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NAMI Indiana 2008 Public Policy Platform
Mental Illness Facts:
Severe and persistent Mental illnesses are brain disorders that have biological and environmental factors. They strike individuals in the prime of their lives, often during adolescence and young adulthood. They cannot be overcome through will power and are not related to a person’s character, intelligence or upbringing nor his/her age, race, religion or economic status.
Severe and persistent Mental Illnesses can profoundly disrupt a person’s thinking, feeling, moods, ability to relate to others, and the capacity for coping with the demands of life. Severe and persistent mental illnesses that affect the brain include: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, bipolar disorder, major depressive disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, panic, PTSD, and other severe anxiety disorders, autism spectrum disorders and borderline personality disorder.
Severe and persistent Mental Illnesses are treatable. Early identification and treatment accelerates recovery and protects the brain from further harm related to the course of the illness. Treatment includes pharmacological and psychosocial treatments and supports which significantly reduce symptoms and can improve quality of life. Most people with serious mental illness require medication to help control symptoms and also rely on supportive counseling, self-help groups, assistance with housing, vocational rehabilitation, income assistance and other community services in order to achieve their highest level of recovery.
Without treatment, the consequences of Severe and persistent Mental Illnesses for the individual and society are staggering. Mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in U.S. and throughout the world. The economic cost of untreated mental illness is more than 100 billion dollars each year in the United States alone, incurred through unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, inappropriate incarceration, suicide and unwanted lives. (World Health Organization)
CHILDREN’S ISSUES
- Expand and increase access to mental health services for Children and Adolescents who have Serious Emotional Disturbances (SED). This includes early detection, assessment, and coordination of care in order to increase services and reduce fragmentation of care.
- Develop and fund access to home and community-based services for Children and Adolescents who experience persistent SED.
- Develop and fund programs to provide crisis management and respite care to families with Children who experience persistent SED.
- Fully implement the law that states that it is illegal to force, encourage, or even suggest that families must relinquish custody in order to access care for their children. (Indiana Code 31-34-1-16)
- Require teacher training in recognizing SED.
- Develop a statewide plan to expand mental health services within the public school setting with funding and programs blended from various departments and agencies.
- Divert Children and Adolescents with persistent SED from the juvenile justice system into treatment
HOMELESSNESS
Research and experience show that communities can overcome problems of homelessness among people with mental illness. Local partnerships can provide access to affordable housing, suitable employment and treatment. We can do better than allowing persons with mental illness to sleep under bridges or become residents of the county jails.
NAMI supports efforts to link supports and services to housing specifically for adults with severe and persistent mental illness.
Housing services should be flexible and based on an individualized plan with meaningful consumer and family input.
ACCESS TO TREATMENT
Seek and promote access to services and benefits for people with mental illnesses, in both the private and public sectors.
Ensure that all release-ready persons from Indiana psychiatric hospitals and other state institutions are discharged into appropriate care, This process should be monitored by local oversight committees comprised of representatives from CMHC’s (Community Mental Health Centers), Clinical Health Professionals, NAMI Indiana consumers and family members.
Promote programs and incentives to increase the number of licensed mental health professionals and service providers. This could be accomplished by promoting parity and by providing tuition subsidies for these persons,
CRIMINAL JUSTICE
Monitor law enforcement agencies within Indiana, including local lock-ups, the courts, county jails, the state prison system, police, sheriff and the mental health system supporting these entities. Support the implementation of diversion programs.
Eliminate medication formularies for all persons with mental illness, including those incarcerated in lock-ups, county jails and the state prison system.
Indiana Mental Health Law allows for Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT). Indiana Code 12-26-1-1. This fact should be publicized and implemented throughout the state.
Monitor jails and prisons to ensure that they accept and maintain medical records from licensed physicians regarding each detainee. Further, make certain that the records always follow the individual, when within the criminal justice system and upon release as required by Indiana Code IC 11-10-4-9.
FUNDING
Treatment of Mental Illness is an Investment, Not an Avoidable Expense.
With costs of health care increasing at substantial rates, it is understandable that public policy decisions regarding both governmental and private underwriting of health care have become oriented toward reducing support for health care, with disastrous results. Careful analysis shows that this trend is the epitome of “penny-wise and pound-foolish”.
Restricting access to health care to “cut costs” makes as little sense as deciding to cut costs by not changing the oil in a new car. In the short run, some money will be saved; in the long run, which is what counts, the losses are great.
A study by Pitney Bowes, found that by not restricting access to health care for their employees, every dollar spent on health care, there was a return of five dollars in reduced absenteeism and increased productivity. A national survey by NAMI that focused on treatment of major depression showed that with restricted access to treatment, there was nearly a three-fold increase in annual expenses for treatment over the expenses for individuals with less restricted access to treatment.
For more information on NAMI Indiana's advocacy efforts, public policy platform or committees, contact Pam,pmcconey@nami.org.
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Indiana
Advocacy