We've barely had a week to make calls to the Governor thanking her for her vision in protecting mental health from cuts, and for moving our system forward in adding funding to the Trust Fund for housing, inpatient beds, and better care coordination.
But now legislative leaders are saying they will spend significantly less than Governor Perdue's budget when they craft their budget proposal. Fears include the likelihood of major cuts to education and - you guessed it, mental health. Some of the suggested items for the appropriations subcommittees to consider include for Health and Human Services:
- Consolidate divisions
- Consider closing facilities
- Restructuring the organizaton to streamline services
Next Tuesday the HHS Appropriations takes up discussion of the Governor's Budget in Room 643 of the Legislative Office Building.
Action to Take:
- Call your legislators and support the 75M in the Governor's Budget for expansion of housing, inpatient, and other critical services for those with mental illness and ask them not to consider closing facilities!!
- Consider attending the Tuesday meeting of HHS appropriations, show your support for mental health
- Thank you for your calls to the Governor- keep them coming!
Click herefor the Coalition position on the budget
Prison Rules
After years of work, the changes to Prison Rules regarding inmates with mental illness have been adopted by the Commission of MHDDSAS - today! Significant protections have been added in many areas- like better screening to catch everyone at the front end who may have a mental illness, in order that they be treated. Also covered are better protections during the use of seclusion and restraints, protections for updates to the formulary (mental health drugs), and most importantly- enhanced discharge planning rules. Also there will be a rule regarding informing the family when an inmate with a mental illness is moved to a different facility, within 24 hours of the move. With better discharge planning, with family members present, and providers, we enhance the chances of a successful stay in the community. Now begins the lengthy rule making process- public hearings, fiscal impact analysis, etc. But this still is a very big hurdle, and a very big accomplishment.
Assistant Secretary Beth Melcher Announces Committee to Focus on ER Waits
Much work has been done to decrease the wait times around the state, but much still needs to be done. The Department has recently analyzed data from a survey to hospitals in the state (about 75% return rate) showing that around 3% of those who present in ERs present with a MH, DD or SA problem. The majority are treated and released or transferred within 9 hrs- longer than people without mental illness have to generally wait in the ER. 335 people however have to wait longer than 48 hours, and a proportion of those have to wait more than 72 hours. None of us wants anyone to wait; none of us thinks that the ER is the right place for those experiencing a psychiatric emergency. To that end, the Department is creating a work group representing many stakeholders (think law enforcement, providers, consumers, family members, fundors, LMEs, etc) which will begin in March, and will be charged with presenting 5 recommendations that can be implemented, all within 6 months.
Useful links:
1. Click here for a list of Senators and here for a list of Representatives, with contact information. Write a letter to your new legislator(s) - Use the template here
3. Review the telephone tree with your affiliate members. Click here to access the telephone tree
Town Hall Meetings - 6:30-8:30- mark your calendar!
The Coalition, of which NAMI is a member, is planning 7 town hall meetings across the state in order to reach out to our legislators and tell them the importance of protecting, and building mental health services.
March 17- Charlotte Meyers Park United Methodist Church
March 17- Raleigh NC Advocates for Justice
March 24- Fayetteville- Southern Regional AHEC
March 31- Greenville - Pitt Community College
March 31 - Wilmington - Hampton Inn
April 7 - Asheville - Mountain AHEC
April 7 - Winston Salem Ardmore Hall, Forsyth Tech main campus
Action steps:
1. Call you legislator(s) and ask them to attend
2. Make plans to attend
3. Ask questions - support protecting mental health from cuts
Thanks for all your advocacy- keep it up!
Deby Dihoff
Executive Director
