Hearing Considers Putting Milwaukee Mental Health Under Different Oversight Board

Milwaukee County’s troubled mental health system was under the microscope at a public hearing yesterday discussing changing who has oversight of the system.

Critics of the Milwaukee County Mental Health Complex say too many patients are brought in for emergency services time and time again, instead of getting ongoing community care. In 2012, six patients died, including Brandon Johnson, who died of complications from a broken neck.

Johnson’s mother, Alicia Johnson, asked for the facility to be closed down. “I’d just hate for another family to go through what I’m going through. I suffer everyday about my son.”

A bill authored by Republicans state Rep. Joe Sanfelippo (R-West Allis), and state Sen. Leah Vukmir (R-Wauwatosa) takes oversight of mental health services away from the Milwaukee County Board and gives it to an appointed board of medical professionals. Sanfelippo says the new board would reflect the community they serve, but state Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Milwaukee) questioned whether the appointed medical professionals would be minorities, or simply have served minority patients.

“[The bill] says nothing about that they themselves need to be African-American or Latino or native or different genders,” Pasch said. “We know there aren’t a lot of African American [health] providers.”

The bill also calls for regular audits of Milwaukee County’s mental health services. County Executive Chris Abele supports the bill taking power from the county board and says the audit will provide accountability. “Trust me: where things don’t work, we’ll do them better,” he said. “Nothing prevents us from continuing to improve this.”

But state Sen. Tim Carpenter (D-Milwaukee) was skeptical of the shift. He says the County Board is accountable because it’s elected. The bill would give the governor the power to appoint members of the oversight board.