CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — "It's a true crisis."
That is how Registered Nurse Jessica Wilson described the amount of people with mental illness in the Coastal Bend. She said many of them live without proper treatment.
"With very few options of places to go get help," Wilson added.
Jessica is an Advanced Practice Psychiatric Registered Nurse, this means she can prescribe certain medications for mental illnesses like depression, anxiety or bipolar disorder but to an extent.
"I can treat someone who's suicidal, I can treat someone who's Schizophrenic, but I can't treat someone with ADHD," Wilson said this is because of Texas state law.
Luckily, she's saved hundreds of lives through her private practice, Oasis Psychiatry and Counselling in Flour Bluff.
"She just saved my life," one of Jessica's patients, Kim Garza said.
"To be honest if I didn't get the right help at the right time I feel like I'd be in a casket," Nate Crane added, he was diagnosed with Schizophrenia years ago.
Kim was one of Wilson's first patients when she opened her practice ten years ago. Garza suffered from severe anxiety and depression but over the years with treatment, she can now live a normal life.
"I live my life to the fullest because I can because she helped me get my life back."
Wilson is in a medically under-served area, as determined by Federal guidelines. She said in general, the Coastal Bend does not have enough mental health care providers.
"We need more providers, that includes nurse practitioners, physicians, physician's assistants," Wilson urged.
She explained several psychiatrists in the area do a great job of treating patients but, they have a long waiting list and for someone with a psychiatric emergency, waiting longer than a day could be fatal.
"Who's gonna wait that long when they're having a crisis or they're depressed or whatever it may be," she added.
Corpus Christi resident Andrea Castro explained the pain of suffering from mental illness before she met Jessica.
"I felt incredible fear and the inability to leave my house feeling like I was - I can't trust anyone feeling in the dark," she said.
Castro said she felt shame when she had to turn to prescribed medication, but if it weren't for Jessica's care, Andrea said she may not be alive.
"It's a miracle that I'm sitting in this chair telling you anything."
Yet, there are limits to the type of care Jessica can provide. This is why she and other nurses are supporting a bill that was recently filed into the Texas Legislature. The proposed House Bill 1792 would allow nurses like Wilson to prescribe medications to patients they currently cannot.
"Why put up so many barriers? Why make it so hard? I've been doing this for 15 years, I know what i'm doing," Wilson said.
The nurse practiced mental health care in the U.S. Military, for NASA and in foreign countries. Yet, she must work with a collaborating physician, as do other advanced practice nurses. Wilson works alongside Dr. Danny Dubberly, M.D., in Corpus Christi. He said he supports Jessica's mission to shed light on the lack of mental health care in Corpus Christi.
Also on Jessica's side is Dr. Raul Capitaine, M.D., a Psychiatrist in Corpus Christi. He released this statement when asked about nurses widening their scope of practice:
"Corpus Christi is an under-served area in psychiatry. Other specialties may have enough providers. However, we are just a few psychiatrists. Of course, we need extenders of our services. Jessica joined my practice a few years ago for the evaluation and treatment of psychiatric clients. The help was really appreciated as we were able to see patients. Later she moved on her own but we continue collaborating and providing needed care for many families. Medicine today requires joining efforts for better care."
However, the Texas Medical Association is against the push for nurses to prescribe certain medications. In a recent release, the TMA urged against the House Bill written by Representative Stephanie Klick.
Nueces County Medical Society President Jacob Moore, M.D., said they are not trying to take away any abilities from A.P.R.N.'s, but rather assure the care that Texans receive.
"Even if some of those practitioners are excellent, reducing the licensing standards will allow a lower qualification and lower standard of care for all the residents of Texas," Moore said.
Moore added A.P.R.N.'s have not spent the same amount of time in school and training which is why they should not be able to prescribe certain medications without a collaborating physician.
"The Texas Medical Association is embracing them, because the amount of training that they have is less we feel very strongly that ultimately the physician should be the leader of the healthcare team."
However, Jessica said she will continue to push for change so she can treat more mentally ill people in the Coastal Bend. Her patients agree and hope they can create change.
"There's so much brokeness here in Corpus, there is help for mental illness and not to be afraid to step up and say something," Kim Garza urged.
"We're perfectly qualified to see that patient, and that patient wants to see us."
"It's absolutely nothing to be ashamed of admitting that you have."
If you or someone you know is struggling with mental illness, the Suicide Hotline is 1 (800) 273-8255 or other resources are available here.