State Hospital progress praised
By Curtis Lum
Advertiser Staff Writer
U.S. District Judge David Ezra said the state has made "substantial progress" in meeting a court order to improve conditions and services at the Hawai'i State Hospital and that he looked forward to the day when he can dismiss the case.
Ezra made those comments yesterday after he adopted a plan that calls for improvements in community-based services for the mentally ill. The plan was developed by court-appointed special master U.S. Magistrate Kevin Chang, the U.S. Justice Department, state attorney general's office and the Department of Health.
Ezra last year accepted a similar plan to address living conditions and services at the State Hospital. Yesterday, he praised the second part of the omnibus plan that addresses the needs of the mentally ill once they are released from the hospital.
Although he applauded the parties for developing the plan, Ezra couched his enthusiasm and said the state must now see the plan through. He said he was concerned that the Legislature may underfinance or not appropriate any money for the programs because of the state's tough economic situation.
"This progress is not to be seen as an opportunity to take the state mental health system and Hawai'i State Hospital and put them on the back shelf for another day," Ezra said. "These are obligations that the state needs to meet. We cannot leave these people behind."
Still, Ezra's comments were a far cry from his scathing words in May 2001 when he threatened to put the hospital under federal control because the state had not made significant improvements. In a move that fell shy of a court takeover, Ezra appointed Chang to serve as "special master" to oversee the hospital's efforts to improve conditions.
Deputy Attorney General Ann Andreas said it will take about two years to develop the services contained in the plan. She said the system will be evaluated during this period to determine if the state is in compliance.
"I think it's a tremendous amount of progress," Andreas said. "The court is now not talking about taking over the system. Judge Ezra expressed confidence today that if this plan is truly implemented, he will be able to dismiss this case."
Andreas said she did not know how much money would be needed to pay for the programs.
The State Hospital has been monitored by the Justice Department since 1991, when the agency sued the state to improve conditions and staffing at the facility.
But progress had been slow, and Ezra said in 2001 that if compliance was not reached in a "reasonable time," he would take the "final step" of a court takeover.
But that step was not taken. The two plans were developed under Chang's direction and accepted by Ezra.
Paul Aucoin, special counsel to the attorney general, said the "omnibus plan" will "provide a blueprint for the state to follow to get the State Hospital out of litigation."
The community-based plan is broken down into five "core areas": case management and support services, treatment services, crisis services, community housing services, and psychosocial rehabilitation services, which includes employment programs.
One of the goals is to link the State Hospital with community mental health centers so care for patients can be coordinated once they leave the hospital, Andreas said. Another is to make mental health services more accessible, she said.
To do this, a toll-free number has been created that can be accessed 24 hours a day.
"The plan deals with building up a structure for delivering community mental health services," Andreas said. "In each county, the community mental health centers will be strengthened so they can provide a wide array of services so the people won't have to stay in the hospital to get mental health services."
