CBHC » Legislative

Solitary Confinement is Not the Answer for Mental Illness

admin — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 18:35:32 +0000

SB 176 Will Lower Costs, Protect Basic Rights and Increase Public Safety, says ACLU

Denver, CO – A bill was introduced in the Colorado State Legislature on Monday (Feb. 21) that will end the all-too-common practice of warehousing prisoners with serious mental illness in solitary confinement. The bill would require a mental health evaluation for prisoners before they are placed in solitary and permit such isolation only in extreme situations. It also would support mental and behavioral health alternatives to solitary confinement through cost-saving mechanisms and ensure that prisoners are reintegrated into the general prison population before their community release.

SB 176 introduced by Senator Morgan Carroll (D-Aurora) and Representative Claire Levy (D-Boulder), is a response to the growing number of inmates in Colorado prisons who’ve been diagnosed as mentally ill or developmentally disabled – and the staggering cost of using solitary confinement, rather than mental or behavioral health alternatives, as the default placement without regard to medical needs, institutional security, or prisoner and public safety.

“What we get from continuing the policy of placing prisoners with mental health issues or developmental disabilities in solitary confinement is increased costs for incarceration, increased recidivism rates and reduced public safety,” said Senator Carroll. “Especially in tough economic times, we can do better by using cost-saving mental health evaluation and treatment options rather than budget-busting solitary confinement.”

Currently, 37% of those in solitary confinement are prisoners with mental illness or developmental disabilities – up from 15% just a decade ago. Those confined to solitary in Colorado (more than 1,400 inmates) spend 23 hours a day in isolation, for 16 months on average, at an increased additional cost of from $14,933 to $21,485 per year, per inmate.

“Colorado cannot afford business as usual in its prison system,” said Representative Levy. “We must use science and behavioral health research to get a better result from costly imprisonment. Solitary confinement is the harshest and most expensive option. It should be used sparingly and only with appropriate limitations so prisoners with mental illness don’t become more ill and aren’t made more dangerous.”

Solitary confinement, said Terri Hurst, Director of Public Policy at the Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council, is not only costly, it’s dangerous to prisoner health and the public good. “It’s important that offenders with mental health issues be provided treatment services as to not exacerbate their health status. Solitary confinement has been shown to worsen or lead to the onset of mental health disorders and should not be used as an alternative to treatment. Providing treatment services both inside correctional facilities as well as in the community, improves behavioral health outcomes.”

Jessie Ulibarri, Public Policy Director for the ACLU of Colorado, said SB 176 promotes the shared goals of restoring those released from prison to productive roles in society. “By undermining the innate human need for social interaction, solitary confinement works against our goals as a society. Currently 41% of inmates in solitary confinement are released directly from their cell to the street — a dangerous practice — without time to readjust to human interaction while still under supervision. What we want are people ready to fully integrate back into their communities; not people who are released from solitary confinement and led directly to the prison gate, only destined to return again.”

National Council Releases New Resources on Healthcare Reform Implementation

admin — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 20:36:55 +0000

The National COuncil for Community Behavioral Healthcare provides various resources to help you understand the impacts of healthcare reform. The link below will take you to information that includes:

Summary of the Health Reform Law
Implementation Timeline
Issue Brief on the New Temporary High-Risk Pool for Individuals Without Insurance

Click here to access these new resources!

New CBHC Legislative Update and Bill Tracking Slate Available

admin — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 21:10:26 +0000

The latest CBHC Legislative Update and Bill Tracking Slate are now available online. Click here to read up on the latest status of important pieces of legislation impacting Colorado's community mental health system.

Guidance Released on Implementation of Mental Health and Addictions Parity

admin — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 22:40:59 +0000

“Today, the Departments of Health and Human Services, Education, and Labor released an interim final rule (IFR) providing guidance on how the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act must be implemented.” -NCCBH

The National Council for Community Behavioral Health has issued a summary of the interim final rule that can be accessed on the Legislative/Public Policy page of the website.

Click Here to See the Summary and Full Language of the Rule.

Northern Colorado Lawmakers Hear Mental Health Concerns at Legislative Breakfast

admin — Thu, 08 Oct 2009 16:16:19 +0000

Lawmakers including Rep. John Kefalas, D-Fort Collins; Rep. B. J. Nikkel, R-Loveland; Rep. Randy Fischer, D-Fort Collins; Sen. Kevin Lundberg, R-Berthoud; Rep. Brian DelGrosso, R-Loveland; Sen. Bob Bacon, D-Fort Collins; and Republican County Commissioner Kathay Rennels, recently heard mental health concerns at the annual Northern Colorado Legislative Breakfast hosted by the Larimer Center for Mental Health and Foothills Gateway. The event was a great opportunity for the policy makers to connect with their local consituency and learn about the issues facing vulnerable populations in their areas. Lawmakers expressed commitment to supporting mental health and substance abuse services, while noting that tight fiscal constraints will be a continued challenge for the State budget.

Click here to read more in the Northern Colorado Business Report.

In Reforming Our Health Care System, We’d Be Crazy to Ignore the Mind

admin — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:59:54 +0000

Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), writes an important article outlining the need to reform the current United States health care system. Specifically, he points to the crucial need to protect parity for mental health care and expand the range of preventative and early intervention treatments for mental health and substance abuse disorders.

Read the article in the Huffington Post online. Click Here

Representatives Engel and Matsui Introduce Amendment for Federal Designation

admin — Thu, 23 Jul 2009 20:33:43 +0000

"A definition for “Federally Qualified Behavioral Health Centers (FQBHCs)” was included in proposed federal legislation for the first time yesterday. The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare, which has championed the creation of FQBHCs, commends Rep. Eliot Engel (D-NY) and Rep. Doris Matsui (D-CA) for introducing the definition in an amendment passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee to the America’s Affordable Health Choices Act of 2009 — a bill currently under consideration in the U.S. House of Representatives that seeks to provide affordable, quality healthcare for all Americans."

Read the rest of the National Council Press Release by clicking here

Parity Included in SCHIP Law signed by President Obama

admin — Fri, 06 Feb 2009 16:24:32 +0000

"The House passed legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP) on Wednesday mainly along party lines. SCHIP or HR 2 was passed by the Senate last week and was signed into law by President Obama on February 4."

The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare’s February 5th Public Policy Update includes information on the recent federal legislation to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Plan (SCHIP).

To read the Public Policy Update, click here.

To view The National Council SCHIP Fact Sheet, click here.

Medicaid recipients wait for budget ax to fall

admin — Wed, 04 Feb 2009 17:01:09 +0000

A state budget shortfall of nearly $1 billion dollars is forcing Legislators to take on some difficult funding decisions this year. At major risk are Colorado’s most vulnerable populations, many of whom may rely on medical assistance programs such as Medicaid. This article by Lisa Ryckman and Ed Sealover of the Rocky Mountain News discusses the situation and potential areas for budget cuts.

Click here to read the article.

2009 Annual Mental Health Day at the Capitol

admin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 18:02:52 +0000

Save the Date! The CBHC 2009 Annual Mental Health Day at the Capitol is taking place on Thursday, February 5th, from 8am-3pm.

RSVP to Brian Turner: bturner@cbhc.org by January 15th!