This legislative session, our Utah Legislature is considering a bill (HB348) that would implement a new assessment process for the causes of a person's criminal behavior and increase funding for treatment programs for those who have mental illness or substance abuse issues. The bill would also reduce penalties for drug possession.
We applaud this effort to take a look at a criminal justice system that is overcrowded with people with mental illness or substance abuse issues. Often many of those with mental illness have a co-occurring substance abuse issue. People with mental illness may self-medicate when they can't find the help they need. As a result, our jails and prisons are now our largest mental health institutions nationwide. Unfortunately, some of our returning veterans experiencing post traumatic stress disorder or other mental health issues are among those who end up in correctional facilities.
As a community we need to do more to prevent people with mental illness from entering the criminal justice system.
Mental health not only affects adults but also young people. About 5 million children nationwide experience mental illness ranging from depression to schizophrenia and bipolar disorder. Mental health symptoms often appear when children are in their early teens and sometimes pre-teen years.
One of our greatest problems is that we still stigmatize mental illness. Individuals are often shunned or avoided. Family members avoid discussing mental health issues. However, mental health should be treated on the same footing as physical health, especially since one often affects the other. Good mental health usually leads to better physical health, and vice versa. When we go to the doctor for our annual physicals, doctors should ask about any issues affecting our mental health. With that knowledge, patients might then be directed to the appropriate mental health specialist. However, patients and doctors are often hesitant to talk about mental health unless prompted to do so.
And even when someone is diagnosed with a mental illness, our treatment system leaves too many without the resources they need. Funding nationwide is dramatically being reduced. The cuts are some of the largest our nation has seen since the de- institutionalization movement of the 1970s.
Fortunately, the news is not all bad. Mental health coverage is now required as part of the Affordable Care Act's essential benefits coverage. Insurers can also no longer deny coverage due to pre- existing mental health conditions. And if Utah ever adopts Medicaid expansion, mental health coverage will also be expanded in our state.
Utahns should be aware of this important issue that affects our families, friends, neighbors and community members. We should push for more mental health funding and smart reforms that help those with mental illness get appropriate treatment outside our judicial and correctional systems.
Peter Corroon is chairman of the Utah Democratic Party and a former Salt Lake County mayor.