Mental Health Care Is Inaccessible and Unaffordable

The Challenge: Nevada has one of the lowest national mental-health rankings for over a decade. Affordable therapy is hard to find, drug-addiction services are underfunded, and many families travel out of state for care that doesn't exist locally. What do Nevadans think? Contributors described significant gaps in access to mental health care, from affordability to availability. A parent wrote: "It cost $800 for our adolescent child to see a psychologist for one new patient appointment with insurance. We went elsewhere. Appointments were next to impossible to schedule with long gaps in availability." One grieving participant wrote: "We need more mental health services. I lost a friend last year because he couldn't get help fast enough." A parent added: "My daughter has to live in another state because of the horrific lack of services for her in Las Vegas." Another highlighted the broader consequences: "Poor mental health leads to job loss, homelessness, or incarceration. It will cost the taxpayer less to fund mental health services to help people get back on their feet than to pay for court costs, public defenders, and prison expenses." Across responses, participants pointed to a system that is difficult to access, slow to respond, and failing to meet urgent needs.