Housing studied for mentally ill

Tuesday, Jan. 27, 2004 | 9:23 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- A legislative committee agreed Monday to seek more housing and services for the mentally ill in Nevada.

The committee, headed by Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, also called for increased training of police and correctional officers who deal with the mentally ill.

Votes on recommendations that could cost the state millions of dollars were put off until there is a better estimate on how much the state would have to pony up.

Carlos Brandenburg, administrator of the state Division of Mental Health and Developmental Services, said that housing for the mentally ill is "woefully inadequate."

But Assemblywoman Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, called for a "marriage of housing and services."

"The most efficient way is to make sure they go hand-in-hand," Leslie said.

Townsend said there must be efforts to "destigmatize" the image of mental illness. One way he said might be to get some of the public relations firms to help in a campaign. He said politicians spend lots of money with these companies and they might be persuaded to provide some free help.

The committee also proposed ways to dovetail its ideas with new federal mental health efforts to capitalize on available money.

Charles Horsey, administrator of the state Housing Division, said an application before the federal government has a contribution of $25,000 from local governments that may produce $500,000 from the federal government for the "chronically homeless" in Clark County.

Sen. Ray Rawson, R-Las Vegas, suggested that a subcommittee Legislative Interim Finance Committee be created to coordinate the search for federal housing dollars for the disabled, mentally ill, poor and others.

"With a coordinated approach, we can get farther that way," he said.

Rawson also pushed through a resolution calling for the support of triage centers that take care of the mentally ill who crowd hospital emergency rooms, particularly in Southern Nevada.

Rawson has been a supporter of efforts by WestCare, a Las Vegas nonprofit, to get state funds for continuing a program for the mentally ill who are picked up by police and take up beds in emergency rooms. The Interim Finance Committee so far has not allocated any money.

The committee called for training police and correctional officers who deal with the mentally ill. Metro Police has a program that gained praise from committee members.

The meeting was the last of seven that took place during the past six months to implement the findings of a presidential commission on mental health. It also gathered input from experts statewide.

"We will now take this (committee's report) to the governor," said Townsend, who also served on the presidential commission.

"Some of our recommendations don't require new legislation and most don't even require funding," he said.