<![CDATA[Orchid Advocacy - CO HB22-1278]]>Fri, 17 May 2024 06:17:20 -0700Weebly<![CDATA[The Need for a bureaucracy adequate to the task]]>Tue, 17 May 2022 04:25:14 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/co-hb22-1278/the-need-for-a-bureaucracy-adequate-to-the-task
More On HB22-1278

I understand I think the concerns about creating a BIG NEW BUREAUCRACY with the BEHAVIOR HEALTH ADMINISTRATION.  
  • BUT  -----
    • The CURRENT STRUCTURE has been a DISASTER.
    • There is a NEED to get out of CRISIS MANAGEMENT and bring BED SPACE, HOUSING & SERVICES to SCALE.
      • Thousands of Coloradans and their Families and Communities across the State need a Colorado State Government that has the "BANDWIDTH" to address this need.
        • To address the SCALE of the NEED
        • AND to Creatively and Ethically REDUCE the SCALE of the NEED.
 
  • NOBODY has a MAGIC WAND to solve these problems anymore than anyone has a MONEY TREE for SOLUTIONS.
 
  • The DANGEROUS PROBLEMS in BEHAVIORAL HEALTH have been documented ad nauseam by Colorado Families, Individuals, Reports, Law Enforcement, Media Reports, etc.
 
  • HB22-1278 is NOT a Throw Money At the Problem and hope that solves it solution.
 
  • It has literally taken DECADES to get here and a lot of thought as gone into tackling the problem.
 
  • HB22-1278 is looking to create a VASTLY SUPERIOR SYSTEM than what we have ---- and it seems HIGHLY UNLIKELY these BIG, SCARY, INHUMANE, DANGEROUS problems we have in BEHAVIORAL HEALTH are going to get solved without it.
]]><![CDATA[CO HB22-1278 Could Be the FOUNDATION for Olmstead Compliance in BEHAVIORAL HEALTH that has been  SORELY LACKING]]>Tue, 17 May 2022 04:06:28 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/co-hb22-1278/co-hb22-1278-could-be-the-foundation-for-olmstead-compliance-in-behavioral-health-that-has-been-sorely-lacking
  • D.J. Jaffe who started the MENTAL ILLNESS POLICY ORGANIZATION was what I call a "CONSERVATIVE MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATE"
    • He didn't see himself that way.
  • BUT the Mental Illness Policy Organization and the Treatment Advocacy Center  along with assorted others mounted a fairly effective PUSH BACK against some of the EXCESSES of MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY up to that point.
 
  • Although from my standpoint a lot of those "EXCESSES" were the result of:
    • a Mental Health System that wasn't very good
    • BUT did recognize that people on the HIGH END of the CONTINUUM of CARE tended to be MORE EXPENSIVE
      • NOT SURPRISINGLY, IGNORING THAT PROBLEM DIDN'T SOLVE IT.
   
  • One of the things that "CONSERVATIVES" like D.J. Jaffe ultimately did to move towards the "ACTIVISTS" were to champion things like SUPPORTIVE HOUSING and ASSERTIVE COMMUNITY TREATMENT.
    • Not just ASYLUMS.
    • Further, even though Jaffe may have been a believer in FORCED TREATMENT----
      • He also recognized that all the CIVIL COMMITMENT STATUTE AMENDMENTS lined up end to end weren't going to get you very far if you didn't have ---
        • RESOURCES.
 
  • This "IDEA" of a COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUUM OF CARE or "BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SAFETY NET" seems so OBVIOUS ---
    • BUT it has taken awhile to get here.
 
  • Further, some of the most effective MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES have been VETERANS and COUNTY SHERIFFS.
    • Veterans have their own SYSTEM but some of the CHALLENGES are SIMILAR.
    • Further, Veterans with Cognitive Disabilities needing HOUSING are dependent on STATE & LOCAL AUTHORITIES to address that NEED to SCALE.
 
  • HB22-1278 is a COLORADO BILL but
    • there are a lot of things in the BILL that other States, and
    • the FEDS
Should TAKE A LOOK AT.

  • "CONSERVATIVE" MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCATES have historically NOT been big champions of OLMSTEAD because they feared individuals would not get the LEVEL of CARE they needed----
    • BUT it seems to me that could CHANGE if there is BROAD COMMITMENT to a COMPREHENSIVE CONTINUUM OF CARE -- "BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SAFETY NET," and
    • A Commitment to HOUSING and WRAP-AROUND SERVICES to AVOID  UNNECESSARY INSTITUTIONALIZATION or RISK of INSTITUTIONALIZATION where indicated based on OBJECTIVE STANDARDS.
 OLMSTEAD is really geared to that HIGH NEED population that the "CONSERVATIVES" are concerned about.There is a lot more COMMON GROUND with regard to OLMSTEAD than we've realized.
]]><![CDATA[HB 22-1278​:  Yeah --- That's What We're Talkin' About]]>Wed, 27 Apr 2022 21:47:04 GMThttps://orchidadvocacy.org/co-hb22-1278/hb-22-1278-yeah-thats-what-were-talkin-about
The "MENTAL HEALTH CENTER SYSTEM" in Colorado is beyond BROKEN --- it's SCARY and UNSAFE.

Probably a lot of the professionals in the current system will be working in this new system --- and that really goes to the fact that the issue is not the people ---- IT IS THE SYSTEM.

A lot of suffering has been behind getting these reforms this far and Mental Health Colorado deserves a lot of credit for turning that suffering into REAL REFORM.
Systemwide Behavioral Health Grievance System

This is a big issue to us:
12 27-50-108.  Systemwide behavioral health grievance system.​

13 (1) (a)  ON OR BEFORE JULY 1, 2024, THE BHA  [Behavioral Health Administration] SHALL CREATE AND

14 IMPLEMENT A PROCESS FOR COLLECTING, ANALYZING, AND ADDRESSING

15 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM GRIEVANCES AT A SYSTEMIC LEVEL THAT

16 LEVERAGES AND DOES NOT DUPLICATE EXISTING GRIEVANCE RESOLUTION

17 PROGRAMS. THE BHA SHALL ANALYZE GRIEVANCES TO IDENTIFY AND

18 ADDRESS SERVICE DELIVERY GAPS AND TO INFORM STATEWIDE 19 BEHAVIORAL HEALTH SYSTEM POLICY. . .
Colorado State Capitol
​"By July 1, 2024, the bill requires the BHA to establish:
  • A statewide behavioral health grievance system;
  • A behavioral health performance monitoring system;
  • A comprehensive behavioral health safety net system;
  • Regionally-based behavioral health administrative service organizations;
  • The BHA as the licensing authority for all behavioral health entities; and
  • The BHA advisory council to provide feedback to the BHA on the behavioral health system in the state.

​"The bill transfers to the department of public health and environment responsibility for community prevention and early intervention programs previously administered by the department. The bill makes extensive conforming amendments."
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