by Mindy Aguon

Guam - A public hearing on legislation that seeks to ensure that the Department of Mental Health provides adequate services to those in our community who need it most lasted less than 20 minutes. The Legislative Committee on Healthcare called off the hearing after realizing that stakeholders are not on the same page.

"We've given it a thorough review in house, and we feel that it meets the mandates of the injunction," noted Mental Health director Wilfred Aflague, testifying in support of Bill 465. The measure seeks to adopt a wait list policy and procedures for the agency to ensure there's a plan for consumers who receive services. Officials have been drafting that set of policies and procedures for the last seven years, and in spite of a permanent injunction nothing has been finalized and agreed upon.

While Aflague said he supported the bill that was introduced at Mental Health's request, the federal management team's Dr. James Kiffer told lawmakers he didn't really have an opinion. "We were under the impression that this was generated by the attorneys involved, at leas the two, Mr. [Daniel] Somerfleck and Mr. [James] Casey. There were changes that were suggested that were rejected," he stated.

Dr. Kiffer said if the policy and procedures needed to be redone then they would do that, but if lawmakers wanted to pass it he was fine with that, too. "The things that the clinical team wanted to change were not changed and they said well we can live with this document. This is a livable document. There's other changes they would like to make. It's a complicated document, a complicated process, so I think anybody that looks at it will suggest changes to it," he shared.

Attorney Somerfleck however wanted to make one thing very clear, saying, "I did not put a single word in this document. I talked about it. I presented this document and I talked about the thought process and the difference between the two but I did not and would not after the round of criticism I received from the clinicians, about an attorney drafting a policy and procedure, write a single word on the revised policy."

And with that. lawmakers said they were uncomfortable moving forward with the public hearing and presenting the bill to their colleagues. Vice Speaker B.J. Cruz said, "We shouldn't be moving forward with this with you coming forward saying your suggestions, all the clinician's suggestions were summarily discarded."