May — Mental Health Month — is a good time to take stock of what was accomplished, or not, by the state Legislature in this area. The nonprofit Mental Health America of Hawaii lamented (as did many) the demise of a minimum-wage increase, noting that mental health is greatly affected by financial stress (see “A living wage supports mental health,” Star-Advertiser, Island Voices, Feb. 17).
A look at how mental-health-related bills fared in the 2019 Legislature:
PASSED:
>> Add $15 million more to the base budget for homelessness programs, as detailed by Partners in Care (SB 471).
>> Improve implementation of Assisted Community Treatment (ACT) by funding positions, clarifying that the Office of Public Guardian has the right to consent to treatment that includes psychiatric medication, and funding a pilot program providing housing and treatment to homeless individuals with ACT or guardianship orders (SB 567 and SB 1124).
>> Continue funding ($1.5 million) for Kupuna Caregivers Program to support respite for family caregivers (SB 1025).
>> Bail reform that will decrease family stress and the incarceration of people awaiting trial (SB 1423).
>> Suicide prevention actions: Designating September as Suicide Prevention and Awareness Month (HB 655); $150,000 for youth suicide intervention/prevention/education (HB 330); requires DOE to establish a mandatory youth suicide awareness/prevention training program for public and charter schools (SB 383).
>> Establish a Department of Health working group to evaluate behavioral health care and related systems, and identify steps to improve integrated and coordinated care for persons experiencing substance abuse, mental health conditions and homelessness (SB 1494).
FAILED:
>> Raising the minimum wage from the current $10.10 hourly rate.
>> Hawaii Dependent Care Tax Credit update to raise the amount of the credit and increase the income limits used to calculate a family’s benefit amount.
>> Payday loan reform to eliminate payday loans that trap families in stressful cycles of debt at unfairly high interest rates.
>> Erin’s Law, to require public schools to teach students personal body safety to prevent and report abuse.
>> Establishment of a suicide prevention commission to prevent suicide in Hawaii’s correctional facilities.
Source: Mental Health America of Hawaii
