Senator Messmer: Improving mental health care access for incarcerated Hoosiers

In 2019, it was estimated that one in five Hoosiers live with some form of mental illness. Furthermore, Indiana continues to see a shortage of mental health professionals in 74 of our 92 counties. Because of this, our county jails are often a community's top mental health care provider.

Indiana's county jails and sheriff's departments are admittedly unprepared to care for inmates suffering from mental health issues. To ensure these individuals get the mental treatment in a timely manner and better equip our correction facilities, the General Assembly passed Senate Enrolled Act 82 and House Enrolled Act 1127 this session.

Under SEA 82, clinical social workers, marriage and family therapists, mental health counselors, clinical addiction counselors and physician assistants can diagnose and refer an individual to start mental health treatment. These professionals must have completed at least 1,000 hours of practice under a licensed supervisor in order to diagnose mental health disorders.

Previously, professionals who met this criteria could only do a mental health impression. A mental health impression evaluates the presenting problem but does not include a diagnosis.

Prior to the passage of HEA 1127, a prisoner deemed incompetent had to wait several months to be transferred to a mental health facility. HEA 1127 cuts down this delay in treatment, allowing local judges the ability to leverage Recovery Works money to help mentally ill Hoosiers who are incarcerated.

According to the Prison Policy Initiative, an estimated 56% of state prisoners, 45% of federal prisoners, and 64% of county jail inmates suffer from a mental health illness. I was proud to support both of these measures, which will provide Hoosiers in need with better access to mental health care.