Why Access to Trauma Care Remains One of the Most Urgent Challenges in Arizona
Why Access to Trauma Care Remains One of the Most Urgent Challenges in Arizona
- Every year in Arizona, roughly 2,479 people die from drug overdoses and addiction-related causes.
- Nearly 1,506 Arizonans die by suicide each year, a rate higher than the national average.
- Another 531 people lose their lives to homicide each year across Arizona communities.
Behind many of these deaths are untreated trauma, untreated mental illness, and barriers to care that prevent people from getting the help they need.
These numbers represent thousands of lives lost each year. But behind many of them is a deeper issue that is rarely discussed — access to trauma-informed mental health care.
The Need for Mental Health Care in Arizona Is Staggering
The need for mental health care in Arizona is staggering — and access to that care remains massive.
- More than one million adults in Arizona live with a mental health condition.
- Yet hundreds of thousands of people who need care are not receiving it.
According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness, 321,000 adults in Arizona did not receive the mental health care they needed in the past year.
And for many of them, the reason was simple.
Cost.
More than 35% of those who could not access care said it was because they could not afford it.
The current system often makes care unreachable for the very people who need it most.
As a trauma therapist in Arizona, I have seen this reality firsthand - often.
Many people who are struggling are not unwilling to seek help. They simply cannot afford it.
Why Shine His Light Exists
I had to do something about this. God called and I answered. This calling became Shine His Light.
Shine His Light is a ministry and clinical practice rooted in the belief that every person carries inherent worth because they were created by God. It exists to provide trauma-informed care that restores dignity, stability, and hope. Shine His Light exists to expand access to that care.
Because healing should not only belong to those who can afford it.
Across Arizona, there are still thousands of people who want help but cannot reach it because of cost. This is why the work of Shine His Light is expanding — and why community support matters.
When individuals and organizations invest in this work:
- They help make trauma care accessible to those who might otherwise go without it.
- They help create a safe place for the lost and hurting.
- Access to care changes the entire direction of a person’s life.
If you believe healing should not be limited by financial barriers, we invite you to learn more about supporting the mission of Shine His Light.
Sources
- Arizona Criminal Justice Data Snapshot (CDC National Center for Health Statistics)
- Johns Hopkins Center for Gun Violence Solutions – Arizona Data
- National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI Factsheet)
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