Recently the Department of Justice was in Nebraska doing town hall meetings to hear allegations that Nebraska has violated provisions of the Americans with Disabilities Act by preventing people with serious mental disorders from getting the help they need.  The DOJ is claiming that the state has done a poor job in providing help to people suffering from serious mental health issues like Bi-Polar disorder, deep depression, and other mental health problems.

Now with all the news about the tornado recovery, the primary elections, and the former President’s trial, a story about mental health is probably barely a blip on your radar. 

As we gear up for the November elections you’ll hear a lot about illegal immigration, inflation, abortion, and concerns about the LGBTQ community, but you won’t hear a peep about mental health because providing for the well-being of those who suffer won’t get politicians elected.

Think of all the other societal ills that could be minimized if we did a better job getting people back on the right track. Did you know that the number one mental health provider in Douglas County is the County jail?  Shouldn’t we be trying to keep these citizens from going to jail in the first place? 

The county jail and our state prisons are filled with people who have abused drugs and alcohol, who couldn’t control their anger and acted out violently, and who stole to survive because they couldn’t hold down a job. 

We have people sleeping on the city streets, tents are set up under bridges, and the homeless shelters are filled to capacity. 

Mentally healthy people aren’t committing crimes or sleeping on bus benches. 

So why don’t we do more to deal with this problem to try to avoid bigger problems down the line?  I believe there are a couple of reasons.

For one thing we want to live in denial about the problem. By putting people in jail or packing them in homeless shelters it’s out of sight… out of mind.  There is a stigma attached to mental health dysfunctions, so to avoid the stigma the voters and taxpayers put their heads in the sand. 

Another reason is politicians can’t benefit by trying to address mental health concerns.  I can’t recall one politician ever running a campaign trying to help those suffering from schizophrenia or PTSD. At least no politician that won.   They can run campaigns saying they are going to be tough on crime, they can run on fear about terrorists coming across the border, they can be concerned with someone not using the proper public restroom, or the old standby of showing happy pictures of their family. 

But they run from the mere mention of mental health. 

And we as voters let them get away with it. I think we the people need to let them know that improving the mental health of those who suffer is an important issue.  If a candidate knocks on your door this election season, ask them their views on providing for these people.  Ask them what they would propose to try to fix the problem, even if that candidate is running for a job that can’t really do anything about it.  Make them aware that mental health is a grave concern.

The DOJ says it’s working with the state to get it to comply with the federal law.  They even say that if they can’t get this satisfactorily resolved they will sue. 

The state is already fighting lawsuits about our overcrowded prisons.  Prisons that might not be as overcrowded if the prisoner’s problems had been nipped in the bud before they got out of control. 

The relatively small amount of money the state will have to pay to comply with the ADA requirements sure beats the larger amount of fighting a lawsuit, housing prisoners, and dealing with the homeless.

Put your support behind candidates that will work to make things better for those who need help. And if someone you know is battling their demons, don’t dismiss them.  Take time to listen to them. See if you can get them some professional help.

Dealing with this problem head-on won’t solve everything but it will make things a little better for all of us. 

Tom Becka is a long time Nebraska broadcaster who for over 30 years has been covering Omaha and Midwest issues on both radio and TV. He has been a guest on numerous national cable and news shows, filled in for nationally syndicated talk radio programs and Talkers Magazine has recognized him as one of the Top 100 talk show hosts in the country 10 times. Never afraid to ruffle some feathers, his ‘Becka’s Beat’ commentaries can be found online on Youtube and other digital platforms.

Opinions expressed by columnists in The Daily Record are not necessarily those of its management or staff, and do not constitute an endorsement or recommendation. Any errors or omissions should be called to our attention so that they may be corrected. Contact us at news@omahadailyrecord.com.