By: Knox Graham
 
JACKSON, Miss.—Lawmakers and experts got together Thursday to talk about the state of mental health and school safety in wake of the Sandy Hook tragedy.
 
“We need to be prepared we need plans,” said house representative Steve Holland who chaired the forum.
 
The handful of experts in mental health that included persons from all over the state had numerous things that need to be fixed.  The only problem is that most require more money and are Medicaid funded.
 
It was pointed out that while the physical well being of a child is checked out numerous times through out the kid’s education, the mental well being is completely ignored currently, as far as official checkups are concerned.
 
As one panelist pointed out Thursday, “It’s not the kids that are lashing out in class that are doing these awful crimes, it’s the ones that are not identified and are holding things within.”
 
Clearly those kids need to be identified and that’s where the problems have risen through out the entire country.
 
After the forum Holland said, “We have issues out there and we’re a long way from completing our tasks.”
 
He did go as far to say what needs to happen though to help solve problems in his opinion.
 
“It’s going to take Medicaid dollars, not less, but more to meet our plans.”
 
Another problem that was brought up is that there isn’t a comprehensive mental health plan for the entire state.
 
Holland and others pointed out in 2011 the wheels were put in motion for that to happen but this is something that definitely needs to be revisited in 2013.