Consuelo Hernandez Takes on the State's Mental Health Crisis, One Bill at a Time

For State Representative Consuelo Hernandez (D-AZ), fixing Arizona's broken mental health system isn't just policy; it's personal to the families she says have been failed for too long.

She is celebrating two bills now heading to Governor Katie Hobbs' (D-AZ) desk, each targeting a different crack in how Arizona handles mental illness behind bars and inside the courts.

"HB 2673 was inspired by Joshua Fox," she said. "The Fox family has been coming down to the legislature for many years because their son Joshua took his own life in one of our jails here in the state of Arizona."

It's a story that reflects a much broader problem in Arizona's jails and prisons, which have quietly become some of the largest providers of mental health care in the state, a reality Hernandez calls deeply frustrating for families watching loved ones fall through the cracks.

HB 2673 targets the critical first hours after someone with mental illness is booked into jail. Sheriffs would be required to have any prisoner showing signs of a mental disorder examined by a licensed physician within 24 hours.

Anyone already on medication or in treatment before their arrest would be entitled to continued, uninterrupted care. If a physician determines someone poses a danger to themselves or others, a formal evaluation must follow.

Rising Reports on Mental Health

Additionally, reports show Arizona's Medicaid program currently serves more than 65,000 people designated as severely mentally ill, a number that has climbed over 50 percent since 2015.

Many cycle repeatedly through jails, emergency rooms, and streets, each time missing a meaningful opportunity for intervention.

The second bill, HB 2923, shifts focus to the courts, strengthening the rights of patients already under court-ordered mental health treatment.

It guarantees the right to judicial review, requires attorneys be appointed for unrepresented patients, and mandates that individuals are reminded of their legal rights every 60 days.

Furthering the concern, Hernandez made clear that neither bill happened in a vacuum, crediting constituents who showed up, called, and wrote letters.

"It takes a lot of effort, and I really do appreciate everyone," she said.