Crisis as Opportunity
Regular readers will recognize the Chinese character that CTD is using to mark our “Crisis as Opportunity” articles. We use it to emphasize that within the economic downturn and state budget crisis, one can find opportunities to advocate for cost-efficient public policies to benefit people with disabilities.
Mental Health Restoration in the Community
The “temporary insanity” plea is called frequently by attorneys in popular TV shows and movies, but what is the real story behind mental health and the legal system? In Texas, a network of state mental health hospitals (not to be confused with state supported living centers, formerly known as state schools), provides valuable therapies to persons with psychiatric disabilities before returning them to their communities. The hospitals serve, among others, forensic patients- those in the criminal justice system who must receive treatment before being deemed competent to stand trial.
While restoration of defendants with mental health needs is the right thing to do, there are problems with this system: forensic patients are clogging the state hospital system and soaking up scarce mental health treatment money.
There is a solution. Effective, cost-efficient restoration programs in the community are in place in other states, and Texas has run four successful pilot programs. In 2009, one Texas study compared 414 forensic patients committed to state hospitals at a cost of $447 a day, to the cost of the community restoration pilots which was only $100 per day per patient. The Bexar County Competency Restoration Program served 25 persons, and the estimated saving for those slots alone was $3.1 million a year! In addition, the Department of State Health Services maintains that individuals who restore in their communities are less likely to cycle back into jail or state mental health hospitals.
Clearly, the State of Texas should take aggressive steps to adopt a community restoration program to serve certain defendants instead of costly placement in the state hospital system. Not only does community restoration benefit defendants and offenders with psychiatric disabilities, it increases public safety and saves taxpayer money.
CTD and Volar Join Forces for Annual Convention
Have plans for the fall? We do! CTD is pleased to announce our annual convention, which will be co-hosted with the Volar Center for Independent Living. The Our Lives/ CTD Convention will take place in El Paso, TX from October 20th to 22nd. You're invited!
The conference will kick off with a reception on Wednesday evening, where you can meet and mingle with other CTD members from across the state. Thursday and Friday, listen as state politicians speak on a range of topics, attend a workshop for professional CE credit, develop asset-building knowledge, and go to a panel on drug-switching or advocacy. Friday, get involved in your future by participating in strategic advocacy planning for the 2011 Texas Legislature.
Stay tuned for registration details.
State Institutions and the Community Care Act
It’s difficult to ignore the horrific conditions and situations that burden many individuals residing in state institutions. The ‘fight clubs’ in the Corpus Christi State School made national headlines last year, and similar incidents continue to occur. The Houston Chronicle and Texas Tribune released a report just last week about a kids fights club and other abuses suffered by children with disabilities in Daystar, Inc., a residential center in Houston.
CTD’s Dennis Borel says, “The disturbing allegations at Daystar reinforce what we already know… the State must have an effective system of community services. Institutionalization of any Texan must only be used as a last resort and include specific time limits and monitoring.”
As part of CTD’s mission is to ensure that Texans with disabilities are able to live in the community of their choice, we’ve been keeping a close eye on federal legislation like the Community Care Act (CCA). The CCA would amend the recently passed Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to end the healthcare industry’s bias toward institutions and give more Americans with disabilities the option to reside in their own communities.
Even more encouragingly, a recent Harris Interactive poll found that 89% of US taxpayers are willing to pay for legislation like the CCA to provide an alternative to institutional care. An extra $2.40 to $6.35 in annual taxes per taxpayer would ensure that individuals with disabilities can avoid institutions and remain in their communities. If you’re part of that 89% and want to help pass the CCA contact your representatives, and tell them to sponsor the CCA today!
Learn more about the Community Care Act at www.passthecommunitychoiceact.org