HEALTH: A crisis of leadership
Powerful stories fill the news reminding us of the magnitude of our need for mental health services locally and nationwide. People in crisis sometimes cry out in desperate and devastating ways with long reaching and lasting effects. Our state legislature recently passed SB1352 that allows for the establishment Crisis Centers in the state of Idaho. The “crisis center legislation” provides for a physical location for individuals to go when they are in crisis due to mental illness and co-occurring substance use disorders. Crisis centers decrease the utilization of hospital emergency rooms and jails for this population and may even replace short hospitalizations.
According to SPAN, from 2008-2012 Region 1 (Boundary, Bonner, Shoshone, Benewah and Kootenai counties) had the highest suicide rate in the state of Idaho. The Silver Valley has lost seven individuals to suicide in recent months. Two Wednesdays ago, there was a meeting with community leaders in Shoshone County to discuss the heartbreaking subject of suicide, how to heal a community and prevent suicide. On the heels of that meeting, we received word that Region 1 would not be the recipient of the first Crisis Center for the state of Idaho.
A number of legislators from Region 1 did not choose to vote for SB 1352.
Suicide has a high financial and human cost. Idaho ranks 6th in the United States for suicide completion. Per the Suicide Prevention Action Network of Idaho (SPAN), Idaho’s costs for suicide completions annually is more than $850,000 in medical care, and $343 million in total lifetime productivity lost. Suicide attempts in Idaho result in $36 million annually. Crisis management is a need for all localities. The tragedies that have taken place in Sandy Hook, Santa Barbara, Seattle, and in our own local communities illustrate that no one is immune from a crisis.
The National Alliance of Mental Illness tells us that Idaho spends only $36 per capita — the lowest in the United States — on mental health treatment as compared to the national average of $120 per capita. Considering this, the passage of SB 1352 creating crisis centers is a step in the right direction. However, only one of three centers was funded. North Idaho was in competition with Boise and Idaho Falls for the funding.
The CDC and the World Health Organization note that mental illness will be the No. 2 non-communicable disorder by 2020 with cardiovascular disorders being No. 1 and mental illness surpassing cancer. Many professionals from the region believe that we are already living the 2020 prediction.
A very strong proposal was submitted to the state of Idaho in response to a Request for Information (RFI) this spring for a Crisis Center to be located in Region 1. It was supported by Panhandle Health District, local government, law enforcement, Kootenai Health, the Kootenai County Prosecutor’s Office, Heritage Health and Region I Mental Health. Many from this group of organizations have been working together for more than 20 years to piece together the best way to serve individuals in our community who are suffering from a mental health crisis. The group was hopeful that obtaining a Crisis Center for North Idaho could be the brass ring needed to address this grave need — crisis mental health and substance use services for the region. But the award was lost to Idaho Falls.
We look to Idaho Falls to lead the charge in creating a crisis center that can be a model for the state. We are disappointed that many of our state legislators from Region I did not support this endeavor by voting for SB 1352 this past legislative season. This opportunity could have been awarded to the north as we were poised to set up the crisis center within 90 days and institute a program based on best practices to serve this population. It could have been another step in decreasing the stigma around mental illness and substance use and potentially save lives in Region 1.
Region 1 has done its very best to provide crisis services with limited resources, however there is simply no substitute to having a dedicated crisis center that can appropriately care for individuals in crisis. Some may say that a Crisis Center is an entitlement program. We see it as a safety net in our community.
We would like to thank Senators Goedde and Keough and Representatives Anderson, Eskridge, Henderson, Malek and Morse for voting for SB 1352. We hope that in the future, we can look to our legislators to provide the leadership needed to help assure the safety and security of the citizens of Region 1.
The Executive Board of the Region 1 Mental Health Board and Regional Advisory Council on Substance Abuse:
ANGELA PALMER, CADC, Chair of the Regional Advisory Council on Substance Abuse
CLAUDIA MIEWALD, MSN, PMHCNS-BC, Co-Chair of Region 1 Mental Health Board
LEANNE ROUSSEAU, M.D., Co-Chair of Region 1 Mental Health Board
LINDA JOHANN, BA, Vice-Chair of Region 1 Mental Health Board
AMIKA DUPREE, CPRP, BA, Secretary of Region 1 Mental Health Board