Update on AB 1421 

June 3, 2002:    

On June 12, AB 1421 will be heard by the Senate Health and Human Services Committee. It passed the Assembly by a huge majority.   Click here for more information.

Friday, June 22, 2001:   

The California Senate budget committee has approved a $102 billion state budget which scales back new funding for education, health and foster care, including eliminating funding for AB 1421. On Friday, June 22, Assemblywoman Helen Thomson withdrew her bill, AB 1421 for consideration this year with the following statement: 

"Yesterday, the Senate members of the budget conference committee voted down funding for AB 1421, my legislation to establish a limited program for Assisted Outpatient Treatment for the severely mentally ill who refuse treatment. AB 1421 had already passed the Assembly by a 65-1 vote.  Accordingly, the Assembly budget conferees proposed $10 million in funding for the intensive outpatient treatment services required by the bill. But Senators refused to concur.

The action taken by the Senate conferees not to fund these services, knowing full well that without funding in the budget the programs would not be implemented when the bill passes the Legislature, makes it clear to me that this legislation is not welcome by the Senate leadership, and the invitation to hear the bill at this time is, at best, a hollow one.

Although I am confident that a vast majority of senators would ultimately approve this measure if it were funded, I do not believe there is any point to dragging families and consumers through a torturous charade of public hearings in a hostile environment when a negative outcome has already been predetermined.  Mental health advocates and the people of California deserve more than to be asked to perform a futile political exercise on an issue of such importance to public health and safety.

Instead, I will wait until next January to hear the bill in the Senate.  In the following months I will work with the administration to include funding for this program in the Governor's Budget next year.  At that time, with the Governor's support, I expect we will have a more meaningful, honest, and productive dialogue in the Senate and, ultimately, win approval of this modest effort to provide long overdue treatment to the seriously mentally ill in California.  I thank my assembly colleagues for their ongoing support."

The Santa Cruz Mental Health Client Action Network has indicated opposition to this bill due to the lack of adequate funding for community services and mental health programs, as indicated in the following letter, recently sent to Senator Deborah Ortiz:

June 11, 2001

Dear Senator Ortiz:

I fear that there is not money available in California at this time to support the kind of active outreach and intensive service coordination to implement AB 1421.  Without a good case management, peer support and a therapeutic coordination I don’t feel that the Involuntary Outpatient Commitment can work.

Recent research (Psychiatric Services 52:325-329, 200l and American Journal of Psychiatry 156:1968-1975, 1999) both state the need for outpatient commitment had no clear benefit unless it was sustained for at least six months and accompanied by high-intensity community services and supports.

During the 1970’s and 1980’s I saw the closures of many long-term mental health facilities.  There was to be high intensity community services attached to these closures.  This idea didn’t fail; it was not carried to the end.  These closures merely released many mentally ill persons to the street with little or no follow up care.  From personal experience I have seen these people in homeless shelters or totally isolated on the streets.  I do not want to see this bill passed without the necessary follow up care.

Sincerely,

Opinions expressed in this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of NAMI Santa Cruz County, NAMI California or any affiliated organizations.  We attempt to present a balanced perspective on issues by presenting multiple viewpoints.

Copyright 2005 National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Santa Cruz County, All Rights Reserved.

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