Tim Murphy

Great question. So as a psychologist, I worked on issues involving mental health for my whole life, even when I was on the staff at Children's Hospital Pittsburgh. And there I go to Harrisburg and our state capitol and work on even awareness among legislators. And what I kept finding, I think they wanted to do well, but they just didn't know what to do. Everybody likes the idea of mental health.

Great question. So as a psychologist, I worked on issues involving mental health for my whole life, even when I was on the staff at Children's Hospital Pittsburgh. And there I go to Harrisburg and our state capitol and work on even awareness among legislators. And what I kept finding, I think they wanted to do well, but they just didn't know what to do. Everybody likes the idea of mental health.

Great question. So as a psychologist, I worked on issues involving mental health for my whole life, even when I was on the staff at Children's Hospital Pittsburgh. And there I go to Harrisburg and our state capitol and work on even awareness among legislators. And what I kept finding, I think they wanted to do well, but they just didn't know what to do. Everybody likes the idea of mental health.

Quite frankly, it can be kind of scary for a lot of folks and other folks aren't quite sure. And there's some folks who just have a prejudice towards it. I'm not talking about stigma. I mean, a prejudice towards it. Some people think it's a weakness until they start really digging into it and understanding there's a biological, neurological basis for much of this.

Quite frankly, it can be kind of scary for a lot of folks and other folks aren't quite sure. And there's some folks who just have a prejudice towards it. I'm not talking about stigma. I mean, a prejudice towards it. Some people think it's a weakness until they start really digging into it and understanding there's a biological, neurological basis for much of this.

Quite frankly, it can be kind of scary for a lot of folks and other folks aren't quite sure. And there's some folks who just have a prejudice towards it. I'm not talking about stigma. I mean, a prejudice towards it. Some people think it's a weakness until they start really digging into it and understanding there's a biological, neurological basis for much of this.

What happened was I ran for state senate in the 1990s. There I worked a number of health care reforms, and among them making sure that people could get access to care and insurance would pay for it in a general sense. In Congress, it was a much deeper dive. There I was chairman of a subcommittee of oversight and investigation in the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

What happened was I ran for state senate in the 1990s. There I worked a number of health care reforms, and among them making sure that people could get access to care and insurance would pay for it in a general sense. In Congress, it was a much deeper dive. There I was chairman of a subcommittee of oversight and investigation in the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

What happened was I ran for state senate in the 1990s. There I worked a number of health care reforms, and among them making sure that people could get access to care and insurance would pay for it in a general sense. In Congress, it was a much deeper dive. There I was chairman of a subcommittee of oversight and investigation in the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

And Energy and Commerce has jurisdiction over mental illness and health in general. But in that, what happened was right after the terrible shooting in Sandhook Elementary School, the majority leader tasked me with the idea, says, we've got to do something about this. I know a lot of the human cry was, well, let's ban guns or let's restrict guns. I always knew it's not what was in their hand.

And Energy and Commerce has jurisdiction over mental illness and health in general. But in that, what happened was right after the terrible shooting in Sandhook Elementary School, the majority leader tasked me with the idea, says, we've got to do something about this. I know a lot of the human cry was, well, let's ban guns or let's restrict guns. I always knew it's not what was in their hand.

And Energy and Commerce has jurisdiction over mental illness and health in general. But in that, what happened was right after the terrible shooting in Sandhook Elementary School, the majority leader tasked me with the idea, says, we've got to do something about this. I know a lot of the human cry was, well, let's ban guns or let's restrict guns. I always knew it's not what was in their hand.

It was what's in their mind that was the big issue in this. So we really had a year or two of just investigation. We had many, many witnesses come forth, dozens and dozens of parents, hundreds and hundreds of letters, millions of social media hits telling us the problems that were occurring. And it was on several levels. We did not have enough trained providers.

It was what's in their mind that was the big issue in this. So we really had a year or two of just investigation. We had many, many witnesses come forth, dozens and dozens of parents, hundreds and hundreds of letters, millions of social media hits telling us the problems that were occurring. And it was on several levels. We did not have enough trained providers.

It was what's in their mind that was the big issue in this. So we really had a year or two of just investigation. We had many, many witnesses come forth, dozens and dozens of parents, hundreds and hundreds of letters, millions of social media hits telling us the problems that were occurring. And it was on several levels. We did not have enough trained providers.

No, I don't just mean counselors. I mean providers trained to deal with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar, and the more severe autism spectrum disorders. We had lots of people who were going to deal with some of the milder things, you know, the people with general angst or anxiety or mild depression, but the more serious ones we didn't have.

No, I don't just mean counselors. I mean providers trained to deal with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar, and the more severe autism spectrum disorders. We had lots of people who were going to deal with some of the milder things, you know, the people with general angst or anxiety or mild depression, but the more serious ones we didn't have.

No, I don't just mean counselors. I mean providers trained to deal with serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, psychosis, bipolar, and the more severe autism spectrum disorders. We had lots of people who were going to deal with some of the milder things, you know, the people with general angst or anxiety or mild depression, but the more serious ones we didn't have.

The second thing is we had restrictions in the law. Medicaid only pays for two weeks at a time, 15 days stay, or a lifetime limit of, what, 190 days in the hospital? That's a problem. Or they didn't want to have more than 16 beds in a hospital. That's a problem. So it was these artificial limitations on serious mental illness, particularly when you're dealing with schizophrenia and psychosis.

The second thing is we had restrictions in the law. Medicaid only pays for two weeks at a time, 15 days stay, or a lifetime limit of, what, 190 days in the hospital? That's a problem. Or they didn't want to have more than 16 beds in a hospital. That's a problem. So it was these artificial limitations on serious mental illness, particularly when you're dealing with schizophrenia and psychosis.