Running head: “BRIEF THE MAYOR” 1

Assignment 1: “Brief the Mayor”

Amanda Weissman

Professor Stacy Kratz

02/02/2015

University of Southern California

Part A: Legislation and Political Context: What is the “Elevator Speech” Overview?

Connecticut Democratic Senator Richard Blumenthal introduced the proposed

piece of legislation, S.2872 – Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of

2014, on September 18th, 2014. This policy is fairly new having only been read twice in

Congress and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary (Blumenthal, 2014). This

legislation is a comprehensive proposal that will not only benefit everyone on a federal

level, but calls for action in state and local agencies. This bill includes 6 titles: Title I –

Strengthening and Improving Intervention Efforts, Title II – Improving Mental Health

Research, Title III: Understanding the Epidemic of Gun Violence, Title IV: Mental

Health and Access to Firearms, Title V: Restoration, and Title VI: Submission of Mental

Health Records to National Instant Criminal Background Check System.

Title I requires that the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), a

federal program, establish a program that awards grants to states, nonprofit private

agencies, and political subdivisions to allow for mental health crisis assistance programs.

It also calls for the Public Health Service Act to be amended to include a community

children and violence program to assist local communities and schools in applying a

public health approve to mental health services. These community and school mental

health programs would be funded by the Act. The title authorizes the Attorney General to

award grants to establish or expand comprehensive veteran treatment court programs that

include mental health and substance abuse treatment services, alternatives to

incarceration, housing, transportation, education, and job training. Grants will also be

awarded by the Attorney General to enhance the capabilities of correctional facilities to

screen for mentally ill inmates, provide assessments of the medical, clinical,

Running head: “BRIEF THE MAYOR"

psychological, and social needs of inmates while educating and training employees on

how to identify and respond to inmates suffering from mental health and substance abuse

disorders.

Title II advocates for the Secretary to expand research on self-directed and other-

directed violence that is associated with mental illnesses. Title III requires the Secretary

to implement the National Violent Death Reporting to all 50 states and requires the

Center of Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to include research to address gun

violence. Title IV amends the federal criminal code to prohibit the sales, purchase,

transport, or possession of firearms or ammunitions to person committed to a mental

institution or involuntary inpatient/outpatient basis. The Attorney General would

establish a system for the prompt notification of state and local enforcement agencies by

the National Instant Criminal Background Check System (NICS) whom would notify a

licensed dealer that an individual is trying to purchase a prohibited firearm.

Title V amends the NICS Improvement Amends Act of 2007 to allow for an

individual adjudicated to a mental health disorder or committed to a mental institution to

apply for the restoration of firearms ownership after one year by receiving an approving

opinion of a psychiatrist or licensed clinical psychologist. Finally, Title VI requires the

Director of the Bureau of Justice Statistics to report yearly to Congress of the number of

individuals reported by each state to NICS prohibited from purchasing and/or possessing

a firearm based on history of domestic violence (Blumenthal, 2014).

Since this legislative piece is fairly new and recently got referred to the

Committee of Judiciary, there is not adequate information on opposition of this policy

piece; However, due to the controversy of firearm possession and mental health stigma in

Running head: “BRIEF THE MAYOR"

this

country, there is sure to be opposition to the passing of this legislation providing it can

pass to the next stage of becoming a bill and ultimately enacted into law. As stated, this

bill is still in the stage of having been referred to the Committee on the Judiciary and is

awaiting Committee review.

Although this policy lacks adequate information on opposing opinions, there are

several prominent associations and coalitions that support this legislation. The American

Psychological Association (APA) sent a letter of support to Senator Blumenthal

supporting his efforts to reform and improve mental health systems’ response to gun

violence and violence prevention. APA supports this policy initiative because the APA

supports a strong commitment to gun violence prevention and violence prevention

research (“APA Applauds Efforts to Bolster Mental Health Systems’ Response to

Violence,” n.d.). Also, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice (CJJ) supports this piece of

legislation and tracks it on their website (“113th Congress.”, n.d.). The CJJ’s core

principles include promoting the role of prevention and ensuring school engagement,

which aligns with the efforts of S. 2872.

Part B: Problem Analysis: Why is this Bill/Policy Important? Why Should the

Mayor Care?

[1] One of the main issues this piece of legislation addresses is the provided

prevention and assistance for children dealing with mental health issues caused by trauma

and/or violence. This is a prominent issue within our society. Public health officials have

concurred that violence is one of the most significant US public health issues (Centers for

Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control,

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2011.) In the last 10 years, there has been more awareness given to the extent that which

children are exposed to violence. A large number of children have experienced violence

and therefore experience symptoms of distress after personally witnessing violence

against others, such as Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (Stein et al., 2003, pg. 604). Not

only are there a significant number of children suffering from PTSD due to violence

exposure, the effects go beyond mental illnesses. In addition, children experience poorer

school performance, poor school attendance, and lower self-esteem (Hurt, Malmud,

Brodsky, & Giannetta, 2001, pg. 1354). Furthermore, exposure to violence can interfere

with important developmental milestones needed for children and adolescents (Stein et

al., 2003, pg. 604).

One of the more specific types of violence children are exposed to is gun

violence. This type of violence places children and adolescents’ mental health at risk. The

exposure to gun violence by children is more common than one would assume. Slovak

(2002) found that almost one in four youths reported to having been exposed to a gun

pointing, while one in four have witnessed this event (pg. 105). Even further, Slovak

found that one in eight children have become a victim of gun violence and one in six

were a witness to this event (Slovak, 2002, pg.107).

Gun violence is now considered an epidemic around the United States. In 2011,

there were 467,321 persons who were victims of a crime committed with a firearm. Also,

data collected by the FBI shows that firearms were used in 68 percent of murders, 41

percent of robbery crimes, and 21 percent of aggravated assaults around the country

(“Gun Violence,” n.d.). In the Central Valley of California alone, there is abundance of

violent crimes committed by the use of firearms. In 2013, 100 defendants were charged

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with federal firearm offenses by the US Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of

California – 34 of the offenses being in Fresno, California ((USAO), n.d.).

Experts and officials agree there is a connection between gun violence and mental

health. The CDC estimates that from the 20,000 suicides by firearms annually, 45 percent

of them are results of mental health illnesses. With respect to violence towards others, 13

percent are due to a serious mental health illness (Kramer & Verhulst, 2013, pg.34). It is

evident when you look at the correctional facilities across the country. A recent estimate

presented that around 321,000 individuals in correctional facilities suffer from severe

mental illness (Kramer & Verhulst, 2013, pg.35). From these statistics alone, one can see

the correlation between the dangers of firearms and individuals suffering from severe

mental illnesses.

Another population, which the legislation addresses within the context of violence

and mental health illnesses, are veterans. Veterans account for a large portion of the

United States – 25 million to be exact. Research has shown that veterans who suffer from

PTSD are more likely to engage in violence (Allen, 2000, pg. 3). Individuals who suffer

from PTSD are more likely to report owning large numbers of firearms within their

household. More importantly, these individuals consistently reported a high incidence of

dangerous behaviors with these firearms including considering suicide with a gun and

aiming firearms at family members and friends (Freeman, 2001, pg. 320). As Allen

(2000) articulately put, “The cycle of violence will continue unless we as a public health

community ensure that the systemic and cultural barriers to victim assistance are

removed” (pg.3).

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These social problems affect communities as a whole. Communities can take on different

meanings, whether they are a local community such as a town or certain area of town, or

individuals suffering from mental health illnesses. In respect to this legislative piece, the

community is defined as individuals suffering from mental health illnesses that are

directly linked to gun violence which include children, adolescents, veterans, and adults.

[2] The impact that this legislation or similar legislations could have on the

community presented would be profound. As previously stated, the community

encompasses individuals suffering from mental health illnesses that are directly linked to

gun violence which includes children, adolescents, veterans, and adults.

Looking at gun violence exposure to children, Hallam (2001) states the need for

awareness perfectly. He says, “The lack of recognition of distress in young children

exposed to violence is critical to rectify” (pg. 1355). The legislative policy, S. 2872,

would address this issue. The policy would call for mental health programs within the

schools to address trauma and violence. It would also call for the Public Health Service

Act to be amended to revise a community children and violence program that would help

assist local schools and communities in applying a public health approach to this

problem. Stein at el. (2003) performed a randomized controlled study on effectiveness of

psychological interventions on children who had witnessed violence and displayed

symptoms of PTSD. They found that in only a three-month intervention, children showed

significantly lower self-reported PTSD symptoms (Stein at el., 2003, pg. 609). This study

shows that with the help of intervention and preventative measures, mental health for

children and adolescents exposed to violence would improve, thus improving school

performance and self-esteem.

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Another area of concern the legislation addresses is the mental health and

resources veterans need in society. The legislative policy would help establish mental

health treatment services and basis services such as housing, transportation, and job

training for veterans suffering with mental illnesses. Allen (2000) explains that without

adequate attention to the needs of veterans, communities will continue to be plagued with

violence and other issues (Allen, 2000, pg. 3). In a study conducted by Freeman & Roca

(2001), researchers assessed the gun usage and belief towards violence of a sample group

of veterans suffering from PTSD. The findings supported the importance of a

comprehensive psychiatric history that takes into account a PTSD-diagnosed combat

veteran's gun usage (pg. 317). Therefore, this study exemplifies the need for gun

regulation in respects to people who suffer from mental health illnesses.

Overall, gun violence is the perpetrator that perpetuates negative outcomes within

this community. This legislative piece would address the concern of gun control and

provide restrictions to certain populations that would prevent violence exposure to

children and unsafe usage to veterans. Focusing on gun prevention in the public health

scope will bring a strong emphasis to identifying programs that prevent violent behavior,

injuries, and deaths. If there needs to be questions regarding the effects of prevention

programs, one can simply look at smoking cigarettes. Americans suffer far less now than

in the past from chronic diseases associated with smoking because of investments in

prevention. An investment in violence prevention is essential for the same measurable

progress (Mercy, Rosenberg, Powell, Broome, & Roper, 1993, Pg. 20). Unfortunately,

very few states have pursued to take serious effort to look beyond outdated federal

standards in place of the purchase of firearms by the mentally ill. As evident, more needs

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to

be done by federal and state lawmakers alike (Guns & Mental Health., n.d.). Gun

prevention would start by placing restrictions on their possession and purchases, which

will help the prevention implementation.

Part C: Existing Resources to Deal with Problem

Due to the recent realization of the gun violence epidemic within America, there

are multiple existing resources within the community to help prevent and educate about

gun violence, but there still remains a controversy as to whether gun violence is

associated with mental health illnesses. Many oppositional beliefs argue that mental

health illnesses do not affect gun violence but as presented in this paper’s findings, that

belief is not statistically accurate.

There are some preventative methods that are recommended by the American

Psychological Association (APA) that would help bring resources to this comprehensive

community. For those at risk for violence, access to mental health resources would help

prevent gun violence. Also, all-encompassing local community programs would helps

promote healthy environments and development for children and adolescents, specifically

for those suffering from mental illnesses and trauma (APA Report on Gun Violence

Identifies Precursors and Promising Solutions., n.d.).

Veterans need resources as well. Currently, there are multiple resources for

veterans to take advantage of, including the Veterans Affairs (VA) office and National

Institute of Mental Health’s (NAMI) Veterans and Military Resources Center. Although

these programs offer help to veterans in need, they do not address all the social and

psychological issues veterans are currently facing. Comprehensive, local, and/or state

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programs that would help address alternatives to incarcerations, job training,

transportation, mental health and substance abuse disorders would help accommodate

positive change in addressing the challenges veterans face on a daily basis.

Part D: Stakeholders: Getting Down to the “Politics” of the Issue

Currently, there is only one Senator and sponsor of S. 2782, which is Senator

Blumenthal from Connecticut. There are groups that support this piece of legislation such

as the American Psychological Association and Coalition for Juvenile Justice. There is no

opposition for this policy, although gun control and mental health remain controversial

topics. There are some stakeholders who are already interested in gun control such as

New York mayor Michael Bloomberg who recently launched a $50 million gun control

effort (Blake, 2014). There are programs that would be interested in this legislation, some

of which include the National Institute of Mental Health and the Brady Campaign whose

mission is to end gun violence.

There are some efforts from mayors around the state of California as well. In

September, the LA Times reported that 69 mayors across the state of California are

urging the governor, Jerry Brown, to sign a legislation that would make it easier to

temporarily remove guns from individuals that are a danger to themselves or others

(McGreevy, 2014). This is great progress, but it is not enough. There needs to be more

effort to prevent gun purchases and possession to people who are suffering from mental

illness to not only make the community safer, but to prevent trauma found evident in

children and adolescents who are exposed to violence as well as veterans suffering from

mental illnesses such as PTSD. With this legislative policy, we can help address not only

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the

stigma and need for resources for mental illness suffers, but also prevent violent acts,

which would in return help those who are suffering and society as a whole.

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References

113th Congress. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://www.juvjustice.org/federal-policy/other-federal-legislation/113th-congress

Allen, C. E. (2000). Veterans, victims and violence. The Nation’s Health, 30(3), 3.

APA Applauds Efforts to Bolster Mental Health Systems’ Response to Violence. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://www.apa.org/about/gr/pi/news/2014/bolster-violence-response.aspx

APA Report on Gun Violence Identifies Precursors and Promising Solutions. (n.d.). Retrieved January 28, 2015, from http://www.apa.org/news/press/releases/2013/12/gun-violence.aspx

Blake, A. (2014, April 16). Bloomberg launches new $50 million gun control effort. The Washington Post. Retrieved from http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/post-politics/wp/2014/04/16/bloomberg-aims-to-spend-50-million-on-gun-control/

Blumenthal, R. (2014, September 18). S.2872 - 113th Congress (2013-2014): Promoting Healthy Minds for Safer Communities Act of 2014 [legislation]. Retrieved January 28, 2015, from https://www.congress.gov/bill/113th-congress/senate-bill/2872

Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Center for Injury Prevention and Control. Web-based Injury Statistics Query and Reporting System (WISQARS). (2011). Retrieved from: http://www.cdc.gov/injury/wisqars/.

Freeman, T. W., & Roca, V. (2001). Gun Use, Attitudes toward Violence, and Aggression among Combat Veterans with Chronic Posttraumatic Stress Disorder. The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 189(5), 317 – 320.

Guns & Mental Health. (n.d.). Retrieved from http://csgv.org/issues/guns-and-mental-health/

Gun Violence. (n.d.). Retrieved January 27, 2015, from http://www.nij.gov/topics/crime/gun-violence/Pages/welcome.aspx

Hurt H, Malmud E, Brodsky NL, & Giannetta J. (2001). Exposure to violence: Psychological and academic correlates in child witnesses. Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, 155(12), 1351–1356.

Kramer, D. A., & Verhulst, J. (2013). Guns, Violence, and Mental Health: Did We Close the State Mental Hospitals Prematurely? Psychiatric Times, 30(6), 34–35.

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McGreevy, P. (2014, September 3). California mayors urge governor to sign gun control bill. Los Angeles Times. Retrieved from http://www.latimes.com/local/political/la-me-pc-california-mayors-urge-governor-to-sign-gun-control-bill-20140903-story.html

Mercy, J. A., Rosenberg, M. L., Powell, K. E., Broome, C. V., & Roper, W. L. (1993). Public health policy for preventing violence. Health Affairs, 12(4), 7–29.

Stein, B.D.,Jaycox, L.H., Kataoka, S.H., Wong, M., Tu, W., Elliott, M.N., & Fink, A. (2003) A Mental Health Intervention for Schoolchildren Exposed to Violence:  A Randomized Controlled Trial. JAMA, 290(5), 603 – 611.

Slovak, K. (2002). Gun violence and children: Factors related to exposure and trauma. Health & Social Work, 27(2), 104–12.

(USAO), U. S. A. O. (n.d.). U.S. Attorney’s Office - Eastern District of California. Retrieved January 27, 2015, from http://www.justice.gov/usao/cae/news/docs/2014/2014_02/02-13-14PSN.html

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