Other Mental Health Issues You May Encounter
Boarding
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Boarding was and is an unacceptable answer to a lack of system capacity.

We are concerned about the new emergency rule that redefines Single Bed Certification for
individuals with mental illness in a manner that still allows it to occur so long as mental
health treatment is also provided because we fear that this will allow the State to continue
to rely on non-psychiatric beds rather than provide adequate inpatient psychiatric beds. The
Single Bed Certification should not be considered an answer to the failure to provide
sufficient psychiatric beds.

Solving the lack of system capacity absolutely involves adding more inpatient psychiatric
beds at both the state and local levels. But it should also include other innovative answers
such as Assisted Outpatient Treatment.
Competency Evaluation and Restoration

NAMI Washington believes that individuals with mental illnesses should be diverted from
the criminal justice system, but we recognize that there are times when that does not
happen and competency evaluation and restoration is required.

When competency evaluation is needed, it must occur in a timely manner. Being held in
limbo either in or out of jail waiting for a competency decision is stressful and thus
deleterious to recovery efforts.

When competency restoration is necessary, it should occur in a therapeutic setting rather
than in a punitive setting like jail. While we do not object to competency restoration in the
community, we are absolutely opposed to competency restoration occurring in a jail setting.
Changing Fiscal Notes to Include the Cost of Not Implementing Mental Health
Provisions

NAMI Washington still supports and is working on this bill. The bill will give legislators the
information they need to conduct a proper and complete cost/benefit analysis. This is an
issue of good governance and common sense.

Because the bill must be refiled this year, we are asking our friends in the legislature who
have previously signed on as co-sponsors to do so again.
7500 Greenwood Avenue North ▪ Seattle, WA 98103 ▪ 206.783.4288 ▪ www.namiwa.org
Integration of Physical, Mental Health and Chemical Dependency Services

NAMI believes that integration of physical, mental health, and chemical dependency
services makes sense but wants to ensure continued and even greater simplicity and ease of
access to all of these services, carefully planned transition to any integrated plans, and
sufficient legislative and contractual safeguards as well as guarantees to ensure that the
services are neither curtailed nor rationed to serve a financial end.
Repealing provisions restricting outings from state mental health facilities

This bill applies to high level Forensic Unit patients who have been found “Not Guilty by
Reason of Insanity” (NGRI) at trial.

The current law restricts the patients’ freedom ostensibly to protect the public. But it also
impacts the treatment plans of these patients.

The system of “levels” used by the hospitals, wherein patients must earn their way through
a system of levels to be eligible for outing privileges has great treatment value and also
allows a carefully planned and monitored progression of privileges that safeguards the
public quite well.

The bill would allow selected patients to better prepare for their reintegration into society
while ensuring public safety and would help the communities feel more comfortable upon
their release.
Guilty but Mentally Ill

NAMI Washington absolutely opposes any attempt to install a Guilty but Mentally Ill verdict
or plea. Individuals with mental illnesses who violate societal expectations because of their
illness need treatment, not punishment.
Joel’s Bill

This bill allows family members to appeal a designated mental health professional’s decision
not to detain to a judge. NAMI supports all legislation that will enhance family members’
ability to get help for their loved ones. However, we fear that this bill will not have its
intended consequence unless we first change the underlying standard from “imminent risk”
to “substantial likelihood” because the courts will either have to evaluate the decision under
the same standard as the DMHP or under an even more demanding standard of “abuse of
discretion.”
Firearms control

NAMI Washington supports common sense measures to keep firearms from the hands of
individuals who might misuse them, such as background checks.
7500 Greenwood Avenue North ▪ Seattle, WA 98103 ▪ 206.783.4288 ▪ www.namiwa.org