FROM INDIANA PUBLIC BROADCASTING

The Indiana Behavioral Health Commission has released a new report calling for increased funding and attention to improve the state’s behavioral health infrastructure. The report emphasizes the need to build on previous investments and strengthen the state’s mental health workforce, while also addressing care for vulnerable populations such as children, older adults, and individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities.

Key recommendations include expanding the 9-8-8 crisis response system and Certified Community Behavioral Health Clinics. The report also highlights ongoing workforce shortages that impact the delivery of behavioral health care across the state.

State Senator Mike Crider, who established the commission in 2020, emphasized the importance of sustainable, long-term funding for mental health initiatives. “Unless and until we get in a mode where we have long-term sustainable funding, we’re going to continue having this discussion,” Crider said. The Indiana General Assembly will ultimately decide how to fund the commission’s