19

THE EVERETT ADVOCATE – Friday, February 21, 2020 Page 19 who sought mental health care services reported diffi culty fi nding them. In 2000 and 2008, the Legislature THE HOUSE AND SENATE. Beacon Hill Roll Call records votes of local senators from the week of February 10-14. There were no roll calls in the House last week. IMPROVE DELIVERY OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES (S 2519) Senate 38-0, approved and sent to the House the “Mental Health ABC Act,” aimed at making major changes in the mental health care system in Massachusetts. Supporters said the bill removes barriers to and expands access to mental health care, boosts the industry’s workforce and strengthens the quality of coverage. They noted that some Massachusetts residents have for years experienced great difficulty accessing some mental health services — leaving many without the treatment they so desperately need. They cited a 2018 report indicating that more than one-half of fully insured adults approved state laws that require health insurance companies to provide mental health benefi ts at the same level as other medical conditions. Supporters of this year’s bill said that enforcement of the laws has been challenging and many people are still denied coverage for mental health treatment that is just as critical to managing their health as treatment for conditions such as diabetes, cancer or heart disease. They pointed out that this new legislation includes quicker evaluation and resolution of parity complaints, greater reporting and oversight of insurance companies’ mental health policies and penalties for insurance companies that do not comply with the law. “Too many people in Massachusetts struggle to access the mental health services they desperately need and deserve,” said Sen. Julian Cyr (D-Truro), co-chair of the Committee on Mental Health, Substance Use and Recovery and a key sponsor of the bill. “The reasons are many and complicated. Mental health care is treated diff erently than physical health, it is often not covered by insurance, it is diffi cult to access and it is hard to talk about. By passing this bill, the Massachusetts Senate is living up to our promise to begin to transform how the commonwealth addresses mental health.” “This bill reduces barriers to timely quality care and seeks to expand mental health access to underserved populations.” said Sen. Brendan Crighton (D-Lynn). “The significance of increased parity and reduced stigmas cannot be overstated and I am very proud of the investments in the mental and behavioral health workforce pipeline that this legislation creates.” “For far too long, mental health has been a forgotten component of our health care system, resulting in a broken system that has continually left patients without the critical care they need,” said Sen. Cindy Friedman (D-Arlington), co-chair of the Joint Committee on Health Care Financing. “This bill lays an important foundation for creating a system that is accessible and equitable and provides the state with better tools to ensure that someone with a mental health condition has the same access to care as someone with physical health needs.” “[The bill] is an incredibly progressive and forward-thinking piece of legislation that will benefi t social workers working in mental and behavioral health and the clients and communities served by social workers across the commonwealth,” said Rebekah Gewirtz, Executive Director of the Massachusetts chapter of the National Association of Social Workers.“ As the crisis of mental health access has escalated both nationally and here in Massachusetts, we applaud the Senate’s proactive and comprehensive approach that will help us to fi nally achieve mental health parity in our state.” (A “Yes” vote is for the bill.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes CULTURALLY DIVERSE BEHAVIORAL WORKFORCE (S 2519) Senate 37-0, approved an amendment to a section of the bill that creates a pilot program administered by the Departments of Higher Education and Mental Health, to encourage a culturally, ethnically and linguistically diverse behavioral health workforce. Participants would attend graduate-level classes to receive academic credits toward a master’s degree in the fi eld of behavioral health. The graduates would be placed in jobs with community providers serving high-need populations, including children, veterans, school-aged youth and individuals with a comorbidity — one or more diseases or conditions that occur along with another condition in the same person at the same time. The amendment adds individuals with PTSD and aging adults to the defi nition of high-need populations. “There are a great number of people who suff er from post-traumatic stress disorder,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Walter Timilty (D-Milton) who serves as chair of the Committee on Veterans and Federal Aff airs. “Many of these men and women are veterans. Additionally, aging adults face their own unique mental health challenges. Moreover, diffi cult situations exist in families which can result in trauma and PTSD. Because of these reasons, and many more, it was essential that this amendment address and ensure that those suff ering with PTSD are not lost. It is crucial that mental healthcare professionals have the proper skill set to deal with the unique circumstances and symptoms experienced by those who suffer from PTSD.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes BOLSTER TRANSPARENCY (S 2519) Senate 37-0, approved an amendment requiring that a report on several pilot programs in the mental health bill be written in non-technical, readily understandable language and be made available to the public by posting the report on the Department of Higher Education’s website. Important pilot programs in the bill include programs to increase mental health workforce diversity, increase the number of psychiatric mental health nurse practitioners at community health centers, increase student access to behavioral health telemedicine and increase access and improve quality of cultural competency in the delivery of mental health care. “Bay Staters deserve to know the outcomes of these pilot programs, and that’s exactly what we’ll get by bolstering transparency through publication of the summary reports,” said Sen. Becca Rausch (D-Needham), the sponsor of the amendment. “I am proud that the Senate adopted this amendment by a unanimous, bipartisan roll call vote.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes SCREENING FOR ADVERSE CHILDHOOD EXPERIENCES (S 2519) Senate 37-0, approved an amendment creating an Advisory Working Group to update and amend tools and protocols for the screening of children for trauma and adverse childhood experiences. The amendment mandates that the group hold the fi rst meeting not later than April 1, 2020 and report its fi ndings and recommendations by December 31, 2020. Adverse childhood experience is defined as “a potentially traumatic event that occurs in childhood including experiencing violence or abuse; witnessing violence in the home or community; having a close family member die or attempt to die by suicide; living with close family member or caregiver with substance use disorder; or experiencing separation from a parent due to divorce, incarceration or child welfare intervention.” “Adverse childhood experiences have long-lasting negative effects on children,” said the amendment’s sponsor Sen. Cynthia Stone Creem. “I fi led this amendment to bring experts together to identify best ways to screen and provide services earlier.” (A “Yes” vote is for the amendment.) Sen. Sal DiDomenico Yes HOW LONG WAS LAST WEEK'S SESSION? Beacon Hill Roll Call tracks the length of time that the House and Senate were in session each week. Many legislators say that legislative sessions are only one aspect of the Legislature's job and that a lot of important work is done outside of the House and Senate chambers. They note that their jobs also involve committee work, research, constituent work and other matters that are important to their districts. Critics say that the Legislature does not meet regularly or long enough to debate and vote in public view on the thousands of pieces of legislation that have been fi led. They note that the infrequency and brief length of sessions are misguided and lead to irresponsible late-night sessions and a mad rush to act on dozens of bills in the days immediately preceding the end of an annual session. During the week of February 10-14, the House met for a total of 39 minutes while the Senate met for a total of 7 hours and 15 minutes. Mon. February 10 House 11:01 a.m. to 11:24 a.m. Senate 11:19 a.m. to 11:37 a.m. Tues. February 11 No House session Wed. February 12 No House session Fri. February 14 No House session No Senate session No Senate session Thurs. February 13 House 11:04 a.m. to 11:20 a.m. Senate 11:15 a.m. to 6:12 p.m. No Senate session Bob Katzen welcomes feedback at bob@beaconhillrollcall.com

20 Publizr Home