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National Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Day of Action

Yonkers Tribune (NY) - 10/4/2015

WASHINGTON, DC - October 3, 2015 - Friends and families of loved ones with serious mental illness to hold National Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Day to urge Rep. Upton and Rep. Pallone to pass the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act

On Wednesday, October 7, 2015, families of people with serious mental illness across the nation will urge Representative Fred Upton (R., MI), Frank Pallone (D., NJ) and other legislators to pass H.R. 2646 ? "The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act ? bipartisan legislation to help the most seriously mentally ill avoid incarceration, hospitalization, homelessness and death.

One in 17, about 13.6 million people, live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depression or bipolar disorder. Despite the more than $130 billion the federal government puts towards mental health, and the 112 federal programs, the seriously ill are being left untreated. Jails and prisons have become de-facto psychiatric hospitals.

The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act will help focus federal mental health efforts on reducing homelessness, hospitalization, arrest, and incarceration by encouraging the government to prioritize the most seriously ill rather than all others. ?

Highlights of the Bill include:

* Creates an Asst. Secretary for Mental Health to coordinate mental health policy and encourages the use of evidence-based practices that help the seriously ill?

* Encourages states to use Assisted Outpatient Treatment [AOT] as a more humane and inexpensive alternative to inpatient commitment and incarceration.?

* Helps end federal financial discrimination against psychiatric beds so that the most seriously ill who need hospitalization aren't sent to jail.?

* Allows parents who provide care, housing and case management for mentally ill children out of love, to work with doctors to provide protection health, safety, and welfare for family members suffering with treatable mental illnesses.

* Stops federally funded Protection & Advocacy lawyers from suing against care for loved ones.

Representatives Fred Upton, as chair of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, and Frank Pallone as Ranking Member can bring this legislation to a vote. It was originally proposed by Representatives Tim Murphy (R., PA) and Eddie Bernice Johnson (D. TX) and has 128 bipartisan co-sponsors.

Pallone and Upton are under pressure from some in the mental health industry to maintain the status quo whereby the seriously ill go to the end of the line, rather than the front for services, and so the government can continue to fund non-evidence based interventions.

On October 7th, we families of the seriously ill are urging everyone to contact Representatives Upton and Pallone to urge passing a strong Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, HR 2646.

More Resources:

National Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Day page ? http://mentalhealthcrisisday.com/

Rep. Murphy page on Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act: http://murphy.house.gov/helpingfamiliesinmentalhealthcrisisact114

Mental Illness Policy Org Federal Legislation page : http://mentalillnesspolicy.org/federalmentalhealthlegislation.

SOURCE: Thanks to Kimberly Blaker for advising us of how important this issue is to some of us on a personal level and society at large.

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