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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Komadina

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

02/02/08

HB

SHORT TITLE

Study To Treat Psychiatric Crises In Residential Settings

SJM 15

ANALYST Hanika-Ortiz

ESTIMATED ADDITIONAL OPERATING BUDGET IMPACT (dollars in thousands)

FY08

FY09

FY10 3 Year

Total Cost

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

Total

$0.1

See Fiscal

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Expenditure Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

Responses Received From

Department of Health (DOH)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

Senate Joint Memorial 15 requests the Human Services Department (HSD) to study a plan for

implementing a system of response to and short-term treatment of persons suffering psychiatric

crises who do not present a danger to themselves or others.

The Joint memorial provides for the following:

•

Persons in apparent psychiatric crises who are not a danger to themselves or others are

currently underserved by the mental health care system.

•

Early treatment of persons in psychiatric crises at inpatient psychiatric facilities can be

less costly than if those persons are untreated and become a danger to themselves or

others.

•

Persons suffering psychiatric crises and the mental health community are in need of an

effective method of serving those suffering persons who are not yet a danger to

themselves or others.

•

The availability of inpatient psychiatric treatment facilities and other alternatives for the

treatment of persons suffering psychiatric crises are limited.

•

The prognosis for recovery of persons suffering psychiatric crises is substantially

improved when early intervention and treatment are available and provided.

Senate Joint Memorial 15 – Page

2

•

A system that includes psychiatric emergency response medical teams and psychiatric

urgent care clinics for short-term treatment options in a residential setting, with mobile

capabilities to respond to psychiatric emergencies, can relieve law enforcement agencies

from having to respond to persons suffering psychiatric crises.

•

Appropriate treatment of persons suffering psychiatric crises can include several levels of

effort, including short-term respite facilities; alcohol and drug treatment facilities for

persons in recovery who are homeless; semi-independent and independent living facilities

for persons transitioning from treatment to recovery; and life skills training.

SJM 15 also directs HSD to submit their finding to the interim Health and Human Services

Committee by December 1, 2008.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

DOH reports that the fiscal impact will vary depending upon the way in which the bill is

interpreted. The impact would be most significant if HSD is to create a plan, study the plan in

consultation with the community, and then implement the plan. At its least significant fiscal and

administrative impact, the Department would be reviewing a plan and reporting with

recommendations.

As well as the fiscal and administrative impact to conduct the study or review a plan, any

recommendations made by the SJM 15 Study Group could have major fiscal impact if new

programming is requested for services implementation.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

DOH reports that SJM 15 directs HSD to study a plan to implement a system of response to and

short-term treatment of persons suffering psychiatric crises to include options such as psychiatric

emergency response teams, psychiatric urgent care clinics, mobile crisis response, short-term

respite facilities, semi-independent and independent living facilities and life skills training.

PERFORMANCE IMPLICATIONS

DOH reports that crisis services are one of the Behavioral Health Collaborative’s Strategic Plan

priorities.

ADMINISTRATIVE IMPLICATIONS

HSD will be requested to report the findings of its study to the interim legislative health and

human services committee no later than December 1, 2008.

TECHNICAL ISSUES

DOH seeks clarification about whether HSD is to prepare a plan or study a plan presented by

some other body.

OTHER SUBSTANTIVE ISSUES

DOH further notes that one of the statements on which SJM 15 is founded refers to “suffering

persons who are not yet a danger to themselves or others".

Research shows that absent other

Senate Joint Memorial 15 – Page

3

factors -- such as childhood victimization, a high crime neighborhood and substance abuse –

even persons with severe behavioral health disorder diagnoses are no more likely to become

violent than persons in the general population without such diagnoses.

WHAT WILL BE THE CONSEQUENCES OF NOT ENACTING THIS BILL

Crisis services will continue to be developed by the Behavioral Health Collaborative and Local

Collaboratives.

AHO/bb