I am a concerned mental health professional.  I find it contradictory that the proposed regulations limit clients who have not had prior history of hospitalization, when they have received support which has prevented them from hospitalization.  Consumers have been maintaining progress in the community with the support of MHSS and now without it are at risk of hospitalization – or jail, causing increased cost to the community.  These proposed changes affect consumers with severe mental illness that have decreased support system.  Now due to the changes they might be losing the only support they have.  One should consider the severity of consequences to the consumer and the likely hood of increased cost and figure another way to manage the regulations that are already in place.

The other concern is that the clients the proposed changes are limiting MHSS are diagnosed with severe mental illness and are not accurate reporters due to severity of mediations, memory issues, and severity of symptoms.  There is decreased likelihood that clients will be able to verbalize dates and locations to obtaining now needed documentation.  Also, with severe Mental Illness there is increased likelihood of increasing symptoms by asking for documentation which might also jeopardize therapeutic relationships.

It seems to me that these regulations impact the ability to provide services to consumers who are reporting increased symptoms and thoughts of self-harm yet have no history of hospitalization.  What kind of ethical implications will this have if we have to discontinue providing services to clients who are at risk?