Bill Text: HI SR74 | 2011 | Regular Session | Introduced

Hawaii Senate Resolution 74 (Prior Session Legislation)

Introduced

Bill Title: Hawaii Mental Health Commission; Mental Health Services

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 2-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2011-03-21 - (S) Referred to HTH, WAM. [SR74 Detail]

Download: Hawaii-2011-SR74-Introduced.html

THE SENATE	S.R. NO.	74
TWENTY-SIXTH LEGISLATURE, 2011
STATE OF HAWAII

SENATE RESOLUTION

requesting the creation of a hawaii mental health commission to develop a unified state mental health delivery service.

WHEREAS, public mental health services exist and are provided throughout the State of Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, these services are delivered by many different departments and agencies in Hawaii; and

WHEREAS, consumers and families often experience delays, confusion, and frustration with respect to how to receive care; and

WHEREAS, the lack of outreach to people with mental health problems, coupled with the absence of preventive and early intervention services, exacerbates mental health problems, often leading to devastating personal and societal consequences; and

WHEREAS, the delivery of mental health services requires a highly specialized, professional workforce with adequate mental health specific recruitment and retention policies and highly specialized contracting, procurement, and contract oversight; and

WHEREAS, the creation of an oversight body would help foster a more unified mental health system to ensure greater public access to and an equitable distribution of mental health services throughout the State of Hawaii; now, therefore,

BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the Twenty-sixth Legislature of the State of Hawaii, Regular Session of 2011, that a Hawaii Mental Health Commission is requested to be established and charged with the responsibility of developing a unified state mental health delivery service across the State of Hawaii; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certain authority, duties, responsibilities, and jurisdiction of the Department of Health, with respect to mental health, mental illness, drug addiction, and alcoholism should be transferred to the Hawaii Mental Health Commission in order to better achieve the goal of unifying delivery of Hawaii's mental health services; and

BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that certified copies of this Resolution be transmitted to Hawaii's Congressional Delegation, the Governor, the Director of Health, the Mayors of the respective counties of the State of Hawaii, Mental Health America of Hawai�i, Mental Health America of Hawai�i � Maui County Branch, the Community Children's Councils of Hawaii, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness Hawai�i.