FOP Support for SB1 and HB1006

It's About Dang Time.

Continuing the conversation earlier this week with my press release on the Mental Health Crisis in Indianapolis, the FOP has pushed lawmakers even harder today, demanding the legislators to “Get It Done.”

My signature program in my campaign has been to move mental health out of the hands of police into the hands of trained mental health clinicians. In graduate school for community-based mental health care, THIS WAS A REFRAIN OVER AND OVER and was a case study in effective control and prevention and control of mental health crises. 

Truth be told, I would not even be running if the Joe Hogsett administration had followed up on any of our requests. Instead of asking actual trained clinicians, he used a team of untrained interns to propose a four-year study that may result in TWO TEAMS of clinicians in the downtown district alone, Monday through Friday, Nine AM to Five PM. 

It’s well known that by the time Joe Hogsett tries to half-a** anything, he will end up whole-a**ing it all.

Again, my team has been asking to rightsize the police and to devote the funding that legally cannot be used to hire 200 unarmed civilian clinicians. And now it seems that Fraternal Order of Police President Rick Snyder has finally listened to his rank-and-file officers to demand the same thing. 

It is a great day in Indianapolis when the FOP aligns with the most progressive and rational campaign — Clif Marsiglio for Mayor. 

https://twitter.com/RickFOP86/status/1648683139252797442

State Bill 1 (Synopsis)

Behavioral health matters. Provides that, subject to certain procedures and requirements, the office of the secretary of family and social services may apply to the United States Department of Health and Human Services: (1) for a Medicaid state plan amendment, a waiver, or an amendment to an existing waiver to require reimbursement for eligible certified community behavioral health clinic services; or (2) to participate in the expansion of a community mental health services demonstration program. Requires the division of mental health and addiction to establish and maintain a help line: (1) to provide confidential emotional support and referrals to certain resources to individuals who call the help line; and (2) that is accessible by calling a toll free telephone number. Establishes the Indiana behavioral health commission (commission) and sets forth the commission's membership. Changes the name of the "9-8-8 crisis hotline center" to "9-8-8 crisis response center". Makes conforming changes

House Bill 1006

Mental health programs. Specifies the circumstances under which a person may be involuntarily committed to a facility for mental health services and specifies that these services are medically necessary when provided in accordance with generally accepted clinical care guidelines. Establishes a local mental health referral program to provide mental health treatment for certain persons who have been arrested. Repeals obsolete provisions.

Both of these bills could be better. They both call to establish a statewide 988 dialing code for mental health crises and will demand that a clinician lead effort follow-up.

CALL YOUR STATE SENATOR AND REPRESENTATIVE and ask that they prioritize the passage of these bills in the form that focuses on the mental health crisis. 

Again, THANK YOU to Indy FOP President Rick Snyder for these calls and the call to rightsize our IMPD force to prioritize officers, focusing on the types of calls they were trained for.

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Edit: My campaign reminded me this is a family-friendly newsletter, and I toned down a little of my enthusiasm. I am just excited to see that two of the three signature themes that I had devoted several years of my life after being told that it was impossible by career politicians are now happening. Regardless of the election's results, we pushed the needle and are making changes. As an activist, we all hope this can and will happen. — clif