PRINTER'S NO. 1020
No. 72 Session of 2001
INTRODUCED BY ORIE, LAVALLE, COSTA, HELFRICK, KUKOVICH, WAGNER,
M. WHITE, LOGAN, SCHWARTZ, BELL, MUSTO, O'PAKE, TOMLINSON,
BOSCOLA, RHOADES, HOLL, MURPHY, MELLOW, MOWERY, THOMPSON,
WOZNIAK AND STACK, MAY 17, 2001
REFERRED TO PUBLIC HEALTH AND WELFARE, MAY 17, 2001
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
21 illness and substance abuse disorders and 90% of those people
22 incarcerated have addictive disorders; and
23 WHEREAS, Five percent of persons who have serious mental
1 illness are homeless and a high percentage of the single adult
2 homeless population suffers from addictive disorders or co-
3 occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders; and
4 WHEREAS, Support of family and friends, quality of treatment,
5 financial resources and State support are necessary for
6 Pennsylvania's citizens with serious mental illnesses, addictive
7 disorders and co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse
8 disorders; and
9 WHEREAS, The availability, accessibility and quality of
10 community services are often variable and difficult for persons
11 with serious mental illness, addictive disorders or co-occurring
12 disorders to obtain and maintain; and
13 WHEREAS, Individuals with untreated or undertreated serious
14 mental illness, addictive disorders or co-occurring mental
15 illness and substance abuse disorders seek help but often may
16 not receive adequate treatment due to lack of private insurance
17 coverage, limited coverage or limited public funding for
18 services; and
19 WHEREAS, Individuals with untreated or undertreated serious
20 mental illness, addictive disorders or co-occurring mental
21 illness and substance abuse disorders are likely to become
22 homeless or become subject to the custody of the criminal
23 justice system without getting well; therefore be it
24 RESOLVED (The House of Representatives concurring), That the
25 General Assembly direct the Joint State Government Commission to
26 establish a task force of four members of the Senate and four
27 members of the House of Representatives to undertake a study of
28 the delivery system of behavioral health services in this
29 Commonwealth to ascertain whether it is meeting the needs of
30 individuals with serious mental illness, addictive disease or
20010S0072R1020 - 2 -
1 co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders and
2 their families and if it is not meeting those needs to recommend
3 appropriate corrective measures such as addressing housing needs
4 and providing psychosocial rehabilitation services and
5 continuous treatment teams; and be it further
6 RESOLVED, That the President pro tempore of the Senate, the
7 Minority Leader of the Senate, the Speaker of the House of
8 Representatives and the Minority Leader of the House of
9 Representatives each appoint two members to the task force; and
10 be it further
11 RESOLVED, That the task force be authorized to create an
12 advisory committee to assist the task force, to include
13 representatives from the Department of Public Welfare through
14 its Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Programs, the
15 Department of Health through its Bureau of Drug and Alcohol
16 Programs, the Department of Corrections and individuals
17 representing community mental health providers and consumers.
18 The advisory committee shall include individuals developing a
19 white paper for the Department of Public Welfare addressing co-
20 occurring addictions; and be it further
21 RESOLVED, That the initial area of task force review be the
22 availability and accessibility of intensive and appropriate
23 community services and supports for persons with severe mental
24 illness, addictive disorders and co-occurring mental illness and
25 substance abuse disorders and their families; and be it further
26 RESOLVED, That the task force study the individual, the
27 family and the community consequences of untreated and
28 undertreated serious mental illness, addictive disorders and co-
29 occurring mental illness and substance abuse disorders and the
30 relationship to homelessness and incarceration on individuals,
20010S0072R1020 - 3 -
1 their families and the community; and be it further
2 RESOLVED, That the task force report its findings and
3 recommendations to the General Assembly as soon as possible.
C30L80SFL/20010S0072R1020 - 4 -