caption
03/13/2020 — Atlanta, Georgia — Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, R – Blue Ridge, speaks to the media following the 29th day of the Georgia Legislative Session, Friday, March 13, 2020. Out of caution and in connection with the coronavirus, the Georgia General Assembly has suspended the legislative session until further notice. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
caption
03/13/2020 — Atlanta, Georgia — Georgia House Speaker David Ralston, R – Blue Ridge, speaks to the media following the 29th day of the Georgia Legislative Session, Friday, March 13, 2020. Out of caution and in connection with the coronavirus, the Georgia General Assembly has suspended the legislative session until further notice. (ALYSSA POINTER/ALYSSA.POINTER@AJC.COM)
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
Credit: Alyssa Pointer
I’ve met with people who have kept trying to get treatment only to be told that the easiest way to get treatment for a mental health problem is to commit a crime and go into the prison system walk.
After all, the Georgia Department of Corrections is the state’s largest provider of mental health care.
Mental illness is a public problem hidden in plain sight. It has no regard for political opinions or race, gender, ethnicity or socioeconomic status.
Mental illness is a problem that affects almost every family in Georgia.
And for too long, Georgia has been ranked at the bottom in terms of access and quality of mental health care.
This is unacceptable for the nation’s best economy – and a problem we are working to solve.
Earlier this year I was proud to introduce House Bill 1013, the Georgia Mental Health Parity Act. The bipartisan bill is supported by dozens of peers in the House of Representatives, including leaders from both political parties.
I appreciate the early support this effort has received from Governor Brian Kemp, Insurance Commissioner John King, and a variety of organizations and advocates.
House Bill 1013 is a comprehensive attempt to reform and improve mental health care in Georgia. At more than 70 pages, it is detailed but attempts to take a meaningful first step toward the change we need to help Georgians.
It is the product of the Georgia Behavioral Health Reform and Innovation Commission, which began work more than two years ago. This commission, made up of mental health practitioners and advocates as well as legislators and judges, was charged with thinking big and coming up with bold reform proposals. House Bill 1013 does just that.
It proposes introducing parity for mental health – meaning insurers must treat mental health in the same way as physical ailments. It seeks to encourage staff development so that we have enough trained psychiatrists to provide care across the state—particularly in rural areas where providers are few. It also suggests ways to remove treatment barriers so Georgians can get help outside of our criminal justice system.
Thanks to Forsyth County Chairperson Todd Jones and DeKalb County Chairperson Mary Margaret Oliver for carrying the bill into the House of Representatives, where it passed with just three ill-informed dissenting votes.
The measure is now before the State Senate, where a special subcommittee has been set up to hear the legislation.
House Bill 1013 is combined with more than $100 million in additional state budget funding for public safety and mental health initiatives.
We are making major investments in the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) to fund additional crisis beds, launch the new national crisis hotline, 988, and offer long-overdue raises to government employees working in mental health care.
We are also investing in additional training for law enforcement officers so they are better equipped to deal with people in crisis situations and implementing co-responder models.
This is not a public policy problem that arose overnight – and it certainly won’t be fixed overnight. But this is an important and substantial step in the right direction.
Together we will find a better way to help our fellow Georgians who are going through a mental crisis.
Georgians who need help count on us.
David Ralston, R-Blue Ridge, is the 73rd Speaker of the Georgia House of Representatives. He represents Fannin and Gilmer counties and part of Dawson County.