HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers are concerned about teenagers’ access to mental health care in a state where suicide is one of the leading causes of death for residents under 18. ADVERTISING HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers are concerned about
HONOLULU (AP) — Hawaii lawmakers are concerned about teenagers’ access to mental health care in a state where suicide is one of the leading causes of death for residents under 18.
Lawmakers in the House Judiciary Committee are considering a bill Tuesday to lower the age of consent from 18 to 12 to receive mental health services. The bill would give mental health professionals the ability to decide whether to involve parents when treating minors deemed mature enough to seek services.
The Hawaii Department of Health says about 20 other states have passed similar laws. Center for Disease Control data shows Hawaii is in the top 10 states with the highest suicide attempt rates for teens.
Yet some individuals and nonprofits were concerned the bill would undermine parents’ rights if they weren’t aware of their children getting treatment.
“Doesn’t it divide and cause greater friction between the child and parent?” said James “Duke” Aiona, Jr., the president of nonprofit Hawaii Family Advocates.
But supporters say the bill is important for teens who need treatment without their parents’ consent for problems like family sexual abuse. They say it can also help lesbian, gay, bisexual or transgender teens if their families aren’t willing to discuss issues surrounding sexual identity.
“In order to potentially save a life, it’s important for them to be able to get services,” Judith Clark, executive director of Hawaii Youth Services Network.
This comes a day after lawmakers moved forward with a resolution to request an audit of the state’s Child and Adolescent Mental Health Division, which provides mental health care to minors. Lawmakers say the division was given $63 million to operate in fiscal year 2016-2017.
The resolution says lawmakers have major concerns about the lack of residential treatment programs on neighbor islands. Right now, there are only two mental health facilities for teens in the state, both of which are on Oahu.
Susan Callahan Kang says her son, Aron, was sent to Kansas because there weren’t enough mental health services in Hawaii. He has suffered from a range of mental health conditions and struggled to find adequate treatment in the islands.
But Kang’s son isn’t alone, and state data shows more teens are being sent out of state for care in recent years.
“These are all lost kids that have fallen through the cracks,” Kang said.
