What does it mean to have a ‘Serious & Persistent Mental Illness’ (SPMI)?
Here is more information on the definition of SPMI and how this may qualify an individual for additional mental health services to assist the individual in being successful in their recovery journey.
Mental Illness:
“Mental illness” means an organic disorder of the brain or a clinically significant disorder of thought, mood, perception, orientation, memory, or behavior. These thoughts, moods, perception, memory or behavior in return cause impairments in a persons daily activities.
What is an impairment of daily living:
For example, someone may struggle with depression and isolate (a symptom of depression) which causes the person to not leave the house for work or school. They may get written up at work or lose their employment. Or, they may fall behind on classes which results in failing.
For example, an individual may experience anxiety and have several worry thoughts that prevent them participating in family events, going to school, trying something new, going to work, or going to school. As a result they may lose relationships, lose their employment, fail classes, etc.
These are example of impairments that someone with a mental health condition may experience. There are many other types of impairments that people may experience as well.
Acute Mental Illness:
An “adult with acute mental illness” means an adult who has a mental illness that is serious enough to require prompt intervention.
Adult Community Support Program (CSP) Services:
For purposes of case management and community support services, a “person with serious and persistent mental illness” means an adult who has a mental illness and meets at least one of the following criteria:
- The adult has undergone two or more episodes of inpatient care for a mental illness within the preceding 24 months;
- The adult has experienced a continuous psychiatric hospitalization or residential treatment exceeding six months’ duration within the preceding 12 months;
- The adult has been treated by a crisis team two or more times within the preceding 24 months;
- The adult:
- has a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, schizoaffective disorder, or borderline personality disorder;
- indicates a significant impairment in functioning; and
- has a written opinion from a mental health professional, in the last three years, stating that the adult is reasonably likely to have future episodes requiring inpatient or residential treatment, of a frequency described in clause (1) or (2), unless ongoing case management or community support services are provided;
- The adult has, in the last three years, been committed by a court as a person who is mentally ill under chapter 253B, or the adult’s commitment has been stayed or continued;
- The adult (i) was eligible under clauses (1) to (5), but the specified time period has expired or the adult was eligible as a child under section 245.4871, subdivision 6; and (ii) has a written opinion from a mental health professional, in the last three years, stating that the adult is reasonably likely to have future episodes requiring inpatient or residential treatment, of a frequency described in clause (1) or (2), unless ongoing case management or community support services are provided; or
- The adult was eligible as a child under section 245.4871, subdivision 6, and is age 21 or younger.
For more information please visit Minnesota State Statue Website: https://www.revisor.mn.gov/statutes/cite/245.462