STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3454

                                   Honolulu, Hawaii
                                                     , 2000

                                   RE:  S.C.R. No. 210
                                        S.D. 1




Honorable Norman Mizuguchi
President of the Senate
Twentieth State Legislature
Regular Session of 2000
State of Hawaii

Sir:

     Your Committee on Ways and Means, to which was referred
S.C.R. No. 210, S.D. 1, entitled:

     "SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE DEPARTMENT OF
     HEALTH TO IMPLEMENT THE RECOMMENDATIONS OF THE LEGISLATURE'S
     CONSULTANT ON THE PROVISION OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AT THE
     HAWAII STATE HOSPITAL,"

begs leave to report as follows:

     The purpose of this concurrent resolution is to request the
Department of Health to develop a comprehensive plan for
providing mental health services to ensure that proper levels of
treatment are being provided to mentally ill persons.

     Your Committee finds that a lawsuit filed by the Department
of Justice in 1991 to protect the constitutional rights of
patients at Hawaii State Hospital resulted in a stipulated
settlement agreement and court order that requires the Department
of Health to correct deficiencies at the Hawaii State Hospital.
The Hospital is in the process of reducing the number of
available beds from 168 to 108, leaving no beds for non-forensic
patients.  The Legislature hired Dr. Richard Lamb, a
psychiatrist, as an independent consultant to review the
Department of Health's plans for the Hawaii State Hospital.
After Dr. Lamb visited mental health facilities and consulted
with a number of officials, he submitted his findings and
recommendations to the Legislature.

 
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                                   STAND. COM. REP. NO. 3454
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     Your Committee further finds that the mentally ill require
different levels of treatment and programs.  Reducing the number
of available beds at Hawaii State Hospital with no clear
alternatives, will only contribute to homelessness and
criminalization of mentally ill persons.  This concurrent
resolution will assist the Department of Health, working with
other service providers and stakeholders and using Dr. Lamb's
recommendations as a guideline, to ensure that mentally ill
patients receive appropriate treatment in the appropriate
facility.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the members of your
Committee on Ways and Means that is attached to this report, your
Committee concurs with the intent and purpose of S.C.R. No. 210,
S.D. 1, and recommends its adoption.

                                 Respectfully submitted on behalf
                                 of the members of the Committee
                                 on Ways and Means,



                                 ________________________________
                                 CAROL FUKUNAGA, Co-Chair



                                 ________________________________
                                 ANDREW LEVIN, Co-Chair

 
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