Missouri lawmakers are looking at a mental health bill called the Care Before Predictable Harm Act.
It’s sponsored by State Rep. Tricia Byrnes, R-Wentzville.
The measure would let families and professionals seek treatment sooner—before someone becomes an imminent danger—by using a “predictable harm” standard instead.
Byrnes told Missourinet that a lot of people don’t realize that prison is the place that provides mental health care now.
“There’s no way to contain them. Sometimes they say, ‘Well, we don’t know if it’s really a mental health thing or if it’s a severe drug abuse substance issue,’” said Byrnes. “Well, you can’t make them go to a rehab center, so you end up in this loop. And so, families either get stuck having to be the warden, the nurse, the caretaker.”
While there is mental health centers open around the state, many local sheriffs say the waiting list is sometimes years long.
Byrnes told Missourinet that the urgency is underscored by the recent Rob Reiner case, where his son has been charged in the stabbing deaths of his parents in Los Angeles.
Byrnes said California laws are similar to Missouri and this case is a perfect example of why prevention and early access matter for Missouri families.
“This guy experienced homelessness, substance abuse and massive mental health issues,” said Byrnes. “We need to have the ability to have due process but intervene when somebody is putting themselves in imminent danger.”
Byrnes told Missourinet that she has heard push back from some people who say someone should not have to undergo medical treatment without their permission.
“And that’s the most ridiculous thing I’ve ever heard,” said Byrnes. “We do it every day. If somebody’s in a car accident and they’re unconscious, we save the person. But when somebody cannot help them at all, we say, ‘Well, it doesn’t matter if they’re in psychosis. They’re choosing to not get help. They’re choosing to sleep on the streets frozen. We’re just going to look away.’”
Byrnes said the bill makes clear that treatment should happen in a clinical setting under court supervision—not as a condition of incarceration.
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