Wednesday, January 22, 2014
2:42 PM
Senate passes mental health bills
The Senate has passed a package of bills aimed at addressing mental health. Those bills now head to the governor's desk.
While some of the bills received voice votes, those with roll calls either passed unanimously or with a single no vote from Sen. Glenn Grothman, R-West Bend.
The bills include:
AB 450 to create crisis intervention grants to train law enforcement officers who deal with emergency detention. Passed unanimously.
AB 452, which would create a consultation line for primary care physicians to consult to help treat children who may have mental health issues. Only Grothman voted against the bill.
AB 454 to create grants for primary care and psychiatric care physicians who agree to work in rural areas. They would be eligible for up to $20,000 a year for three years in the hopes they would enjoy working in a rural setting and would stay on their own after the grants expire. Only Grothman voted against the bill.
AB 458, which would change rules for children who are required to seek outpatient treatment before being eligible for in-home treatment by allowing them to bypass the outpatient treatment. Backers argued it would save money by allowing those who know they will fail the outpatient treatment to move directly to in-home care. Passed on a voice vote.
AB 459, which would help extend care into rural areas by allowing those seeking treatment to go to a Medicaid clinic to speak with a mental health profession over the computer via a secure network. Passed unanimously.
AB 488, which would give families who seek emergency detention of a loved one another option if the county denies the petition by allowing them to go to court. Passed on a voice vote.
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