Crisco honored for work on mental health law

 State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., center, with Keep The Promise Vice-Chairs Paul Acker and Kristie Barber. /Contributed photo

HARTFORD - State Sen. Joseph J. Crisco, Jr., D-Woodbridge, was honored Thursday by a mental health advocacy group for his commitment to helping expand the services that certain health insurance policies must cover for mental and nervous conditions.

The Keep the Promise Coalition honored Crisco with its 2015 Legislative Leadership Award “in recognition of your legislative leadership to improve and protect the mental health system for people living with health challenges.”

“We understand it is the governor and the legislature who make the budgets that can make or break what we live,” said Keep The Promise Vice-Chair Kristie Barber. “We are here to thank Senator Crisco today for his pivotal support.”

“There’s an old saying that goes, if you make one person’s life easier, you have been successful. The Keep The Promise Coalition has made many people’s lives successful, and I am happy to have played a small role in that success,” Crisco said.

That support that Crisco was lauded for includes not only his vote for state funding for mental health programs, but also Crisco’s lead role in drafting and passing Senate Bill 1085, “An Act Concerning Health Insurance Coverage for Mental or Nervous Conditions.”

Under this new law, insurance policies’ coverage for mental or nervous conditions must include general inpatient hospitalization and outpatient hospital services, psychiatric inpatient hospitalization and outpatient hospital services, intensive outpatient services, and partial hospitalization.

Keep The Promise is a Connecticut Coalition of advocates (people living with mental illness, family members, mental health professionals and interested community members) dedicated to ensuring that a comprehensive, community mental health system is created and sustained for children, adults and families in Connecticut.

The Keep the Promise coalition was formed in 1999 by people living with mental illness, family members, providers and other advocates; it advocates for focusing on cost- effective, preventative, early intervention and community mental health services, supports and housing.


This is a press release from Crisco's office.