Trump from the Perspective of a Mental Health Provider

For the past seven years, I’ve served as a case manager and/or therapist at Tri County Community Services and presently through TeamBuilders Behavioral Health in Taos, New Mexico. In this capacity, I’ve witnessed the hardships of some of Taos’s most vulnerable and fragile community members and done my best to support them. It’s devastating to see the Trump administration weaken and dismantle various government programs that so many of my clients rely on to survive, both with their daily struggles and long-term stability.

There exists a gross misperception that local mental health agencies and churches will take care of those people with mental health issues or disabilities. Taos is blessed to have multiple human service agencies, but they all have limited funds, space, personnel and resources. A few churches provide weekly food banks, will cover a single utility bill, or give free clothing. These gestures, while helpful and authentic, are paltry in contrast with the extremely challenging, occasionally dire, circumstances some of these people face. Many of my clients receive SSI, SSDI, Social Security, Medicaid, Medicare, EBT (food stamps), Public Housing or Section 8 housing. These are a critical safety net in many cases, and not easy to come by.

It’s disturbing that so many of these programs are under attack, meanwhile Trump has proposed the largest military budget request ($1.01 trillion) of any president; he plans to cut taxes for the ultra-wealthy, and he has raised tariffs, which will only increase the cost of formerly cheap imports that lower-income people buy.

The burgeoning homeless epidemic and mental health crisis in our country really began in the 1980s with Reagan and “trickle-down” economics. Ever since, the already wealthy have gotten richer. Citizens United has further unduly influenced election results, purchasing politicians who enacted policies to enrich the One Percent. Thank goodness for Bernie and AOC’s Fighting Oligarchy tour.

Some 72 million citizens receive Medicaid. More than 40 million receive SNAP (food stamps). Many lower income families rely upon HeadStart for the great expense of daycare/education for their preschool-aged children (national average $343/child). Years ago, I was a HeadStart teacher and bus driver. I saw the poverty of these families. Trump’s intention to eliminate HeadStart and Meals on Wheels onlyaffects the poor.

Applying for SSI and SSDI is rigorous, and often discouraging. Based upon a conversation with a lawyer who represents such cases, roughly 30 per cent of those who apply are denied. Once awarded, the average monthly dollar amounts for SSI or SSDI I’ve seen range between $800 and $1200 per month, barely enough to survive on. Food stamps tend to only go up to about $200 per month. I coach clients to attempt to find and keep jobs they can function reasonably well–given their depression, anxiety, PTSD, social phobias, sleep issues, injuries, and physical limitations—as they will be better off than relying on paltry disability payments. These are fellow human beings struggling to support themselves. They are not, in my firsthand experience, as Republicans have claimed for decades, grifters taking advantage of government programs.

Existing government programs already lack sufficient employees and funds to respond to current demands, long before DOGE came along to drastically cut more. Arbitrarily dismissing experienced employees in systems already at the breaking point does not promote efficiency.

Housing assistance, while immensely helpful, has wait times of multiple years. Once awarded Section 8 or Public Housing, people have difficulty finding rentals which accept housing vouchers, and still pay up to 30 percent of their income for that housing. Phone wait times for SSDI are almost always hours. Medicaid and Social Security are also slow.

With reduced employees and with Congress presently trying to pass legislation to lower funding, the future of Social Security and Medical benefits is precarious.

Additionally, Trump is taking aim at the Department of Education, libraries, PBS, NPR, ABC, CBS, freedom of the press in general, public demonstrations, and anyone who dares to challenge his plans.

My life is not so far removed from the clients I’ve served. While I’ve earned a decent living, have had almost continuous and rewarding employment, between the expenses of rent, utilities, food, car maintenance and dental work, I’ve never accumulated enough wealth to purchase a home. I had hoped to get first-time home buyer assistance should Kamala have been elected. I’ve supported myself and my now-grown, adult daughter, kept us feed and a roof over our heads. I’m proud of these accomplishments. I’ve occasionally lived paycheck to paycheck, which is super stressful. I suspect my story is not that different from many others.

Six years ago, and having a minimal insurance plan I could afford, I had an expensive and unexpected surgery, which forced me to do a GoFundMe campaign in order to pay for the out-of-pocket expense. This was somewhat traumatizing, not to mention the surgery itself.

For the past decade, I’ve been strategizing for retirement. I plan to work until I’m 70 to maximize my monthly Social Security benefits, which increase about $100 per month each year longer past the age of 63 until I turn 70, or a total accumulation of about $1800/month. I’ll highly depend upon this future income to cover living expenses, which I’ve kept minimal. I live with others. Most of my clothes come from thrift stores. I’ll also rely upon Medicare to cover health needs. This is money I’ve had withheld for decades through steady employment and a lifetime of taxes. These are earned benefits.

It’s time to embody a politics of compassion, and to extend additional support to US citizens in need. We can do better. Let’s broadly question actions that siphon money from the poor to the rich, like Robin Hood in reverse. Trump’s billionaire cabinet picks and him being flanked by the three wealthiest Americans at his Inaugural Address, make apparent his priorities–and it’s not the average working American.

Resist. Write your representatives. Show up in the streets. Give donations to politicians who have a moral compass. Have hard conversations. We need all of us, in whatever ways people are moved, to challenge and oppose what’s happening. A couple of meaningful sayings from the 1980s keep coming to mind. The “Personal is Political.” And “Think Globally, Act Locally.” While representatives need to do their parts, as does the judiciary and the media, it’s up to all of us to preserve our democracy and protect these well-established programs. The time is now.

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