March 31, 2010 The Honorable Theodore R. Kulongoski

March 31, 2010
The Honorable Theodore R. Kulongoski

Governor

State Capitol, Room 254

900 Court Street NE

Salem, OR 97301-4047
Dear Governor Kulongoski:
Oregon Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry would like to make a final attempt to encourage your veto of SB 1046 for the following reasons:

1. 
   The final bill was not subject to public debate or expert testimony
   

2. 
   The psychology lobby has consistently demonstrated gross disregard for the complexity and risks of prescribing to children and the elderly. OCCAP and others repeatedly brought up these concerns in testimony and letters to members of the house and senate health care committees, and the committee that worked on the language of 1046. I asked the proponents to leave children out of this bill, but they have confidently moved forward.
   

3. 
   Oversight by the BME in this case is fraught with overt political pressure, funding complexity and a myriad of implementation challenges.
   

4. 
   The plan coerces medical professionals and the BME to participate in a process to which they are strongly opposed. There are more voting psychologists than MDs on the committee assigned to develop the training model. This raises serious doubt that that the outcome will maintain fidelity to a medical model of training.
   

5. 
   Dr. Kirk Wolf and I serve on the Children’s System Advisory Committee (CSAC) and I served on the committee to implement HB 3114 (foster child prescribing bill). Psychology prescribing did not enter any discussions as a solution to the mental health needs of children in our state. To the contrary, professionals, family members and transition age youth spoke/speak passionately to the failed system issues which have led repeatedly to an overreliance on psychotropic medications.
   

Governor, the lack of regard for the safety of children in this entire process reflects how dangerous and poorly conceived this bill remains. This is reason enough to exercise your veto.

Respectfully yours,
Ajit N. Jetmalani, MD

President Oregon Council of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Director of Education, Division of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry

Oregon Health & Science University.