NAMI E-News July 23, 2002 Vol. 02-86
___________________________
Spending Legislation for Mental Illness Research
FY 2003
This past week Congress began action on spending legislation for mental
illness research and services for the coming federal fiscal year that will begin
on October 1. The massive $136.7 billion FY 2003 Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations bill (S2766) includes important increases for mental illness
research and services programs, including the National Institute of Mental
Health (NIMH) and the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The bill
reported by the Senate Appropriations Committee on July 18 would allocate $5.8
billion more than President Bush requested - a 7% increase over current year
totals. The House has not begun work on its version of the Labor-HHS-Education
Appropriations bill and not expected to until after the coming August recess.
For programs of concern to NAMI - at both NIMH and CMHS - there are important
increases in the Senate bill. For biomedical research, the bill includes a $3.7
billion increase for the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - completing the
five-year bipartisan effort to double the NIH budget began in 1998 (bringing the
FY 2003 budget for NIH up to $27 billion). For CMHS, the Senate holds most
programs at their current level and accepts the President’s request for a $7
million increase for PATH. A separate appropriations bill that covers funding
for the U.S. Justice Department includes an additional $3 million in funding for
the Mental Health Courts program.
As Congress moves forward on the FY 2003 spending bill, NAMI will be pressing
members of the House Appropriations Committee and the Bush Administration on a
number of key funding priorities for research and services programs.
Specifically, NAMI will be asking that the final version of the Labor-HHS
Appropriations bill includes:
- An increase for mental illness research at the National Institute of
Mental Health (NIMH) at least equal to the overall 13.8% boost for the entire
NIH, and
- Targeted increases for key programs at CMHS such as the Mental Health
Block Grant, PATH (services for homeless individuals with mental illness) and
community action grants targeted to replication of evidence-based programs.
More details on research and services programs of concern to NAMI can be found
by viewing NAMI’s testimony to the House Appropriations Committee on the FY 2003
Labor-HHS-Education bill at:
http://www.nami.org/update/20020507.htm
NIMH
As was noted above, the Senate bill contains an overall increase for NIH of
$3.7 billion, up to $27 billion, a 13.8% increase. As noted above, this increase
would complete the five-year effort to double the NIH budget. At the same time,
the increase recommended for NIMH is below the average increase for the NIH as a
whole. Specifically, the Senate bill recommends $1.359 billion for NIMH, $111
million more than current funding or a 7.8% increase. This is the same amount
recommended by President Bush in his FY 2003 budget proposal.
CMHS
The Senate Labor-HHS-Education Appropriations bill proposes to increase
overall funding for the Center for Mental Health Services (part of the Substance
Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, SAMHSA) by $12 million in FY
2003. Below is a summary of funding levels for selected programs of concern to
children and adults with severe mental illnesses and their families:
- Mental Health Block Grant - The Senate bill proposes to freeze the Mental
Health Block Grant (a state formula grant program financing services for
adults with severe mental illnesses and children with severe emotional
disturbances) at its current level of $433 million.
- PATH - The Senate accepts the Bush Administration’s request for a $7
million increase for the PATH program (a formula grant program that funds
community-based services for homeless individuals with mental illness),
bringing funding up to $46.9 million.
- Programs of Regional and National Significance (PRNS) - The Senate bill
rejects the Bush Administration’s proposal to cut the PRNS account (CMHS’s
discretionary budget) by $7.5 million - a cut that would have been achieved by
discontinuing a number of technical assistance centers and new community
action grant programs. PRNS is the discretionary budget for CMHS, i.e. funds
under federal control of CMHS, as opposed to the Mental Health Block Grant and
PATH that are formula grant programs to the states. The Senate bill
specifically adds back $5.5 million for new and ongoing community action
grants. A number of NAMI affiliates have utilized these grants to develop jail
diversion and other initiatives in their communities. The Senate bill also
adds $2 million for renewal of separate national technical assistance centers
focused on consumers, consumer-supporters, families with children and programs
of assertive community treatment (PACT). Finally, the Senate bill proposes $5
million to continue a new senior citizen program at CMHS.
- Jail Diversion - The Senate bill includes the $1 million increase
recommended by the Bush Administration for the CMHS Jail Diversion program,
bringing the FY 2003 total up to $5 million. This Jail Diversion program funds
treatment and community supports to non-violent criminal offenders with severe
mental illnesses. NAMI strongly supports this program as an essential
companion to the new federal Mental Health Courts program at the Justice
Department and an important potential resource in addressing the growing and
very disturbing trend of "criminalization" of mental illness.
- Childrens Programs - The Senate bill includes important increases for the
portfolio of programs at CMHS that address the needs of children and
adolescents with mental disorders. Among these are the Childrens Mental Health
program (proposed for a freeze at $96.7 million), Youth Violence Prevention
(proposed for a freeze at $95 million) and services for children experiencing
PTSD (slated for a $10 million increase, up to $30 million).
- PAIMI - The Senate bill proposes to increase funding for the PAIMI
(protection and advocacy) program by $3 million, up to $35.5 million in FY
2003, with a directive for P& A agencies to maintain a priority on
investigating deaths and injuries resulting from the inappropriate use of
restraint and seclusion in psychiatric hospitals and other institutions.
Senate Bill Adds $3 Million for Mental Health Courts Program at the Justice
Department
On July 18, the Senate Appropriations Committee approved separate legislation
that includes the FY 2003 budget for the U.S. Department of Justice. This
legislation - known as the Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill - must be
passed by the first day of the new federal fiscal year that begins on October 1.
Included in the Senate Commerce-Justice-State Appropriations bill is $3 million
in funding for the federal Mental Health Courts program. If enacted, this $3
million appropriation would be on top of $4 million Congress approved in FY
2002. NAMI advocates are still awaiting an announcement of funding availability
from the Justice Department on the Mental Courts program.
NAMI strongly believes that the Mental Health Courts program should be fully
funded at the $10 million level authorized by Congress. NAMI’s testimony in
favor of additional funding for the federal Mental Health Court program can be
viewed at:
http://www.nami.org/update/20020412.htm
The NAMI E-News is an electronic newsletter delivering the
latest in federal action alerts, legislative and policy updates, and NAMI press
releases. Provided free of charge as a public service, the NAMI E-News is read
by more than 16,500 NAMI members, policymakers, federal and state legislators,
media, providers, health care policy experts, and others interested in improving
the lives of individuals with severe mental illnesses and their families.
Contributions to support the NAMI E-News are welcomed and can be made online
(http://www.nami.org/about/development/index.html); via mail (make check payable
to NAMI and send to NAMI, P.O. Box 79972, Baltimore, MD 21279-0972); or through
the Combined Federal Campaign (CFC #0538).
Currently, NAMI Members number 220,000.
Thank you.
