State Mental Health Legislation 2015
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December 2015 State Mental Health Legislation 2015 State Mental Health Legislation, 2015: Trends, Themes and Effective Practices ©2015 by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness All rights reserved. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI advocates for access to services, treatment, supports and research and is steadfast in its commitment to raising awareness and building a community of hope for all of those in need. Acknowledgements and Gratitude This report was prepared by the staff of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) including Sita Diehl, Dania Douglas, Jessica W. Hart, Bob Carolla, Angela Kimball and Ron Honberg. We are particularly grateful for the extensive research conducted by public policy interns Krystle Canare, Joseph DeLorenzo, Kayla Prince-Stehley and Elena Schatell. This report is made possible by the leadership of Mary Giliberti, Executive Director. NAMI is grateful to Executive Directors and public policy leaders in NAMI State Organizations for completing the NAMI State Legislation Survey that serves as the basis for this report. We deeply appreciate all NAMI grassroots advocates who make their voices heard by sending emails, letters and tweets, making phone calls and visiting their legislators to make mental health care a priority in their state legislatures across the country. www.nami.org HelpLine: (800) 950-NAMI (6264) Twitter: @NAMICommunicate Facebook: facebook.com/officialNAMI NAMI, 3803 N. Fairfax Drive, Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22203 TABLE OF CONTENTS Executive Summary ...................................................................................................................................................1 Methodology ..............................................................................................................................................................2 State Mental Health Budgets .................................................................................................................................3 Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion .......................................................................................................................5 Health Insurance Parity ............................................................................................................................................6 Workforce ....................................................................................................................................................................7 Children and Youth ...................................................................................................................................................9 First Episode Psychosis: Early Intervention ........................................................................................................11 Inpatient and Crisis Care .......................................................................................................................................12 Civil Commitment and Court-Ordered Treatment ...........................................................................................13 Criminal Justice .........................................................................................................................................................14 Suicide Prevention ..................................................................................................................................................16 Housing and Employment......................................................................................................................................17 Conclusion .................................................................................................................................................................18 Recommendations .................................................................................................................................................. 19 Appendix 1: State Mental Health Budgets ........................................................................................................ 21 Appendix 2: Medicaid and Medicaid Expansion ............................................................................................22 Appendix 3: Health Insurance Parity .................................................................................................................25 Appendix 4: Workforce ..........................................................................................................................................27 Appendix 5: Telehealth .........................................................................................................................................30 Appendix 6: Integrated Care .................................................................................................................................31 Appendix 7: Children and Youth ..........................................................................................................................32 Appendix 8: School Mental Health .....................................................................................................................35 Appendix 9: Inpatient Care ...................................................................................................................................38 Appendix 10: Crisis Response .............................................................................................................................40 Appendix 11: Civil Commitment and Court-Ordered Treatment ..................................................................42 Appendix 12: Criminal Justice ..............................................................................................................................46 Appendix 13: Juvenile Justice .............................................................................................................................52 Appendix 14: Gun Ownership ..............................................................................................................................54 Appendix 15: Suicide Prevention ....................................................................................................................... 56 Appendix 16: Housing and Employment ..........................................................................................................58 Appendix 17: Confidentiality and Family Involvement ..................................................................................59 Appendix 18: Older Adults .................................................................................................................................... 61 Appendix 19: Prescription Drugs ........................................................................................................................62 Appendix 20: Rights Protection ..........................................................................................................................64 Appendix 21: Stigma Reduction ..........................................................................................................................66 Appendix 22: System Improvement and Planning .........................................................................................67 Appendix 23: Veterans ..........................................................................................................................................70 Executive Summary Good news and bad news emerged from written, budgets were still pending in Illinois and state legislative sessions and some regulatory Pennsylvania. actions in 2015. The bad news is that state investment in mental health services is slowing. Of even greater concern: The good news is that some states nonetheless enacted measures that can serve as models for • While other states have worked to regain mental health care reform. lost ground from the recession, three have been in steady decline over three years: This is NAMI’s third annual report on state Alaska, North Carolina and Wyoming. legislation enacted during the course of the year. The reports (2013-2015) have coincided • Two states increased mental health with recovery from a devastating economic spending in 2013, but have now cut for two recession in which states cut $4.35 billion from years in a row: Kentucky and Arkansas. the overall mental health care system. At the same time, public awareness of mental illness • Warning bells are sounding in three states increased dramatically as a result of high profile where, after two years of increases, cuts in events such as the Newtown, Connecticut mental health services occurred in 2015: tragedy in 2012a and the death of Robin Iowa, Kansas and Ohio. D.C. is hearing the Williams in 2014. warning bells as well. From 2013-2014, states led the cause of mental Only 12 states have steadily increased health care reform while Congress was largely investment from 2013 to 2015: Arizona, absent. In 2015, two federal bills, S 1945 and Colorado, Connecticut, Delaware, Idaho, HR 2646, have begun to move forward in Minnesota, New Hampshire, New Jersey, Congress. At the time of this report, a House South Carolina, South Dakota, Virginia and subcommittee has passed HR 2646, while Washington. action on S 1945 is expected in early 2016. Together, these bills represent a comprehensive Despite budget concerns, the