Today, the Minnesota Senate unanimouosly passed a historic investment to support mental health needs. The $92.7 million package makes strategic investments in expanding mental health care access for Minnesotans of all ages. The legislation closes the mental health gaps in our criminal justice system, provides resources for mental health services in schools, removes the moratorium on mental health beds in hospitals for five years, and includes incentives to encourage and ease barriers to entering the mental health profession.
“I think all of us have had family or friends that have been impacted by mental health in their lives,” Senator Rich Draheim (R- Madison Lake) the chief author of the bill said. “I’m proud the Senate continued to fight for this legislation to expand access to mental health care and ensure every Minnesotan can receive help when needed. This is an incredibly important bill that will give people help and meet increasing demand for mental health support.”
To address the mental health gaps in our criminal justice system, the bill establishes a procedure to assess the “mental competency” of a defendant to stand trial and integrates competency restoration into the existing mental health system. An investigative series by KARE 11 has been shining the spotlight on competency issues within the judicial system. The bill requires that if a defendant is found incompetent and the charges have not been dismissed, the court shall order the defendant to participate in a competency restoration program to restore the defendant’s competence.
“This legislation works to help victims of crime get the justice they deserve while persons committing crimes get the help they need,” Senator David Senjem said. Senjem authored the competency restoration language included in the bill. “Minnesota has had a long-standing revolving door with defendants being found incompetent to stand trial and being released into society without receiving the mental health care they so desperately need. This bill provides the care and supervision they need to be crime-free and productive, and it will keep the public safe. ”
To ensure Minnesotans have access to quality care, the Senate is investing in loan forgiveness for mental health professionals and establishing a mental health supervision grant program. These grants would be given to licensed or certified mental health providers to fund the supervision of interns and clinical trainees working to become mental health professionals. The grants would also subsidize the cost of licensing applications and licensing fees, helping graduates transition into the mental health profession.
The bill includes funding for school-linked mental health grants to increase accessibility for children and youth who are uninsured or underinsured and improves the identification of mental health issues for children and youth. It also expands the use of mobile crisis service teams made up of mental health professionals and practitioners who provide psychiatric services to individuals within their own homes and at other sites outside the traditional clinical setting. Mobile crisis services provide a rapid response to individuals in a mental health crisis.
“I have worked on a lot of important issues during my time at the legislature, but one of the issues I am most proud to have been a leader on is mental health,” Senator Julie Rosen (R-Fairmont) said. “The bipartisan commitment to improving support and treatment of mental health in Minnesota has been amazing, and this bill is going to help a lot of families and individuals who are struggling. Senator Draheim did a fantastic job. It’s a terrific bill.”
Other notable provisions in the bill include:
- Removing the moratorium on mental health beds for five years
- Mental health urgency room pilot program
- Online music instruction grants
- Expanding intensive treatment in foster care
- Creating discharge planning for lower level of care