BACKGROUND:

In July 2000, the Governor’s Blue Ribbon Commission on Mental Health documented the crisis in mental health services. Children and adults were stuck in emergency rooms or shelters, sent out of state, trapped in institutions, or lost in the criminal justice system. Although some steps were taken to improve community services, the current budget crisis threatens to undermine what progress we have made.

Rising foreclosures and layoffs have increased the demand for mental health services while service cuts are forcing more individuals to use expensive emergency room and hospital care. Taxpayer dollars are being wated and lives irreparably harmed. The following solutions fund recovery, not crisis, through responsible community investments:

1) PROTECT MEDICAID AND ACCESS TO MEDICATIONS

Medications are a first-line, evidence-based treatment for most serious mental illnesses. The state must preserve open access to mental health medications by eliminating prior authorization and restrictive formularies and eliminating co-payments for those who are on Medicare and Medicaid or ConnPACE. Multiple studies show that restricting access to psychiatric medications leads to higher costs through increased emergency room use and hospitalization (www.thenationalcouncil.org). Lack of access to treatment and medications costs CT taxpayers more!

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2) PRESERVE COMMUNITY MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES FOR CHILDREN, YOUTH AND ADULTS

We must stop funding costly, crisis "care" in CT! Investing in a comprehensive, community mental health system can shift funds from costly criminal justice settings, nursing facilities, unncessarily prolonged hospitalizations, and emergency care to cost-effective, least-restrictive options. In order to do so, the state must stop the chronic underfunding of community nonprofit providers and utilize available federal Medicaid funding to expand critically needed community mental health services and supports in order to maintain the state's inpatient capacity.

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3) INVEST IN EVIDENCE-BASED SUPPORTIVE HOUSING

Supportive Housing is a cost-effective, proven solution and is essential for rebuilding lives, families and communities. In 2009, the average monthly federal Social Security payment was $805/month, but the fair market rent for a 1-bedroom apartment in Connecticut was $927/month. Investment in Supportive Housing is proven to help stem CT's reliance on costly crisis care! Supportive housing costs $54 per day - hospitalization and inpatient psychiatric care are more than 20 times more costly.

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4) PROMOTE APPROPRIATE TRANSITION SERVICES FOR YOUNG ADULTS

Many young adults with mental illnesses are currently falling through the cracks into homelessness and the criminal justice system. DCF & DMHAS must be accountable for transition planning and collaborative programming.

We need timely, individualized, age-appropriate mental health and support services for young adults experiencing their first episode of serious mental illness and those transitioning from the children's system. The state must provide necessary training for staff to work with this specific population.

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