PEF testimony highlights the importance of proper treatment for the mentally ill
Story and photo by DEBORAH A. MILES A public hearing was held in Albany in
mid-November to examine how people with mental illness are treated in prisons and jails, and to determine if any changes are necessary to facilitate better treatment. The Assembly standing committees on
Correction and Mental Health, chaired by Daniel J. O’Donnell and Aileen Gunther, respectively, listened to a long roster of speakers who talked about the importance of having appropriate medical services available to individuals with mental illness in communities as well as in prisons. Currently, approximately 17 percent of
the inmates in the state’s correctional facilities are diagnosed with a mental illness and receive treatment from the state Office of Mental Health (OMH) while incarcerated. PEF President Susan M. Kent spoke
about PEF’s longstanding concern with the governor’s plan to close inpatient psychiatric facilities. She said many mentally ill individuals are being re- institutionalized as prison inmates. That comment was echoed by several others who testified. Kent described recent instances
involving individuals with mental illness who have done harm to themselves or others. “As long as the state ignores the realities
that people with mental illness need comprehensive, integrated care that includes all levels of care, more tragedies will result. Inmates with mental illness cannot be released into the community or into inpatient facilities without notice and without staff training and resources in place to effectively provide care for these individuals,” Kent said. “The situation is even more dire as the state pushes ahead to close inpatient psychiatric facilities, and
SOLID TESTIMONY – PEF President Susan M. Kent discusses the need for mental health services in prisons and in the communities. She is flanked by Patrick Johnson, NYS Sheriffs’ Association and Joseph Ferramosco, NYC Correction Captains’ Association.
has not shared a plan to provide community-based services. “When inpatient facilities close, and
there is little or no care provided in the community, far too many people with mental illness are re-institutionalized by being incarcerated. That’s because they were not being adequately treated for their mental illness in the community.” Kent said recent changes were made by
the state to place mentally ill inmates into general population facilities, with no structural changes in the staffing patterns. She said staff receives training, but a facility cannot and should not be deemed a general population facility one day and a mental-health facility the next day without providing additional support services. “Prisons keep getting more and more
mental health cases, yet the state continues to cut the staffing levels. If the state is serious about reforming the way it cares for mentally ill individuals, the focus should be
MBP tuition program extended The Membership Benefits Program
has extended its pilot program of tuition reimbursement to cover the 2015 spring semester. The Higher Education
Incentive Program (HEIP) was introduced as a pilot program for the 2014 fall semester. It provides individual PEF members in good standing with tuition reimbursement of up to $600 for one job- or career-related, successfully completed post-secondary course at an accredited college or university for the Fall 2014 and Spring 2015 semesters. It also grants a $75 book allowance for course required textbooks.
on preventing incidents carried out by these individuals that result in incarceration,” Kent said. State Department of Corrections and
Community Supervision (DOCCS) Acting Commissioner Anthony J. Annucci testified prior to Kent. He said, “As a result of a request from PEF during a labor- management meeting, OMH has developed training to be delivered to those DOCCS employees who work in the general population of facilities that are designated OMH levels 1 and 2.” The training will begin in early 2015 and
will cover topics such as signs and symptoms of mental illness, recognizing abnormal behavior, communication and the mental health referral process. Kent said advances also are needed to
provide parolees with adequate mental health services. “It is more critical now than ever to
The MBP created the HEIP to help bridge the gap created for PEF’s PS&T members when the state refused to restart tuition reimbursement under the 2011- 2015 contract. PEF is still
advocating for restoration of that
tuition-reimbursement program. In the interim, the HEIP is helping
members pursue their higher education and career goals. For more information, go online to
https://www.buymbp.com/learning- education/tuition-reimbursement or call 800-342-4306 or -518-785-1900, ext. 243.
Page 4—The Communicator December 2014 - January 2015 – Sherry Halbrook PEF Information Line: 1-800-553-2445
devise policies that allow all settings to be able to work together to provide proper mental health treatment which will ultimately protect staff, vulnerable patients and the public from dangerous individuals who can be helped.” She also spoke about a federal program
operated by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, an agency within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, as being a model for New York, as its mission is to reduce the effects of substance abuse and mental illness in America’s communities. Kent concluded her testimony saying
PEF-represented state employees are vested in their communities and possess the clinical expertise that provides an important piece of the safety net for New York’s most vulnerable citizens.
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