Reschenthaler, Trone Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Address America’s Mental Health Crisis
Washington, D.C. – U.S. Representatives Guy Reschenthaler (PA-14) and David Trone (MD-06) introduced H.R. 7483, the Cost of Mental Illness Act, bipartisan legislation to determine the effect of severe mental illness on America’s health care, housing, and penal systems. Policymakers, medical professionals, and community organizations can use this data to develop commonsense solutions to address the mental health needs of struggling Americans.
“When I served as a district judge, many of the people who came before my bench were suffering from undiagnosed or untreated mental health disorders,” said Rep. Reschenthaler. “But it’s not just the criminal justice system. From our hospitals to our Main Streets, there is no doubt our country is suffering from an unprecedented mental health crisis. This legislation will provide accurate and comprehensive data to facilitate the creation of comprehensive policy solutions to support the millions of Americans suffering from mental health illnesses.”
“It’s imperative that we equip our communities with the information they need to address the mental health crisis effectively and efficiently. It’s just common sense,” said Rep. Trone. “With this effort, we can work together to develop data-driven, evidence-based solutions to help our providers on the front lines and, ultimately, put folks suffering from mental health disorders on the road to recovery.”
“Without accurate data, it is difficult to design solutions that will reduce the crushing cost burden of schizophrenia and improve the lives of people living with this disease,” said Gordon Lavigne, CEO of the Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance. “We applaud Reps. Reschenthaler and Trone for their advocacy and for understanding the urgent need for this information.”
The Cost of Mental Illness Act would produce pioneering data to determine the true costs of untreated serious mental illness on families, health care systems, public housing, and law enforcement in America by:
Directing the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to conduct a two-year study on the indirect and direct costs of serious mental illness for:
- Public and private inpatient psychiatric hospitals
- Hospital emergency departments
- Skilled nursing facilities
- Family members and caregivers
- State, local, and federal penal systems
Directing HHS to conduct a national surveillance study every five years to collect the same information above, specifically for individuals living with schizophrenia, as well as information on:
- Demographics
- Average age at time of diagnosis
- Risk factors associated with schizophrenia
- Health status of individuals with schizophrenia
The following organizations support the Cost of Mental Illness Act:
Schizophrenia & Psychosis Action Alliance, National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, National Register of Health Service Psychologists, Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, American Mental Health Counselors Association, Maternal Mental Health Leadership Alliance, Treatment Communities of America, International OCD Foundation, National Association for Behavioral Healthcare, American Association on Health and Disability, Lakeshore Foundation, National Register of Health Service Psychologists, American Association for Psychoanalysis in Clinical Social Work, American Art Therapy Association, Nemours Children’s Health, Inseparable, and SMART Recovery.
Background:
Today, Americans living with severe mental illness (SMI) suffer from alarmingly high mortality rates. Additionally, these individuals represent the populations in our prisons, homeless shelters, and nursing homes at a disproportionate rate. According to research:
- Approximately 20 percent of American inmates have SMI.
- Approximately one-third of America’s homeless population has SMI.
- Approximately one-fourth of newly admitted nursing home residents have schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or major clinical depression.
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