HLS 21RS-655 ORIGINAL
2021 Regular Session
HOUSE RESOLUTION NO. 57
BY REPRESENTATIVE DUPLESSIS
HEALTH/LDH: Directs the office of behavioral health of the Louisiana Department of
Health to collect data relative to certain mental illness and substance use crisis care
1 A RESOLUTION
2To direct the office of behavioral health of the Louisiana Department of Health to collect
3 data to show the total cost associated with individuals with chronic untreated and
4 under-treated serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders moving through
5 various systems of crisis care and to report such data to certain legislative
6 committees.
7 WHEREAS, the office of behavioral health of the Louisiana Department of Health
8(LDH) manages and delivers the services and supports necessary to improve the quality of
9life for citizens with mental illness and addictive disorders; and
10 WHEREAS, the office of behavioral health provides statewide authority and
11accountability for all behavioral healthcare, including mental health treatment services, for
12Louisiana citizens; and
13 WHEREAS, the mission of the office of behavioral health is to work collaboratively
14with partners to develop and implement a comprehensive integrated system of behavioral
15health and healthcare, social supports, and prevention services that promote recovery and
16resilience for all citizens of Louisiana; and
17 WHEREAS, the mission of LDH is to protect and promote health and to ensure
18access to medical, preventive, and rehabilitative services for all citizens of the state of
19Louisiana; and
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HR NO. 57
1 WHEREAS, LDH works to provide quality services, protect and promote health,
2develop and stimulate services by others, and utilize available resources in the most effective
3manner in order to fulfill its mission; and
4 WHEREAS, state law (R.S. 28:52) provides that any person who has a mental illness
5or is suffering from a substance-related or addictive disorder may apply for voluntary
6admission to a treatment facility and that admitting physicians are encouraged to admit
7persons who have a mental illness or persons suffering from a substance-related or addictive
8disorder to treatment facilities on voluntary admission status whenever medically feasible;
9and
10 WHEREAS, there is a high prevalence of comorbidity between mental illness and
11substance use disorders as stress acts as a neurological link between both diseases; and
12 WHEREAS, the risk factors that contribute to mental illness and substance use
13disorders include genetic vulnerabilities, epigenetic influences, environmental influences,
14childhood trauma, and other biological and socioeconomic components; and
15 WHEREAS, the office of behavioral health facilitates the provision of crisis care
16through ten local governing entities, the human service districts, and authorities of this state
17that are currently making efforts to treat and manage community behavioral health issues;
18and
19 WHEREAS, understanding how individuals with mental illness and substance use
20disorders flow through different systems of crisis care would help the state behavioral health
21agency to achieve better service coordination and sustainability in systems of care.
22 THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the House of Representatives of the
23Legislature of Louisiana does hereby direct the office of behavioral health of the Louisiana
24Department of Health to collect data to show the total cost associated with individuals with
25chronic untreated and under-treated serious mental illnesses and substance use disorders
26moving through various systems of crisis care and to report such data to certain legislative
27committees.
28 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the office of behavioral health of the LDH shall
29submit the data collected in accordance with this Resolution in the form of a report to the
30House Committee on Appropriations and the House Committee on Health and Welfare no
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HR NO. 57
1later than sixty days prior to the convening of the 2022 Regular Session of the Legislature
2of Louisiana.
3 BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that a copy of this Resolution be transmitted to the
4secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HR 57 Original 2021 Regular Session Duplessis
Directs the office of behavioral health of the Louisiana Department of Health (LDH) to
collect data relative to certain mental illness and substance use crisis care.
Requests LDH to report data findings in the form of a report to the House Committee on
Appropriations and House Committee on Health and Welfare.
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