Rep. Nesbitt offered the following resolution:

            House Resolution No. 388.  

A resolution to memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013.

Whereas, According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, mental illness is defined as "health conditions that are characterized by alterations in thinking, mood, or behavior (or some combination thereof) associated with distress and/or impaired function." The National Institute of Mental Health states, "While mental disorders are common in the United States, the burden of illness is particularly concentrated among those who experience disability due to serious mental illness (SMI)"; and

Whereas, In a given year, approximately ten million Americans experience serious mental illness, such as schizophrenia, major depression, or bipolar disorder. Furthermore, approximately four million Americans experiencing  serious mental illness do not receive treatment in a given year. Laws, regulations, and misinterpretations frequently shut out families attempting to get effective appropriate treatment for their loved ones in a mental health crisis; and

Whereas, There are ten times more individuals with serious mental illness in jails and prisons than in state psychiatric hospitals. Federal laws and billing policies restrict the ability of persons on Medicaid to receive high-quality inpatient and outpatient mental health treatment; and

Whereas, Current spending needs to be more focused on the most effective services and most severe mental illnesses. United States Congressman Tim Murphy of Pennsylvania has introduced the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of 2013 (H.R. 3717). The act would create a new Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance-Abuse Disorders to coordinate funding between agencies, collect increased data on treatment outcomes, and drive evidence-based care. To address issues regarding the shortage of psychiatric professionals, the Helping Families in Metal Health Crisis Act of 2013 would advance alternatives to inpatient care and prioritize early intervention; now, therefore, be it

Resolved by the House of Representatives, That we memorialize the United States Congress to take such actions as are necessary to pass the Helping Families in Mental Crisis Act of 2013; and be it further

Resolved, That copies of this resolution be transmitted to the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, and the members of the Michigan congressional delegation.