|
Hello Friends,
When
I first took office in January, one of the issues that I spent the most time on
was mental health. This was because of the crisis that took place in the
district I represent as a result of disputes between Jackson County and the
coordinated care organizations that serve the area.
I
heard directly from many vulnerable people whose needs were not being met by
the systems we have in place. All of this highlights the need for our mental
health services to be responsive to those needs.
Along
those lines, efforts are underway to improve the ways in which the state
handles mental health issues.
Josephine
County Circuit Court Judge Pat Wolke and Sen. Floyd Prozanski (D-Eugene)
convened a workgroup yesterday, along with other stakeholders from throughout
the state, as part of the legislative committee meetings taking place at the
state capitol in Salem this week. The purpose of the workgroup is to make
recommendations for updating Oregon’s statutes from the 1970s pertaining to
civil commitment procedures.
A
large problem is that many persons suffering from mental illness end up in the criminal
justice system. Some end up in our jails and prisons, which makes their underlying
issues much worse over time.
Wolke
stated during the work group’s meeting that around five percent of
the nation’s general population has mental illness. However, they also comprise
around 17 percent of our jail population and that number continues to grow.
It
is estimated that around eight million adults in the United States have serious
mental illness, half of whom are untreated. Around 1.8 million of them are
booked into jails every year. This population represents one-fourth of fatal
encounters involving law enforcement, one-fifth of jail and prison inmates and
one-tenth of overall law enforcement encounters. A startling statistic that was
discussed at the meeting was that persons with untreated serious mental illness
are 16 times more likely to be killed by law enforcement.
In
the state of Oregon, there are around 3,000 persons with serious mental illness
who are currently incarcerated.
Many of the processes that can provide those who are suffering
with the help they need only start once they become defendants in criminal
cases. This is troubling at best.
There
are alternatives to civil commitment that may be able to provide solutions to
these problems. Judge Wolke is hoping to build on the success of Josephine
County’s drug court model and apply a similar approach to mental health.
Hopefully,
the work group and its members will be able to collaborate constructively over the
next few months to draft legislation that can address all of this.
The
work group’s next meetings are scheduled for October 16 and January 9. I intend
to continue working on this very important issue, and will give updates on the
progress that is made along the way.
Yours truly,
Sen. Alan DeBoer
Senate District 3
Capitol Phone: 503-986-1703
Capitol Address: 900 Court St. NE, S-421, Salem, Oregon 97301
Email: sen.AlanDeBoer@oregonlegislature.gov
Website: http://www.oregonlegislature.gov/deboer
| 
