Long Waits the Norm

…The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services has designated 184 of the state's 254 counties as mental health professional shortage areas, meaning the number of professionals needed to provide adequate care to mental health patients is inadequate. That includes Gregg, Upshur, Rusk and Smith counties. …Since 2000, the number of mental health counselors and social workers dwindled from 72 counselors per 100,000 Texas residents to 66 counselors per 100,000 residents in 2007, according to a report by the Texas Hogg Foundation for Mental Health. The same reports also states that the number of psychiatrists dropped from seven per 100,000 residents to six per 100,000 Texas residents in 2007.
From the Longview News Journal.