The way in which state-level decisions affect mental health care in Orange County was the subject of the meeting. North Carolina has been reforming the mental health care system across the state in response to the 1999 Supreme Court Olmstead decision.
The Olmstead decision, according to the Orange-Person-Chatham Foundation for Mental Health, states that "the Americans with Disabilities Act requires that people with disabilities be served in the community rather than in institutions where possible."
The ruling affected North Carolina because it predominantly has used institutional care for people with mental health problems.
Tom Maynard, area director of the OPC Foundation for Mental Health, was the keynote speaker for the evening and addressed the board almost for the entirety of the meeting.
"When I was asked about the need for reform ... I said the system is broken and that the status quo is not good enough," Maynard said in his introductory statement.
The board members seemed to agree with Maynard, stressing the need for reform tailored to Orange County. Board member Margaret Brown suggested a system be set up in Orange County that could coordinate many of the county's services and agencies for the purposes of serving those with mental health problems.
Maynard reminded the board that, "We're supposed to help people live normal lives in the community." He said it is not always the lack of available medical care that makes it difficult for individuals with mental health problems to live in the community.
Often other services, such as affordable housing and employment, are not readily available to those with mental health difficulties. Maynard said many institutionalized people do not necessarily need that level of care.
"An awful lot of people can live effectively in independent living," Maynard said. "I've seen people that were hospitalized for 20 years coming out and living effectively."
