SPONSOR: Sen. Hansen & Sen. Poore & Rep. Minor-Brown Sens. Brown, Hoffner, Pinkney, Wilson; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King DELAWARE STATE SENATE 152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3 REQUESTING THAT THE DIVISION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF REPLACING THE DELAWARE PSYCHIATRIC CENTER.
SPONSOR: Sen. Hansen & Sen. Poore & Rep. Minor-Brown Sens. Brown, Hoffner, Pinkney, Wilson; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King
SPONSOR: Sen. Hansen & Sen. Poore & Rep. Minor-Brown
Sens. Brown, Hoffner, Pinkney, Wilson; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King
SPONSOR:
Sen. Hansen & Sen. Poore & Rep. Minor-Brown
Sens. Brown, Hoffner, Pinkney, Wilson; Reps. Baumbach, Briggs King
DELAWARE STATE SENATE
152nd GENERAL ASSEMBLY
SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 3
REQUESTING THAT THE DIVISION OF SUBSTANCE ABUSE AND MENTAL HEALTH ASSESS THE FEASIBILITY OF REPLACING THE DELAWARE PSYCHIATRIC CENTER.
WHEREAS, beginning with the establishment of the Delaware State Hospital at Farnhurst in 1889, the State has continuously operated a psychiatric hospital for over 130 years on what is now known as the Department of Health and Social Services Herman M. Holloway, Sr. Campus (Holloway Campus); and WHEREAS, the States psychiatric hospital, now known as the Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC), is a vital part of the continuum of recovery services, providing a treatment component in Delawares behavioral healthcare system to assess, evaluate, and treat people with the most complex psychiatric conditions who are at risk of harm to self or others and who cannot be effectively treated by existing available services in the community; and WHEREAS, under 7908(c)(5) of Title 29, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health in the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is responsible for the operation of DPC, including maintaining the forensic unit required under Chapter 51 of Title 16; and WHEREAS, the General Assembly has further expressed the intent and policy of continuing the operation of DPC under Chapter 51 of Title 16, by providing for DPCs Director and giving DHSS responsibility for the property of DPC; and WHEREAS, on average, the buildings comprising DPC are more than 50 years old and require extensive maintenance and upkeep; and WHEREAS, over 20 years ago, replacing DPCs facilities was part of the master plan for the redesign of the Holloway Campus; and WHEREAS, by 2007, the State had invested more than $10 million in redesigning the Holloway Campus, including completing design work, demolition of buildings, asbestos abatement, historical review, geotechnical and utility surveys, and site preparation; and WHEREAS, in May of 2007, all work on the new facilities was halted; and WHEREAS, in December of 2007, the Governors Task Force on the Delaware Psychiatric Center (Task Force) published a report stating that DPCs facilities were outdated, costly to maintain, and in need of ongoing expensive maintenance; and WHEREAS, in the same report, the Task Force recommended that the State move forward with construction as rapidly as possible; and WHEREAS, no new construction has occurred at DPC since work on the redesign of the Holloway Campus stopped in 2007; and WHEREAS, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the design of mental health care facilities plays a significant role in staff safety and satisfaction, client treatment outcomes, and cost reduction; and WHEREAS, DHSS has federal funding that can be used to study the feasibility of replacing the current DPC facilities and to gather input regarding DPCs current and future needs. NOW, THEREFORE: BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 152 nd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is requested to assess the feasibility of replacing the Delaware Psychiatric Centers (DPC) facilities, including gathering input regarding DPCs current and future needs. BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than December 31, 2023, DSAMH should submit a report detailing the findings from the feasibility assessment of replacing DPC, including its current and future needs, to all the following: the Governor, all members of the General Assembly, the Controller General, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, with copies to the Director and the Librarian of the Division of Research of Legislative Council, and the Delaware Public Archives.
WHEREAS, beginning with the establishment of the Delaware State Hospital at Farnhurst in 1889, the State has continuously operated a psychiatric hospital for over 130 years on what is now known as the Department of Health and Social Services Herman M. Holloway, Sr. Campus (Holloway Campus); and
WHEREAS, the States psychiatric hospital, now known as the Delaware Psychiatric Center (DPC), is a vital part of the continuum of recovery services, providing a treatment component in Delawares behavioral healthcare system to assess, evaluate, and treat people with the most complex psychiatric conditions who are at risk of harm to self or others and who cannot be effectively treated by existing available services in the community; and
WHEREAS, under 7908(c)(5) of Title 29, the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health in the Department of Health and Social Services (DHSS) is responsible for the operation of DPC, including maintaining the forensic unit required under Chapter 51 of Title 16; and
WHEREAS, the General Assembly has further expressed the intent and policy of continuing the operation of DPC under Chapter 51 of Title 16, by providing for DPCs Director and giving DHSS responsibility for the property of DPC; and
WHEREAS, on average, the buildings comprising DPC are more than 50 years old and require extensive maintenance and upkeep; and
WHEREAS, over 20 years ago, replacing DPCs facilities was part of the master plan for the redesign of the Holloway Campus; and
WHEREAS, by 2007, the State had invested more than $10 million in redesigning the Holloway Campus, including completing design work, demolition of buildings, asbestos abatement, historical review, geotechnical and utility surveys, and site preparation; and
WHEREAS, in May of 2007, all work on the new facilities was halted; and
WHEREAS, in December of 2007, the Governors Task Force on the Delaware Psychiatric Center (Task Force) published a report stating that DPCs facilities were outdated, costly to maintain, and in need of ongoing expensive maintenance; and
WHEREAS, in the same report, the Task Force recommended that the State move forward with construction as rapidly as possible; and
WHEREAS, no new construction has occurred at DPC since work on the redesign of the Holloway Campus stopped in 2007; and
WHEREAS, a growing body of scientific evidence suggests that the design of mental health care facilities plays a significant role in staff safety and satisfaction, client treatment outcomes, and cost reduction; and
WHEREAS, DHSS has federal funding that can be used to study the feasibility of replacing the current DPC facilities and to gather input regarding DPCs current and future needs.
NOW, THEREFORE:
BE IT RESOLVED by the Senate of the 152 nd General Assembly of the State of Delaware, the House of Representatives concurring therein, that the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health (DSAMH) is requested to assess the feasibility of replacing the Delaware Psychiatric Centers (DPC) facilities, including gathering input regarding DPCs current and future needs.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that no later than December 31, 2023, DSAMH should submit a report detailing the findings from the feasibility assessment of replacing DPC, including its current and future needs, to all the following: the Governor, all members of the General Assembly, the Controller General, and the Director of the Office of Management and Budget, with copies to the Director and the Librarian of the Division of Research of Legislative Council, and the Delaware Public Archives.
SYNOPSIS This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests that the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health assess the feasibility of replacing the Delaware Psychiatric Centers (DPC) facilities, including gathering input regarding DPCs current and future needs, and provide a report detailing the findings of this work by December 31, 2023. Author: Senator Hansen
SYNOPSIS
This Senate Concurrent Resolution requests that the Division of Substance Abuse and Mental Health assess the feasibility of replacing the Delaware Psychiatric Centers (DPC) facilities, including gathering input regarding DPCs current and future needs, and provide a report detailing the findings of this work by December 31, 2023.
Author: Senator Hansen