"Proposition 1 marks the first update to the state's mental health system in 20 years. Counties will now be required to spend about two-thirds of the money from a voter-approved tax enacted in 2004 on millionaires for mental health services on housing and programs for homeless people with serious mental illnesses or substance abuse problems.
The initiative also allows the state to borrow $6.38 billion to build 4,350 housing units, half of which will be reserved for veterans, and add 6,800 mental health and addiction treatment beds."
"Miami-Dade Judge Steve Leifman has made Miami-Dade County a national leader in criminal justice reform. Through the advent of the the Miami-Dade Criminal Mental Health Project in 2000, Leifman has specifically worked to reform the way people with mental health disorders are treated inside the criminal justice system."
"Kendra's Law, effective since November 1999, is a New York State law concerning involuntary outpatient commitment also known as assisted outpatient treatment. It grants judges the authority to issue orders that require people who meet certain criteria to regularly undergo psychiatric treatment."
"Ernie & Joe: Crisis Cops follows two police officers with the San Antonio Texas Police Department who are diverting people away from jail and into mental health treatment, one 911 call at a time."
"A New York State bill, the Treatment Court Expansion Act, will provide off-ramps from the revolving door of jail and prison for those who are brought into the criminal legal system due to underlying mental health and substance use issues."
"1. Reclassify Serious Mental Illness (SMI) from a behavioral condition to what it is, a neurological medical condition. This will unlock more research funding, help eliminate discrimination in treatment, insurance reimbursement, and the perception of SMI as a "behavioral" condition.
2. Reform HIPAA. We can work with federal legislators to change HIPAA law to ensure mental health professionals are legally permitted to share and receive critical diagnostic and treatment information with/from parent or caregivers of those with SMI.
3. Repeal Medicaid's Institute for Mental Disease (IMD) exclusion. If you become ill with a physical condition and need to go to the hospital, Medicaid will pay. Many people with SMI are too disabled to work full-time and are on Medicaid. If you become ill and need to go to a mental health hospital, Medicaid will not pay if you are between ages 21-65. A repeal will increase the number of psychiatric beds. We can work with federal legislators to repeal the exclusion.
4. Provide a full continuum of care. This will insure that SMI patients receive early intervention at all stages of their illnesses, long-term care when needed, and follow-up treatment (medications and therapies) when they're released. It will provide lifetime management. We may need to work with legislators at the county, state and federal level to advocate for this.
5. Decriminalize serious mental illness (SMI). People suffering with other neurological conditions, like Alzheimer's and dementia, can get treatment promptly without being kicked out of their homes to wander the streets until they are arrested and put in jail rather than a hospital. We can work with state legislators and others to change the "must be a danger to self or others" criteria."
ADMIRE is a group of family members in the Greater Milwaukee Area who advocate for better treatment for those with a serious mental illness.
