Page 6 THE REVERE ADVOCATE – FRIDAY, JUNE 24, 2022 Massachusetts House Passes Comprehensive Behavioral Health Legislation BOSTON – Thursday, June 16, 2022 – The Massachusetts House of Representatives on Tuesday passed comprehensive legislation addressing longstanding issues with our behavioral health care delivery system. The bill focuses on acute psychiatric care and crisis response, youth behavioral health initiatives, community-based behavioral health services, investments in the workforce, and enforcement of existing behavioral health parity laws. “I’m proud of the legislation passed by the House today that builds on our long-standing efforts to advance important reforms and substantial investments that are aimed at improving our behavioral health care delivery system,” said Speaker of the House Ronald J. Mariano (D-Quincy). “From addressing the behavioral health crisis that our young people are currently experiencing, to our eff orts to alleviate emergency department boarding, to provisions that will bring us closer to treating mental and physical health equally, this legislation will benefi t all residents in the Commonwealth when accessing critical health care. I would like to thank Chairman Adrian Madaro for his hard work, and for his commitment to producing a strong bill.” "Everyone deserves access JESSICA GIANNINO State Representative to quality mental health services, yet far too many people face unnecessary barriers to care. This bill reaffi rms the House's commitment to increasing access to behavioral health care across Massachusetts," said Representative Adrian Madaro (DEast Boston), Chair of the Mental Health, Substance Use, and Recovery Committee. "For too long, the healthcare system has not treated behavioral health as equal to physical health, creating obstacles in addressing the mental health crisis, which has on been exacerbated by the pandemic. That's why this timely piece of legislation makes critical steps toward prioritizing mental health services for people across the Commonwealth, including our youth who have been acutely aff ected, and those who face challenges in getting the care they need. These policies reflect our strong belief that behavioral health care is essential." “This important legislation is instrumental to mental health awareness, treatment, and insurance coverage,” said Representative Jessica Giannino Everett Aluminum 10 Everett Ave., Everett 617-389-3839 Owned & operated by the Conti Years! “Same name, phone number & address for over half a century. We must be doing something right!” www.everettaluminum.com (D-Revere). “Issues with mental health have been silently growing within the district, Massachusetts, and the entire country for a while now, and without proper resources available, many who fi nd themselves battling with mental health can feel lost and hopeless. This new legislation will work as a steppingstone in the right direction of handling mental health issues within the Commonwealth.” "Mental health is one of the biggest issues facing not only own Commonwealth, but the entire United States," said Representative Jeffrey Rosario Turco (D-Winthrop). "That is why I am proud to have supported this critical bill which enhances mental health infrastructure for workers and students and increases accessibility for mental health services across the Commonwealth. This is the fi rst step on the journey toward a mentally healthy Massachusetts and I look forward to continuing to do everything I can to get us there faster." Highlights of the bill include: Initiatives to address emergency department boarding: • Creating online portals that provide access to real-time data on youth and adults seeking mental health and substance use services, including a function that allows health care providers to easily search and fi nd open beds • Requiring the Health Policy Commission (HPC) to prepare and publish a report every three years on the status of pediatric behavioral health • Codifying an expedited psychiatric inpatient admissions (EPIA) advisory council to reduce hospital emergency department boarding, including a protocol to expedite placement into appropriate care settings for patients under the age of 18 JEFFREY TURCO State Representative 988 implementation and 911 expansion: This legislation seeks to increase behavioral health care access across the Commonwealth through the implementation of the nationwide 988 hotline to access 24/7 suicide prevention and behavioral health crisis services. This legislation also expands 911 to bridge the gap until 988 is implemented by increasing training, funding, and capacity for regional emergency responses to behavioral health crises. Red flag laws and Extreme Risk Protection Order: This bill initiates a public awareness campaign on the Commonwealth’s red fl ag laws and Extreme Risk Protection Orders (ERPOs), passed by the Legislature in 2018, that limit access to guns for people at risk of hurting themselves or others. Full-system accountability for parity: This bill tackles disparities in mental health and other forms of health care by giving the state additional tools to enforce existing parity laws, such as: • Requiring licensed mental health professionals to be available during all operating hours of an emergency department (including via telehealth) HEALTH | SEE Page 16 Summer is Here!
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