New law creates children’s mental-health system

Governor signs Dickerson bill emphasizing prevention, early intervention

May 8, 2007

OLYMPIA— Legislation to create a comprehensive children’s mental health system in Washington state was signed into law today by Gov. Christine Gregoire.

House Bill 1088, sponsored by Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson (D-Seattle), will expand and improve publicly funded mental health services for children. The bill was endorsed by more than 60 organizations involved in the prevention and treatment of mental illness in children such as the American Academy of Pediatrics and the Children’s Alliance.

Dickerson said she sponsored the bill to start repairing a children’s mental health system that is “broken.” The juvenile justice system has become a dumping ground for mentally-ill children, she said, and two-thirds of foster children suffer serious emotional disturbances.

With HB 1088, “the children’s mental health system will focus much more on prevention and early intervention,” said Laurie Lippold, public policy director of the Children’s Home Society.

The bill emphasizes evidence-based treatment and includes provisions to:

• Ensure that children can get needed treatment at earlier stages of their illness;
   
• Increase the comprehensiveness of treatment available to children;
   
• Create an “evidence-based practices institute” at the University of Washington to assemble and share scientific research on the most effective practices in treating pediatric mental illnesses;
   
• Provide “wraparound” services for families with children who are suffering serious mental illnesses and are at risk of being hospitalized or placed in out-of-home care; and
   
• Train more primary care providers in the diagnosis and appropriate treatment of children with mental illness.

“When former Supreme Court Justice Bobby Bridge testified for my bill, she described how parents of children with mental health issues came to her almost daily crying for help,” Dickerson said. “ The comprehensive reforms created by HB 1088 will answer those calls for help from children and their parents.”

Among several provisions, the measure directs the Department of Social and Health Services to address concerns about over-medicating children by reviewing the use of psychotropic medications for children and improving medication management and coordination.

HB 1088 also directs DSHS to expedite Medicaid re-enrollments for eligible youth transitioning out of confinement and to explore the feasibility of providing Medicaid-funded services to juveniles detained temporarily.

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Bill Information:

HB 1088: http://apps.leg.wa.gov/billinfo/summary.aspx?bill=1088&year=2007

For interviews:

Rep. Mary Lou Dickerson: (206) 545-6513