Bazelon Center Commends Lawmakers for Work on Transition Issues for Young Adults with Mental Illnesses

June 25, 2008—The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law commends Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR) and Representative Pete Stark (D-CA) for their leadership in efforts to assist young adults with serious mental illnesses in making a successful transition into adulthood. Senator Smith and Representative Stark had asked the Government Accountability Office (GAO) to explore the challenges facing these youth. The Healthy Transitions Act, introduced today in both houses of Congress, is a welcome response to the GAO findings

Young adults with serious mental illnesses must overcome many hurdles in obtaining access to health care, employment, housing and other essential services and supports. When they “age out” of the children’s service system, they encounter myriad eligibility rules—all different—across a range of federal programs. They must have assistance to foster resiliency and promote recovery as they move into adulthood.

The Healthy Transitions Act will provide planning and implementation grants to assist states in developing a coordinated service-delivery system that can help young adults with a serious mental illness to obtain the resources, knowledge and independent life skills that are vital in adulthood. By facilitating access to such services through infrastructure development and technical assistance, states can enable young adults to experience continuity of critical services and avoid “falling through the cracks”.

The Bazelon Center calls upon members of Congress in both houses to support the Healthy Transitions Act.