State Capitol Week in Review

LITTLE ROCK — Arkansas legislators approved a $30 million expenditure to improve mental health services and treatment of substance abuse.
The governor and the state Human Services Department supported the plan to fill in the gaps in the statewide system of treating mental illness and helping people with drug problems.
The money will help create a statewide response network, which will include a 24-hour call center. First responders will be equipped with tablets that allow people to be more quickly connected to staff at clinics.
Also, the funds will pay for more training for emergency medical technicians, police officers and other first responders. They will be trained in patient evaluation, in order to recognize indications that someone is going through a mental health crisis.
They will be trained in the emerging technology now used for telehealth services, which allows medical staff and trained professionals to provide care for people at a distance. Funding also will pay for new software.
Some of the money will pay for more bed space in facilities where therapy is provided to people with developmental disabilities and co-occurring mental illness.
Other improvements include programs to re-integrate children back into their communities after they or a family member has gone through a crisis.
Some funding will expand residential treatment programs for youths and adults who have problems resulting from substance abuse.
It will pay for housing for adults with mental illness to help them avoid being homeless, or to help them stay out of prison or an institution. A similar program will support youths who are in jeopardy of homelessness, incarceration or institutionalization. The risk is especially acute for youth and young adults leaving state custody from foster care or the juvenile justice system.

The governor said the improvements paid for with the $30 million are part of a broader plan to fill in gaps in current services and complete the health continuum of care for individuals with mental health needs, intellectual disabilities and physical disabilities. It also will benefit elderly people.
Schools for the Deaf and the Blind
The state will build a “state of the art” facility at the Little Rock campuses of the School for the Blind and Visually Impaired and the School for the Deaf, which are adjacent to each other.
Legislators set aside about $30 million and the governor said she hoped the project would move ahead as fast as possible.
Students, parents and stakeholders have expressed their wishes that the two campuses not be consolidated, in order to preserve the distinct culture and identity of each.
Some buildings need upgrades to electric lines and plumbing. The exterior of several buildings is crumbling, and the interior rooms are drafty. The schools must maintain a lot of outdoor space. Security of students is an issue, in part because the schools are near parts of Little Rock where transients seek shelter.
After legislators toured the schools, a senator said that the state had not prioritized the needs of the schools, and that “disrepair and neglect are apparent.”
This year the School for the Deaf is teaching 102 students and the School for the Blind is teaching 67 students. Some live in Little Rock but many are from other parts of the state and live at the campuses during the week.