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PA Bulletin, Doc. No. 17-164

NOTICES

Closure of Norristown State Hospital Civil Section; Public Hearing

[47 Pa.B. 549]
[Saturday, January 28, 2017]

 The Department of Human Services (Department) will hold a public hearing on the closure of the civil section of Norristown State Hospital, Montgomery County, on January 31, 2017, at 1001 Sterigere Street, Norristown Hospital, Building 33, Norristown, PA. The hearing is scheduled to begin at 2:30 p.m. According to the Mental Health or Mental Retardation Facility Closure Act (50 P.S. §§ 8001—8006), the Department is required to hold a public hearing on any State mental health or mental retardation facility within 30 days following a reduction of 20% or more in resident/patient census or staff complement or a closure announcement.

 The Department operates six State hospitals with services for individuals with mental illness. In the last 20 years, the State hospital population has decreased by 70%, from nearly 5,000 people to 1,568 today (1,107 in civil units, 159 in the restoration center, 237 in forensic units and 65 in the Sexual Responsibility and Treatment Program) Norristown's civil unit currently serves 122 individuals.

 During the closure process, the Department will also temporarily repurpose some civil beds at Norristown to create ''forensic step down or transition'' beds for those individuals committed through the criminal justice system to the forensic section of the Norristown campus. By repurposing the civil beds, the Department will improve the timeliness and quality of treatment for individuals needing forensic restoration services to enable them to return to referring jurisdictions or transition to other appropriate levels of care. The closures are expected to take approximately 18 to 24 months to complete as residents transition to the community.

 Individuals or organizations wishing to testify or provide comments are asked to register by Friday, January 27, 2017, by contacting Helen Brennan, Norristown State Hospital, (610) 313-1014, hbrennan@pa.gov. Written comments can be submitted by e-mail to RA-PWOMHSASComm@pa.gov. Individuals requiring a special accommodation are asked to inform the Department at the time of scheduling.

THEODORE DALLAS, 
Secretary

[Pa.B. Doc. No. 17-164. Filed for public inspection January 27, 2017, 9:00 a.m.]


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