Gov. Nixon signs student safety legislation, discusses historic investments in mental health

OSAGE BEACH ? Following an address to the Missouri Department of Mental Health's Spring Training summit, Gov. Jay Nixon Friday signed student safety legislation to help prevent cyber bullying and youth suicide.

"Every student should feel safe at school, and every teacher should have the resources and training needed to keep them safe," Gov. Nixon said. "This is an important piece of legislation that can improve and save lives, and I appreciate the work of the Legislature to bring it to my desk."

House Bill 1583 allows licensed educators, beginning in the 2017-2018 school year, to annually complete up to two hours of training or professional development in youth suicide awareness and prevention to satisfy a portion of the hours required for professional development.

This legislation also directs the State Department of Elementary and Secondary Education to develop guidelines and training materials on this issue, and to require each school district to have a policy in place by 2018 on youth suicide awareness and prevention. House Bill 1583 also clarifies the definition of bullying and includes the definition of cyber bullying in state statutes regarding schools' anti-bullying policies.

Strengthening Missouri's mental health system has been a top priority of Gov. Nixon's administration.

In 2013, Gov. Nixon called for a series of fiscally responsible measures to improve the way Missouri cares for individuals whose severe behavioral health conditions have gone untreated. Working with members of the General Assembly, the Governor secured $10 million annually for the Strengthening Mental Health Initiative ? an effort that will be expanded this year.

A cornerstone of this initiative was the placement of 31 community mental health liaisons (CMHLs) statewide to work with law enforcement and court personnel to connect people in behavioral health crises to treatment. To date, there have been more than 31,000 contacts between CMHLs, law enforcement and the courts, with more than 18,000 referrals to mental health services.

The Strengthening Mental Health Initiative also included the placement of emergency room intervention teams in seven regions of the state, including coordination with 65 hospitals and health centers. Since their implementation, 3,302 individuals have been engaged in Emergency Room Enhancement services. Outcomes for individuals who have received services include a 56 percent decrease in ER visits and a 57 percent decrease in hospitalizations; a 62 percent decrease in homelessness; a 41 percent decrease in arrests; and a 99 percent increase in treatment program enrollment.

Last month, the Governor signed the Fiscal Year 2017 budget, which answers his call for historic investments in services for Missourians with developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders, increasing state and federal funding for the Department of Mental Health by more than $200 million. This includes:

A 3 percent rate increase and rebasing for providers of services for Missourians with developmental disabilities, mental illness and substance use disorders.$1.6 million to expand the placement of emergency room intervention teams to additional regions;$18.2 million to expand access to Crisis Residential Services for individuals whose conditions have become so severe that they can no longer be cared for in their homes;$5.4 million for a new crisis prevention program to help low-income Missourians between the ages of 21 and 35 who have a severe mental illness or substance use disorders.$14 million to ensure that there continues to be no waiting list for in-home services for low-income Missourians with developmental disabilities, with a $14 million increase. When Gov. Nixon took office, many Missourians had to wait months or even years for the services they needed to live independently. Today, that waiting list has been eliminated.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon created the Partnership for Hope, which provides home- and community-based services to Missourians with developmental disabilities and their families. The Partnership for Hope, the first of its kind in the nation, is now helping more than 4,375 people with developmental disabilities in 103 counties and the City of St. Louis.

In 2010, Gov. Nixon also spearheaded the bipartisan effort to pass the law mandating the coverage of autism diagnosis and treatment. For the first time, insurance companies were required to cover one of the most highly effective types of therapy, Applied Behavioral Analysis, or ABA. While effective, the cost of ABA can exceed tens of thousands of dollars a year, making insurance coverage necessary for most families.

In 2015, United Cerebral Palsy ranked Missouri third in the nation ? and second most-improved since 2007 ? for providing quality services that improve the lives of individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities and their families.