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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Contact: Gabriel J. Valenzuela
April 11, 2003 (512) 463-0690
Rep. Truitt Blocks Proposal to Eliminate Local MHMR Authorities
AUSTIN, TX -- The current budget shortfall has made the budget writing process for the Texas Legislature extremely difficult. The state is struggling with formulating a budget that will fit within the state’s projected revenue while still being able to offer the many essential services Texas residents need.
Many cost savings ideas have been proposed even though some could be detrimental to the services the current programs offer. State Representative Vicki Truitt (R-Keller), an advocate of mental health and mental retardation (MHMR) programs, has been working to ensure a continuation of services not only for her district, but for all Texans.
“Although I was elected to represent the interests of my district, there are issues that go beyond it. I want to make sure we implement programs that are fiscally sound and have a positive impact on our citizenry,” State Rep. Truitt said. “Many local health authorities do a great job of providing services. This proposal would have removed local control and discouraged local involvement and ownership in important MHMR programs.”
NorthSTAR, a managed mental health care pilot program, was implemented in a seven county region around Dallas in July of 1999. The implementation of NorthSTAR reportedly took place to replace a failing system of care. In addition, the program sought to offer services while providing savings to the state. It was proposed that NorthSTAR be expanded and replace many MHMR centers throughout the state. That was the point at which Rep. Truitt stepped in to halt the measure.
Supporters of existing MHMR centers contend that any forcible expansion of NorthSTAR would disrupt current mental health services for all the wrong reasons and leave the people they serve in peril. The current system has increasingly improved and provides many quality services due greatly in part to the collaborative efforts of county MHMRs, local mental health providers, local probation and parole offices, as well as county officials.
While serving on the Health and Human Services Subcommittee
of the House Committee on Appropriations, Rep. Truitt worked with Rep. John
Davis (R-Houston) to ensure that any proposed
expansion of NorthSTAR into Tarrant county would not be included as a subcommittee
recommendation for the major appropriations bill.
When similar language was written into a 168-page bill that was before the full committee, Rep. Truitt located the two sentences and once again worked with that bill’s author to draft an amendment, which was adopted, to delete the mandatory implementation of NorthSTAR. The language would have required the expansion of NorthSTAR into every metropolitan area that has a population of 100,000 or more.
Rep. Truitt’s work has obviously drawn much praise from supporters of MHMR centers as well as advocates of mental health services throughout the state. “The advantage of what Representative Truitt has done is to keep local control and local input for care and continuity of care from being replaced--and that is the most critical part,” stated Roddy Atkins, the Executive Director of the Helen Farabee Regional MHMR Centers.
“We appreciate Representative Truitt and her efforts,” added James C. Swinney of the Mental Health Association of Tarrant County. “All mentally ill individuals within the state of Texas owe her a debt of gratitude for standing by the efforts for the best mental health care in the state.”
Rep. Truitt stated that this is an ongoing issue and will continue to be vigilant to help protect the mental health care system. With approximately 5,500 bills having been filed in both chambers of the legislature, and many of which NorthSTAR proponents could amend their language onto, protecting the existence of many local MHMRs will be a very large task.