1Directing the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee to
2conduct a comprehensive study and make a report on the impact
3of the 10% reduction in funding for county-managed community
4mental health services implemented during fiscal year 2013 on
5the availability of mental health treatment and services; and
6establishing an advisory committee.

7WHEREAS, One in five persons in the United States needs
8treatment for mental illness during his or her lifetime; and

9WHEREAS, Fifty percent of mental health cases in our nation
10begin by 14 years of age; and

11WHEREAS, Seventy-five percent of these cases begin by 24
12years of age; and

13WHEREAS, Delayed treatment of mental disorders increases
14severity of symptoms and difficulty of treatment; and

15WHEREAS, Each year tens of thousands of families in this
16Commonwealth struggle to access services and supports for family
17members with serious mental illness; and

18WHEREAS, Since 1966, county-managed community mental health

1agencies have established community-based residential
2rehabilitation and a range of other support and treatment
3services in response to the closure of beds in the State mental
4hospital system; and

5WHEREAS, The cost of providing treatment and services in
6community-based settings is significantly less than the cost of
7treatment in State mental hospitals or private psychiatric
8hospitals; and

9WHEREAS, Without sufficient residential rehabilitation and
10mental health treatment services in our communities, people with
11serious mental illness all too often become homeless or become
12inmates in county jails; and

13WHEREAS, Funding for county-managed community mental health
14services was frozen for several years prior to fiscal year 2012,
15in spite of increasing demands for mental health treatment and
16services; and

17WHEREAS, Funding for county-managed community mental health
18services was reduced by 10%, or more than $60 million, for
19fiscal year 2013; therefore be it

20RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
21conduct a comprehensive study of the impact resulting from the
2210% reduction in funding for county-managed community mental
23health services implemented during fiscal year 2013 on the
24availability of mental health treatment and services; and be it
25further

26RESOLVED, That, in furtherance of its study, the Legislative
27Budget and Finance Committee determine, at a minimum, the
28following:

29(1) the amount allocated by each county for contracted
30services in fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year 2013 for each of

1the major community mental health services, including, but
2not limited to, community residential rehabilitation,
3inpatient psychiatric services, emergency and crisis
4intervention, peer counseling, drop-in centers, outpatient
5services, partial hospitalization, day treatment, community
6employment, facility-based vocational rehabilitation,
7psychiatric rehabilitation, long-term residential services,
8social rehabilitation, intensive case management, community
9treatment teams, family-based services and family support
10services, and set forth a Statewide summary of this data;

11(2) the number of units of service provided by each
12contracted entity in each county in fiscal year 2012 and
13fiscal year 2013 for each of the above community mental
14health services and set forth a Statewide summary of this
15data;

16(3) the number of people receiving each of the above
17community mental health services in each county in fiscal
18year 2012 and fiscal year 2013 and set forth a Statewide
19summary of this data;

20(4) the amount spent by each county mental health agency
21to administer the county mental health program in fiscal year
222012 and fiscal year 2013;

23(5) follow-up information on the living conditions and
24mental health status of individuals transferred out of
25community residential rehabilitation services as a result of
26the reduction in funding for county-managed community mental
27health services in each county and set forth a Statewide
28summary of this data;

29(6) information on the use of short-term private
30psychiatric facilities in fiscal year 2012 and fiscal year

12013;

2(7) information on delays, if any, in access to intake
3for new admissions to mental health treatment services and
4delays, if any, in access to psychiatric evaluations and
5medications in each county's community mental health system;
6and

7(8) data on the number of inmates with mental illness
8incarcerated in county jails in fiscal year 2012 and fiscal
9year 2013;

10and be it further

11RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
12seek information regarding access in mental health treatment and
13services, comparing fiscal years 2012 and 2013, from the
14following entities in each county:

15(1) county jail wardens;

16(2) county probation officers;

17(3) school superintendents;

18(4) county homeless program managers;

19(5) representatives of mental health consumer groups;

20(6) representatives of mental health associations;

21(7) local representatives of the National Alliance for
22Mental Illness;

23(8) local representatives of psychiatric associations;

24(9) local representatives of pediatric associations; and

25(10) representatives of primary care physicians;

26and be it further

27RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
28be authorized to establish an advisory committee of
29stakeholders, including, but not limited to:

30(1) county mental health administrators;

1(2) providers of community-based mental health services;

2(3) advocates for people with mental illness; and

3(4) members of families that include people with mental
4illness;

5and be it further

6RESOLVED, That the Legislative Budget and Finance Committee
7submit a report of its findings to the House of Representatives
8by May 1, 2015.