State Rep. Tom Leonard
Work to improve care for those with mental illness has been at the forefront of my agenda since I was elected to office in 2012, and that quest continues today. During the “Lost Decade,” of the early 2000’s, budget issues caused mental health care to diminish, preventing many people with mental illness from receiving the help they needed. Unfortunately, many of these individuals found themselves in one of Michigan’s many prisons; where the cost of their care is nearly triple that of the average inmate.
Last term, through the Legislature’s diligent work to improve mental health care, we successfully expanded special “treatment courts” to provide mentally ill non-violent offenders with needed treatment instead of incarceration. We also established the Mental Health and Wellness Commission, which studies methods to improve the overall mental health of our state.
This term we are continuing upon these successes. This year I introduced reforms to a 2005 law known as “Kevin’s Law” that will help family members obtain care for loved ones suffering from mental illness. Under current law, family members have the ability to connect loved ones suffering from severe mental illness to needed community services. However, because of the complexity of the process, this law has often been underutilized, and at times, unworkable.
This new legislation will fill the gaps not addressed in the legislation passed 10 years ago. Family members who seek outpatient treatment for loved ones will now have clarity and may do so in a reasonable period of time, before the person in need of care or anyone else is harmed. If the prospective patient believes treatment is not needed, my legislation ensures that all of their due-process rights will remain intact. Those wishing to contest treatment will be provided with free, court-appointed counsel and a jury trial to determine if care is necessary.
Our state currently spends $2 billion annually on prison expenses. Nearly 20 percent of those incarcerated suffer from some form of mental illness at a cost of nearly three times the average prisoner. As a legislator and former prosecutor, I understand the need to balance our budget, but also ensure that public safety remains a top priority. This legislation will help our state achieve both of these goals as those facing mental illness will receive the help they need, allowing Kevin’s Law to function as it was meant to nearly a decade ago.