MEASURE TO ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH AND PRISONS MOVES FORWARD

Bill addresses many of the concerns cited at Riverview

AUGUSTA—Earlier today, the legislative leadership panel voted in favor of allowing a measure that creates a therapeutic mental health unit to treat people who are incarcerated and diagnosed with mental illness to move forward for a full review by the legislature.

“An Act To Create a Therapeutic Mental Health Unit at a County Jail Located within 40 Miles of the City of Augusta”(LR 2562) is sponsored by Senator Stan Gerzofsky, a Democrat from Brunswick who also chairs the state’s Criminal Justice and Public Safety committee.

The measure, if passed by the legislature, would be one step toward solving a brewing crisis at Riverview Psychiatric facility in Augusta. The facility would treat prisoners with mental health issues and violent patients at the state’s psychiatric facilities, including the Riverview Psychiatric Center.

“It is past time that we start looking at the differences between people who are criminals who are knowingly breaking the law and people who are mentally ill. Prison is the place for criminals not for people who need treatment for their mental health issues,” said Senator Gerzofsky. “We have made small steps but we have a long ways to go to ensure that patients are treated right and workers are safe.”

Earlier this year, the Federal Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) issued several reports citing staffing issues, worker safety, and patient treatment at Riverview, a facility that treats both civil and forensic patients who are mentally ill. In early September, the LePage Administration repeatedly assured lawmakers that the emergency measure passed by the legislature to expand a mental health unit in the Maine State Prison in Warren would address the federal government’s concerns by reducing the patient load at Riverview. However, CMS terminated its provider agreement with Riverview following an unannounced site visit to the facility in mid-September. CMS cited its ongoing concern with the handling and co-mingling of the so-called forensic and civil patients, often citing safety concerns and lack of adequate numbers of staff.

“We have a crisis on our hands. Now the door has been opened and the light is shining on this very important issue that too often no one wants to look at,” said Senator Gerzofsky. “The people we are talking about here are truly the most vulnerable. We need to take a comprehensive approach to mental health and prisons.”

For the second regular session of the legislature, bills must be approved by the Legislative Council, a committee comprised of the ten legislative leaders. The Legislative Council met today and approved slightly more than 100 bills for the second regular session, including Senator Gerzofsky’s bill “An Act To Create a Therapeutic Mental Health Unit at a County Jail Located within 40 Miles of the City of Augusta.”

The full legislature will reconvene in January 2014.

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