$1 million sought for mental health court

By Cy Ryan (contact)

Tuesday, March 15, 2005 | 9:03 a.m.

CARSON CITY -- Spending $1 million a year to continue a mental health court in Las Vegas will save money on jails and hospital emergency rooms, proponents told the Assembly Ways and Means Committee Monday morning.

District Judge Jackie Glass and Assemblyman William Horne, D-Las Vegas, testified that the court helps ensure that justice is served in cases involving mentally ill individuals and that the system does what it can to try to steer them toward treatment for their illnesses. These individuals are required to take their medication and be involved in counseling, officials said.

Horne has introduced Assembly Bill 41 that calls for the funding for the mental health court. His bill has the support of the American Civil Liberties Union, the Nevada State Medical Association and the Religious Alliance of Nevada.

The bill also appeared to gain a favorable response from committee members. Assemblyman John Marvel, R-Battle Mountain, called it a "worthy cause."

The program was started with a $150,000 grant, but it won't be able to continue without the state allocating the money for psychiatrists, counseling and housing for patients.

The funding for the court would be used to help an estimated 100 people directly, Glass said. She and District Judge John McGroarty have served as the mental health judges.

But, she added, funding the mental health court will have other indirect benefits. Glass said jailing the mentally ill exacerbates overcrowding at the Clark County Detention Center. And mentally ill people are "crowding the (hospital) emergency rooms, they are on the streets committing crimes, many are homeless."

The average cost per month through the mental health court is $898, said Glass. The average cost to house an inmate per month in the jail is $3,060.

The judge said the mental health court, in its year of existence, has been able to reduce the use of jail bed days from 3,529 to 777 during the year.

Gov. Kenny Guinn came to the Assembly Committee on Health and Human Services to testify in support of the bill.

Assemblywoman Chris Giunchigliani, D-Las Vegas, questioned why the governor didn't include the money in his budget. Horne said the governor, at the Health and Human Services Committee, "spoke of priorities" and Guinn said he was pleased that somebody had brought this bill forward.

Giunchigliani said, "There are a lot of pet projects in this budget." She said she hoped there won't be any objection from the Guinn Administration if some of these "pet projects" are sliced to get the money for the mental health court.

Larry Struve, representing the Religious Alliance of Nevada, told the committee that the mental health court is a "more humane way of dealing with the problem." He said the mental health court in Washoe County has been a success.