LINCOLN- On Wednesday, lawmakers part of the Legislature's Health and Human Services committee were told by prosecutors, public defenders, mental health providers, and individuals with mentally ill family members that more needs to be done to address the shortcomings and gaps in the state's mental health care system.

Sarpy County Attorney Lee Polikov emphasized during the hearing that Nebraska's jails and prisons have become the "de facto" largest mental health facilities in many counties. Douglas County Attorney Tom Riley echoed a similar statement, adding that Nebraska needs to do more to shift its approach to mental health towards community-based care and regional mental health facilities. "We might not agree on the specific remedies," Riley told the committee, "but we all agree that this needs to be addressed."

The study, LR199, was proposed by Sen. Mike McDonnell, with the intent of pushing mental health care discussions forward between the courts, probation offices, law enforcement, prosecutors, defense attorneys, schools, and local leaders. "The State of Nebraska is facing an urgent behavioral health crisis," said McDonnell, "Nebraska has unintentionally shifted the responsibility of caring for the mentally unwell to our law enforcement and correctional facilities."

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