Mental Illness Policy Org: Statement/Facts on Laura's Law vote in Los Angeles, CA

Statement by DJ Jaffe, Exec. Dir. Mental Illness Policy Org. and links to facts about Laura's Law to be used if LA Supervisors enact it today. Feel free to use it before hand as part of our encouraging passage.

"We thank the LA Board of Supervisors for passing Laura's Law. For many of the most seriously ill it is the last off ramp before jail. It is like putting a fence by the edge of a cliff, rather than an ambulance at the bottom. In Los Angeles if someone is so sick they don't know they need treatment, they can not get it until after they become danger to self or others. That's ludicrous. Laws should prevent violence, rather than require it. Laura's Law will help LA move from a tragedy before treatment system to a treatment before tragedy system.

The Los Angeles Mental Health Authorities have historically ignored the most seriously ill, in favor of the highest functioning. Laura's Law will mandate the mental health system provides treatment rather than offload the mentally ill to jails, shelters, prisons and morgues. We also encourage local Representatives to support HR-3717, the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, which could provide LA additional funds to implement the law."

(End)

Data that may help you report:

Laura's Law Results in LA and Nevada County: http://lauras-law.org/states/california/llresultsin2counties.html
Results of a similar Law (Kendra's Law) in NYS: http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/kendras-law/research/kendras-law-studies.html
Laura's Law Supporters: http://lauras-law.org/states/california/lauraslawsupporters.html
Laura's Law Fact Sheet: http://lauras-law.org/states/california/lauraslawfactsheet.html
Laura's Law Myths: http://lauras-law.org/states/california/lauraslawmyths.html
How HR3717 could fund Laura's Law and which California Representatives support/oppose: Contact: Brad Grantz, Policy Dir. for Rep. Tim Murphy: 202-225-2301

California Factoids

In California an estimated 14,000 individuals would be eligible for Laura's Law. The net savings to California from implementing Laura's Law (reduced hospitalization and incarceration costs net of increased community costs) could be $700 million http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/national-studies/aotbystatecosts.html
California in short 12,000 beds for the seriously mentally ill (even if it had perfect community services) Table 2 at http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/imd/shortage-hosp-beds.pdf
Californians are almost 4X as likely to be incarcerated for mental illness as hospitalized: http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/NGRI/jails-vs-hospitals.html
90% of the mentally ill hospitalized in CA State hospitals got their through criminal justice system, not mental health system (ie were denied care until after they became criminal). Source: Jerry Brown 2014 State Budget Announcement http://www.calnewsroom.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/01/FullBudgetSummary.pdf

Laura's Law is not an alternative to community services, it is a way to see those services get utilized by those too ill to do so on their on volition.

Mental Illness Policy Org is an independent, non-partisan, science-based think-tank on serious mental illness. Let us know if you need other research on serious mental illness. Thanks for reporting on this. Please share with colleagues.

DJ Jaffe