The Wyoming Senate is working on a bill that is intended to reform how people can be involuntarily detained in a mental health crisis. The system is known as Title 25.
The legislation is attempting to give courts the ability to order people to undergo outpatient treatment and ensure there’s someone to monitor those released from a mental health hold.
Cheyenne Attorney Linda Burt said she has serious concerns with the legislation, mainly because it lacks adequate funding. She noted other states that have outpatient commitment also have lots of services.
"They have transportation, they have housing, they have prescription drug care, they have all the wraparound services that they need. And that’s the problem, we don’t have those wraparound services," said Burt.
She added that there is not enough oversight from the Department of Health in the bill. Lawmakers are trying to address the large number of people who are being detained in a mental health crisis and slow down the numbers of them who are sent to another community to get services. The bill will be debated two more times.
