ACTION ALERT

PRESIDENT'S BUDGET SLIGHTS MENTAL HEALTH

Flash: March 8, 2002: Update from Dan Fisher

The following comes from Dan Fisher, Larry Belcher and Joe Rogers:

Friends,

We are writing to update you on what is going on with the proposed funding cuts that would affect the three mental health consumer-run national technical assistance centers (CONTAC, the National Empowerment Center, and the National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse), as well as the two consumer - supporter national technical assistance centers, operated by NAMI and the National Mental Health Association, respectively.

There is some good news: We have been informed by several sources that these five centers will be funded at least for next year.

However, we are not out of the woods yet, since future funding is still at stake. Therefore, we are continuing our campaign to encourage people to write to their U.S. Senators and Representatives, as well as Tommy Thompson, Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services, and Charles G. Curie, Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration. These letters would urge that the funding for these services be protected.

The issue is not just the national technical assistance centers but the vital need for the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration to support any and all consumer initiatives. In other words, not only do we want to see the funding restored to the technical assistance centers; we also want to see new CMHS support of consumer initiatives, including research supporting the effectiveness of consumer-run services and support of the State Network Grantees.

Thank you for all of your help.

Signed:

Larry Belcher and Kathy Muscari, Consumer Organization and Networking

Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC)

Dan Fisher and Laurie Ahern, National Empowerment Center (NEC)

Joseph A. Rogers and Amy T. Campbell, National Mental Health Consumers’ Self-Help Clearinghouse

Back Ground

Plan Doesn't Address Gap in Community Services, Drops Important Support Programs

Washington D.C. February 19--President George W. Bush's federal budget plan for fiscal year 2003, released February 4, falls extremely short of the need in terms of mental health spending. Although the President has committed his Administration to implement the Supreme Court's Olmstead order to end unnecessary institutionalization, his $2-trillion budget plan (available at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/) fails to address the growing gap in community-based services for adults and children with serious mental disorders.

Given the Administration's stated priorities of defense and "Homeland Security," the talk of spending deficits and a short election-year budget cycle, mental health advocates need to weigh in early to support funding for community mental health services. Among problems:

* Community-based mental health services are at risk because the President's budget requests no new funding for the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) overall. The only significant increase in the CMHS budget is $7 million for the PATH grant program that provides services to people with severe mental illnesses who are homeless or at risk of being homeless.

* The budget plan would cut the CMHS discretionary budget, which funds demonstration grants and projects of national significance (PRNS), by $7 million (from $230 million to $223 million). Among the PRNS are a seniors' mental health services program, youth anti-violence initiative and suicide-prevention program.

* One PRNS that would be increased (to $5 million) is a jail diversion grant program, first funded in FY 2002. However, given that 16% of jail inmates nationwide are identified as having a mental illness and that many would be better served through diversion to mental health treatment, $5 million is woefully inadequate.

* The President's budget recommends completely eliminating the three National Consumer-Run Technical Assistance Centers, funded through CMHS. Much of this is invested in self-help recovery, peer-to-peer support and promotion of the community integration required by the Supreme Court's Olmstead decision.

See the full text of this Action Alert and a comparison chart at

http://www.bazelon.org/202budgetalert.html

ACTION NEEDED NOW!

Contact your Senators and Representative and ask them to support funding increases for the CMHS programs that provide community-based mental health services to children and adults with severe mental health disorders.

Specifically, urge them to:

* reject funding "freezes" for programs aimed at providing comprehensive community-based mental health services, such as the mental health block grant and children's mental health services program;

* reject cuts in the discretionary budget for the Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS), known as the Programs of Regional and National Significance, which applies research knowledge into "best practices" at the state and local levels;

* reject cuts to the three National Consumer-Run Technical Assistance Centers and restore the $1.2 million a year funding provided for them by the Center for Mental Health Services; and

* support increases to the PATH program ($7 million ) as included in the President's budget.

WHAT YOU CAN DO

If your Senator or Representative is not on the Labor-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee (see list at http://www.bazelon.org/202budgetalert.html), ask him or her to write to the subcommittee requesting these actions.

* Phone: You can phone Senators and Representatives through the Capitol switchboard at 202-224-3121.

* Write or fax a letter to:

The Honorable (first and last name), United States Senate, Washington DC 20510

The Honorable (first and last name), United States House of Representatives, Washington DC 20515

* Email is rarely read. If you must email, it's critical to begin the message with your name, address and zip code to show that the message is from a constituent. You can look up your Senator or Representative and find email forms at http://www.congress.org

SPREAD THE WORD!

Please forward this Bazelon Center Action Alert to others who care about people with mental illnesses and urge them to contact their members of Congress right away.

Opinions expressed in this web site do not necessarily reflect the views of NAMI Santa Cruz County, NAMI California or any affiliated organizations.  We attempt to present a balanced perspective on issues by presenting multiple viewpoints.

Copyright 2005 National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Santa Cruz County, All Rights Reserved.

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