By:  Cain                                             S.C.R. No. 88
                             SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION
    1-1        WHEREAS, The State of Texas through the Texas Department of
    1-2  Mental Health and Mental Retardation (TXMHMR) provides mental
    1-3  health services for persons with severe and persistent mental
    1-4  illness; and
    1-5        WHEREAS, the state provides substance abuse treatment
    1-6  services through the Texas Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse
    1-7  (TCADA); and
    1-8        WHEREAS, there now exists sufficient medical data to confirm
    1-9  that persons with certain mental illnesses such as schizophrenia,
   1-10  depression and attention deficit disorder are likely to have a
   1-11  co-occurring chemical addiction; and
   1-12        WHEREAS, approximately 50% of persons with severe and
   1-13  persistent mental illness who also have a co-occurring substance
   1-14  addiction do not receive adequate services to effectively treat
   1-15  their disorders; and
   1-16        WHEREAS, evidence now exists to support the philosophy that
   1-17  medical models of care which integrate mental health and substance
   1-18  abuse treatments can succeed where our parallel, separate systems
   1-19  of care have failed; and
   1-20        WHEREAS, a high percentage of persons with a co-occurring
   1-21  substance addiction and mental disorder are committed to jails and
   1-22  prisons and do not receive appropriate treatment and subsequently
   1-23  evidence high rates of recidivism; now therefore be it
    2-1        RESOLVED, that the Texas House of Representatives support the
    2-2  study and evaluation of an integrated treatment approach for
    2-3  persons with a co-occurring substance addiction and mental illness;
    2-4  and be it further
    2-5        RESOLVED, that TXMHMR and TCADA cooperate in designing and
    2-6  implementing at least one pilot program of an integrated evaluation
    2-7  and treatment plan that can help to identify barriers to an
    2-8  integrated system for persons with co-occurring substance
    2-9  addictions and mental illnesses, the elimination of such barriers,
   2-10  and the costs of evaluation and treatment; and be it further
   2-11        RESOLVED, that such a pilot program reflect and evidence the
   2-12  maximum utilization of federal funds, to include Medicaid and local
   2-13  funds, in combination with state funds; and be it further
   2-14        RESOLVED, that no later than December 31, 1996, TXMHMR and
   2-15  TCADA shall jointly prepare a report for the 75th Legislature that
   2-16  outlines their conclusions and recommendations concerning the
   2-17  integrated evaluation and treatment model.  The report will
   2-18  include:
   2-19        a.  a description of the integrated evaluation and treatment
   2-20            program;
   2-21        b.  description of the client population served;
   2-22        c.  accurate evaluation and treatment costs;
   2-23        d.  analysis of third party revenue potential, including
   2-24            Medicaid and local revenue;
   2-25        e.  the impact of integrated treatment on recidivism upon the
    3-1            mental health, substance abuse and justice systems; and
    3-2        f.  the feasibility of implementing such programs statewide;
    3-3        g.  relevant research on similar pilots in other states; and
    3-4            be it further
    3-5        RESOLVED, that TXMHMR and TCADA immediately initiate a
    3-6  memorandum of understanding outlining the responsibilities and
    3-7  contributions of each agency to this project and begin
    3-8  implementation as soon as possible.