PRINTER'S NO. 2401
No. 357 Session of 2003
INTRODUCED BY BROWNE, BARD, BEBKO-JONES, BELARDI, BENNINGHOFF,
BUNT, BUXTON, CAPPELLI, CAWLEY, CIVERA, CLYMER, CORRIGAN,
CREIGHTON, CURRY, DeLUCA, DeWEESE, J. EVANS, FICHTER,
FRANKEL, FREEMAN, GINGRICH, GRUCELA, HARHAI, HENNESSEY,
HERMAN, JAMES, KELLER, LEACH, MAJOR, MANN, MARKOSEK, MELIO,
NAILOR, PETRARCA, PHILLIPS, PICKETT, READSHAW, REICHLEY,
RUBLEY, SCRIMENTI, SEMMEL, E. Z. TAYLOR, THOMAS, TIGUE,
VANCE, WALKO, WASHINGTON, WATSON, WHEATLEY, WILT, WOJNAROSKI,
YOUNGBLOOD AND YUDICHAK, JULY 10, 2003
REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON HEALTH AND HUMAN SERVICES,
JULY 10, 2003
A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
1 Directing the Joint State Government Commission to establish a
2 task force to study the availability and accessibility of
3 intensive and appropriate community services and supports for
4 persons with serious mental illness, addictive disorders and
5 co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders; to
6 determine the individual and community consequences of
7 leaving untreated and undertreating such illnesses and
8 disorders and the relationship to incarceration and
9 homelessness; to determine the gaps in private insurance
10 coverage and public funding of services for individuals
11 suffering from such illnesses and disorders; and to make
12 recommendations on addressing these gaps and meeting
13 individual needs while respecting individual rights and
14 dignity.
15 WHEREAS, Many incidents of crime in the community are
16 attributed to persons with untreated serious mental illnesses
17 and addictive disease; and
18 WHEREAS, Approximately 3% of the 35,000 people incarcerated
19 in Pennsylvania's State Correctional Institutions suffer from
20 serious mental illness, 15% suffer from co-occurring mental
1 illness and substance abuse disorders and 90% of those people
2 incarcerated have addictive disorders; and
3 WHEREAS, Five percent of persons who have serious mental
4 illness are homeless and a high percentage of the single adult
5 homeless population suffers from addictive disorders or co-
6 occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders; and
7 WHEREAS, Support of family and friends, quality of treatment,
8 financial resources and State support are necessary for
9 Pennsylvania's citizens with serious mental illnesses, addictive
10 disorders and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse
11 disorders; and
12 WHEREAS, The availability, accessibility and quality of
13 community services are often variable and difficult for persons
14 with serious mental illness, addictive disorders or co-occurring
15 disorders to obtain and maintain; and
16 WHEREAS, Individuals with untreated or undertreated serious
17 mental illness, addictive disorders or co-occurring mental
18 illness and substance abuse disorders seek help but often may
19 not receive adequate treatment due to lack of private insurance
20 coverage, limited coverage or limited public funding for
21 services; and
22 WHEREAS, Individuals with untreated or undertreated serious
23 mental illness, addictive disorders or co-occurring mental
24 illness and substance abuse disorders are likely to become
25 homeless or become subject to the custody of the criminal
26 justice system without getting well; and
27 WHEREAS, In April 2002, the President of the United States
28 established the New Freedom Commission on Mental Health to
29 address the problems facing individuals with mental illness and
30 their families; and
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1 WHEREAS, The commission released a preliminary report on
2 January 7, 2003, which has painted an unfavorable picture of
3 mental health services in our nation; and
4 WHEREAS, The commission identified major barriers to care in
5 the system: fragmentation and gaps in care for children and
6 adults, high unemployment and disability for individuals with
7 serious mental illness, senior citizens not receiving mental
8 health services and mental health and suicide prevention not
9 recognized as national priorities; therefore be it
10 RESOLVED (The Senate concurring), That the General Assembly
11 direct the Joint State Government Commission to establish a task
12 force of four members of the Senate and four members of the
13 House of Representatives to undertake a study of the delivery
14 system of behavioral health services in this Commonwealth to
15 ascertain whether it is meeting the needs of individuals with
16 serious mental illness, addictive disease or co-occurring mental
17 illness and substance abuse disorders and their families and if
18 it is not meeting those needs to recommend appropriate
19 corrective measures such as addressing housing needs and
20 providing psychosocial rehabilitation services and continuous
21 treatment teams; and be it further
22 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore of the Senate, the
23 Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
24 Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of
25 Representatives each appoint two members to the task force; and
26 be it further
27 RESOLVED, That the task force be authorized to create an
28 advisory committee to assist the task force, to include
29 representatives from the Department of Public Welfare through
30 its Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programs, the
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1 Department of Health through its Bureau of Drug and Alcohol
2 Programs, the Department of Corrections and individuals
3 representing community mental health providers and consumers.
4 The advisory committee shall include individuals developing a
5 white paper for the Department of Public Welfare addressing co-
6 occurring addictions; and be it further
7 RESOLVED, That the initial area of task force review be the
8 availability and accessibility of intensive and appropriate
9 community services and supports for persons with severe mental
10 illness, addictive disorders and co-occurring mental illness and
11 substance abuse disorders and their families; and be it further
12 RESOLVED, That the task force study the individual, the
13 family and the community consequences of untreated and
14 undertreated serious mental illness, addictive disorders and co-
15 occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders and the
16 relationship to homelessness and incarceration on individuals,
17 their families and the community; and be it further
18 RESOLVED, That the task force report its findings and
19 recommendations to the General Assembly as soon as possible.
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