National Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Day October 7

                                                                                  
Janet Hays interviewed Dj Jaffe [NYC] and Kimberly Blaker [AZ] about an upcoming national day of action on October 7th to urge Congress to pass H.R. 2646 - "The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act". Representative Scalise is one of the Bill's most recent cosponsors.

On Wednesday, October 7, 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−live with a serious mental illness such as schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder, major depression or bipolar disorder. Despite the more than $130 billion dollars 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:

1. 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. 

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

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

4. 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.

5. 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 cosponsors.

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 - even though government funding for non-evidence based interventions is clearly failing people in crisis.

On October 7th, 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.

Contact:
kimberlyblaker [at] gmail.com  
DJ Jaffe djjaffe [at] mentalillnesspolicy.org

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.html