counties New York state, where they are often pushed toward Buffalo because those rural New York counties face many of the same struggles – on a different scale – as Warren County.

Closure of the Sharon and Bradford facilities is an indication that the mental health treatment model is broken for much of rural America. Additional money will help, but realistically we all know that the money tree eventually withers – and we will find ourselves in the same position. A new model is needed that likely includes more use of telehealth or use of regional clinics or integration of mental health with primary care physicians, something called for in a 2022 special report to the state Legislature. Chautauqua County has seen some success with peer-led mental health services through the Mental Health Association of Chautauqua County, though inpatient treatment beds are still an issue.

No solution will be perfect for rural Pennsylvania. Our population doesn’t lend itself to the type of volume needed for stand-alone mental health treatment services. But doing nothing isn’t an option either.