Bill B25-0692 on DBH reforms needs disability community involvement

 This past week, DRDC-ULS (see DC disability-related organizations and terminology) brought to my attention a proposed bill, B25-0692 – now before the DC council’s Committee on Health (see B25-0692 DC council page) - which, among other things, would extend emergency involuntary detention at psychiatric facilities such as the notorious Psychiatric Institute of Washington.  The bill contains a number of other provisions as well that advocates in the hearing considered unnecessary (already possible under existing safeguards) and damaging to individual rights.  The council has not yet voted on this bill, which contains a number of provisions that could harm people with developmental disabilities in our city.  Please take the opportunity to review the video of the July 11 hearing on the bill starting around minute 50 in the- Video of July 11 hearing - in which Jaclyn Verner of DRDC-ULS (around 1 hour and 45 minutes into the video) and others raised serious issues with the bill.  

Please write and express your concern to committee chair Christina Henderson about the bill by writing to her here: chenderson@dccouncil.gov.  Ask her, at a bare minimum, to hold up the bill until a joint hearing with the committee on facilities and family services, chaired by councilmember Janeese Lewis George, can be arranged. The large number of dually-diagnosed people finding their way into psychiatric facilities requires this broader consideration.

Write chenderson@dccouncil.gov today to delay voting on B25-0692 and allow for a more thoughtful assessment of needed reforms at the Department on Behavioral Health.