CHAPEL HILL, N.C. -- Mental health service providers said they are struggling to keep up with state regulations put in place about three years ago.

 

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Dr. John Gilmore, a psychiatry professor at the University of North Carolina, said North Carolina's mental health system is broken.

 

"Over the last three or four years, there's been a move to privatize the public mental health system," said Gilmore. "And we've seen in the last couple of years, it's failed."

 

He said the reason for that boils down to money. The state is 43rd in the nation in per capita spending on mental health.

 

"It's just not reasonable to think a private company can make a profit in a system that has no money," said Gilmore.

 

The Caring Family Network is a provider of mental health services throughout the state and has been feeling the crunch. Recently, it had to pull services to 1,500 clients at the Orange, Person and Chatham Mental Health Services Centers.

 

"We've gone from making $90 per hour from outpatient services down to $62 per hour," said Jeff McKay, Caring Family Network Operations Director.

 

McKay said there were concerns about fraudulent providers, and the state has been implementing new regulations that he said can be difficult to meet. So when providers have to pull services, it's the patients who are left in limbo, wondering who's going to write their medication prescriptions or provide other services they need.

 

Gilmore said there's only one way to start fixing the problem.

 

"Move back to, at least in every county, have a safety net clinic or home that's publicly run, that's not operating trying to break even or make a profit, and that everyone knows it will be there," he said.