Making strides in mental health care
The Rapid City JournalFeb 22, 2017
A significant number of Americans struggle with mental illness. For many the struggle is silent. Some experience short-term mental health problems; it's not uncommon for individuals temporarily to face mild forms of mental illness at some point during their lives. For others though, it's a lifelong battle that requires consistent treatment. No community is untouched by mental illness. It affects schools, work places and families.
Last year the
Without proper treatment, individuals with mental health problems can land in the emergency room or in jail. When a person showing signs of mental illness behaves in a way that causes arrest, a court may order an evaluation of the person's fitness to stand trial. In recent years, the increased number of these court-ordered evaluations has caused delays for the mentally ill. In some instances, mentally ill individuals had to wait in jail several months for competency evaluations to be completed.
Recognizing this problem,
Funded by a grant from the
This legislative session, the Legislature is considering House Bill 1183, which would enact the task force's recommendations.
The legislation will provide law enforcement with tools to better identify and respond to mental health crises, prevent unnecessary jail admissions, and assist communities in building capacity to offer intervention services. The bill will also expand the pool of providers who can provide competency evaluations, and will shift funding from the
I thank the Chief Justice and task force members for undertaking this work and offering their recommendations, and I thank the
I support HB 1183 and I hope legislators will send the bill to my desk. These common sense proposals will be steps forward for our state.