LWV Positions Regarding Behavioral Health Including Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders
By Adele Reynolds using downloads of approx. 8-30-21
To propose or support legislation regarding Behavioral Health, we know that we need to have first studied, discussed & formed consensus questions on the issues. Our answers to those consensus questions were reviewed and consolidated into Positions which must form the basis for any statements of support that we make.
Q: What issues can League support regarding Behavioral Health?
A: Anything our Positions will support. Links to the current positions from all three levels of League can be found at:
LWV (national)
LWVWA (state)
LWVSKC (our local League)
The following Positions are selected from those listings.
Impact on Issues |Policy Positions of LWVUS
Page 15
Health Care
Promote a health care system for the United States that provides affordable access to a basic level of quality care for all U.S. residents, including behavioral health that is integrated with and achieves parity with the physical health care system.
Page 129
Health Care The League’s Position
Statement of Position on Health Care, as announced by the National Board, April 1993 and supplemented by concurrence to add Behavioral Health, June 2016:
GOALS: The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that a basic level of quality health care at an affordable cost should be available to all U.S. residents. Other U.S. health care policy goals should include the equitable distribution of services, efficient and economical delivery of care, advancement of medical research and technology, and a reasonable total national expenditure level for health care.
Page 129
BASIC LEVEL OF QUALITY CARE: Every U.S. resident should have access to a basic level of care that includes the prevention of disease, health promotion and education, primary care (including prenatal and reproductive health), acute care, long-term care, and mental health care. Every U.S. resident should have access to affordable, quality in- and out-patient behavioral health care, including needed medications and supportive service that is integrated with, and achieves parity with, physical health care. Dental, vision, and hearing care also are important but lower in priority. The League believes that under any system of health care reform, consumers/patients should be permitted to purchase services or insurance coverage beyond the basic level.
Page 130 & 131
BEHAVIORAL HEALTH: The League supports:
• Behavioral health as the nationally accepted term that includes both mental illness and substance use disorder.
• Access for all people to affordable, quality in- and out-patient behavioral health care, including needed medications and supportive services.
• Behavioral health care that is integrated with, and achieves parity with, physical health care.
• Early and affordable behavioral health diagnosis and treatment for children and youth from early childhood through adolescence.
• Early and appropriate diagnosis and treatment for children and adolescents that is family focused and community-based.
• Access to safe and stable housing for people with behavioral health challenges, including those who are chronically homeless.
• Effective re-entry planning and follow-up for people released from both behavioral health hospitalization and the criminal justice system.
• Problem solving or specialty courts, including mental health and drug courts, in all judicial districts to provide needed treatment and avoid inappropriate entry into the criminal justice system.
• Health education—from early childhood throughout life—that integrates all aspects of social, emotional, and physical health and wellness.
• Efforts to decrease the stigmatization of, and normalize, behavioral health problems and care.
2019-2021 WA State Program: Positions in Brief
Positions from PROGRAM IN ACTION 2019-2021 of LWV WA: Page 5
Human Resources Action to achieve equal rights for all. Action to achieve equality of opportunity for education, employment and housing regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation or disability. Action to obtain measures that provide basic human needs for those unable to provide for themselves. Action to ensure that there are emergency support services for those involved in physical and/or mental violence.
Positions from PROGRAM IN ACTION 2019-2021 of LWV WA: Page 9 Health Care
Health Care Action to provide universal access to affordable health services for all residents of the state of Washington and to control total system expenditures with seamless coverage regardless of one’s health status.
Summary of Current LWVWA Program
Positions from PROGRAM IN ACTION 2019-2021 of LWV WA: Page 39 DRUG ABUSE (2005)
Drug Abuse (2005)
The League of Women Voters of Washington supports measures to expand and fund drug abuse prevention education and drug abuse treatment programs as a means to reduce the demand for drugs.
DA-1: Expanding and funding for school programs to prevent drug abuse and establishing of programs to reach school drop-outs.
DA-2: Public education in family management, parenting, job skills, and evaluating of commercial media which enhance drug use.
DA-3: Integrated services as appropriate, including long-term treatment, counseling and mental health services, to all drug abusers and to meet the needs of individuals with co-occurring disorders.
DA-4: Support of community involvement to provide alternative behavior opportunities for potential drug abusers. Citizen block watch assistance for neighborhood police in crime prevention.
DA-5: Strict enforcement of penalties for drug traffickers. Periodic evaluations of drug programs and of interagency coordination and cooperation.
DA-6: There should be periodic evaluations of drug programs and of interagency coordination and cooperation.
Positions from PROGRAM IN ACTION 2019-2021 of LWV WA: Page 44
THE LEAGUE'S POSITION ON HEALTH CARE: The League of Women Voters of Washington supports: HC-1: Policies, as part of comprehensive reform of the existing health system, which:
· Ensure universal access for all residents to a comprehensive, uniform, and affordable set of health services. These services shall be available regardless of one's health status (i.e., pre-existing conditions) or financial status.
· Provide “seamless” coverage and continuity of care, to the extent possible, regardless of changes in life circumstances such as change in employment, marital status, financial status, or health status.
· Establish a mechanism to adequately control total system expenditures for health services while maintaining quality standards of care.
· Assure that no one shall be forced into poverty because of medical or long-term needs. (1992)
HUMAN RESOURCES
POSITION IN BRIEF: Action to achieve equal rights for all. Action to achieve equality of opportunity for education, employment, and housing regardless of race, color, gender, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability. Action to obtain measures that provide basic human needs for those unable to provide for themselves. Action to ensure that there are emergency support services for those involved in physical and/or mental violence.
LWVSKC Full Public Policy Positions
Positions RE: Mental Health Services. Page 15 of 6/2020 local positions of LWV SKC
Support funding for community mental health services that addresses factors such as the number of individuals needing services, complexity of client needs, and local factors
such as housing and labor markets that affect the cost of providing services. 2004
Positions RE: Mental Health Services. Page 21 of 6/2020 local positions of LWV SKC
Drug Abuse and the Community
• Support measures to expand and fund drug abuse prevention education and drug abuse treatment programs, as a means to reduce the demand for drugs. Measures should include: 1992
A. Expansion of and funding for school programs to prevent drug abuse, and establishment of programs to reach school drop-outs.
B. Public education in family management, parenting, job skills, and evaluation of commercial media which enhance drug use.
C. Provision of integrated services as appropriate, including long-term treatment, counseling, and mental health services, to all drug abusers and to meet the needs of individuals with co-occurring disorders. 1992, 2004
D. Community involvement to provide alternative behavior opportunities for potential drug abusers, and to assist neighborhood police with citizen block watches for crime prevention.
E. Strict enforcement of penalties for drug traffickers.
F. Periodic evaluation of drug programs and interagency coordination and cooperation.