ORIGINAL TEXT
Resolution:C073
Title:Re-evaluation of Care for Mentally Ill
Topic:Health Care
Committee:09 - National and International Concerns
House of Initial Action:Deputies
Proposer:Diocese of East Tennessee

Resolved, the House of _______ concurring, That the 76th General Convention recognize the urgent need to find a way to effect a re-evaluation by the appropriate federal, state and local agencies of the care and long-term treatment of the chronically mentally ill members of our communities; and be it further

Resolved, That this resolution be the beginning of a mission for our country led by the Episcopal Church to develop an action plan with the help of mental health professionals, government officials and church leaders, and other appropriate partners to find ways for communities to move forward with concrete steps to deal with these issues without moving backward into the abuses of the past.


EXPLANATION

Responding to very real abuses occurring in psychiatric hospitals, the Kennedy Administration proposed and congress passed the Community Mental Health Center Construction Act of October 31, 1963, which resulted in the beginning of the process of de-institutionalization of mental patients with the vision and the belief that mental health care should be transferred to programs addressing chronic, long term needs in community mental health care centers. Within three weeks of the passage of the Mental Health Act, President Kennedy was assassinated.

The mental health care centers that were developed lacked the resources necessary to accomplish their task, thus creating in these past 46 years a large group of people living in degrading homelessness where those with emotional and mental problems have few resources and services, very little follow-up care and no long-term care. The failure to pay for appropriate care on the front-end is now draining state and local emergency services (fire, police, hospitals, helping agencies, churches) and compromising the safety of other citizens.

The Diocese of East Tennessee has endorsed the United Nations' Millennium Development Goals and strives to be attentive to the needs of other social justice issues; therefore, the lack of care and services to meet the ongoing needs of the chronically mentally ill members of our communities should be an issue of great concern for all followers of Jesus Christ. As of now, there is no agency within The Episcopal Church that has oversight of mental health issues; there is no one to advocate for the care of those who are unable to care for themselves and who walk our streets on a daily basis.