Odd Ball SCR1018 - 551R - S Ver of SCR1018

Senate Engrossed

chronic serious mental illness; care

State of Arizona

Senate

Fifty-fifth Legislature

First Regular Session

2021

SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION 1018

A CONCURRENT RESOLUTION

Expressing support for community-based efforts to provide clinically appropriate care to individuals with chronic serious mental illness.

(TEXT OF BILL BEGINS ON NEXT PAGE)

Whereas, serious mental illness affects over 40,000 Arizona residents and their families, as well as the public health and safety of Arizona's communities; and

Whereas, serious mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and anxiety disorders cannot be cured but can be managed to reduce disabling symptoms; and

Whereas, most individuals living with serious mental illness participate successfully in Arizona's outpatient system of care through the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS); and

Whereas, approximately 4,000 Arizonans who live with more severe, chronic serious mental illness and experience ongoing symptoms, such as hallucinations, delusions, paranoia, mania, disorganized thinking and extreme depression and anxiety, need higher-level treatment during certain periods of time; and

Whereas, some individuals with chronic serious mental illness lack insight into their illness and fail to adhere to treatment, become too ill to participate in existing outpatient programs and deteriorate without services appropriate to their clinical needs; and

Whereas, some individuals living with chronic serious mental illness require lengthy inpatient care but are discharged from private psychiatric hospitals after a few days or weeks due to insurers' concerns about cost; and

Whereas, community housing providers and residential treatment facilities can evict or discharge an individual with chronic serious mental illness if the individual becomes difficult to manage, leaving the individual homeless and inadequately treated or untreated; and

Whereas, Arizona has a shortage of psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities where individuals with chronic serious mental illness can timely receive higher-level, clinically appropriate care; and

Whereas, individuals with chronic serious mental illness who do not timely receive higher-level, clinically appropriate care can suffer lasting mental health damage, become victims of crime and exploitation, harm themselves, commit acts of violence or become disabled; and

Whereas, individuals living with chronic serious mental illness are more likely to be homeless, to have a substantially shorter life expectancy and to suffer more physical illnesses than the rest of the population, and they often cycle in and out of hospitals, jails and prison, which is harmful to the individual and costly to the state, counties, cities and families; and

Whereas, the State of Arizona must provide clinically appropriate care in the most integrated setting for those living with serious mental illness (Olmstead v. L.C., 527 U.S. 581 (1989)); and

Whereas, the Arizona Supreme Court Committee on Mental Health and the Justice System concluded that the "abandonment" of psychiatric hospitals "simply transferred patients to jails and prisons, making them de facto mental health facilities"; and

Whereas, national studies indicate the need for about 40 to 60 psychiatric beds per 100,000 residents; and

Whereas, only 116 inpatient beds are available at the Arizona State Hospital's civil unit for Arizona's 7.17 million residents, of which only 55 beds are available to Maricopa County's 4.5 million residents.

Therefore

Be it resolved by the Senate of the State of Arizona, the House of Representatives concurring:

1. That the Members of the Legislature support community-based efforts, including joint efforts of public and private organizations, to implement a more clinically appropriate and cost-effective system of care for individuals living with chronic serious mental illness.

2. That the Members of the Legislature support community-based efforts to enhance the ability of public and private psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities to provide higher-level, clinically appropriate care for individuals living with chronic serious mental illness.

3. That the Members of the Legislature support community-based efforts to enhance the ability of the Arizona State Hospital, private psychiatric hospitals and residential treatment facilities to provide higher-level, clinically appropriate care for individuals living with chronic serious mental illness who clinically qualify for but cannot obtain services at the Arizona State Hospital.