Education and awareness about mental illnesses
to reduce stigma and promote recovery.
to reduce stigma and promote recovery.
WISCONSIN UNITED
for MENTAL HEALTH
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Legislative
March 2011
The budget repair bill would give the Department of Health Services the ability to make changes to current Wisconsin law and rules with minimal Legislative oversight. This issue has been lost in the larger outcry regarding collective bargaining for public employees. We believe that many Republican legislators do not support this portion of the bill, but it will help them to hear from their constituents. Removing this language from the bill does not mean that disability advocates are unwilling to work on changes to the Medicaid program; it just means that it will be elected officials who will make the final decisions on those changes that are currently defined in statutes and rules. And it will mean there will be a democratic process, with the opportunity for public hearings, as part of that decision-making.
The following message is forwarded from the Save BadgerCare Coalition
Send a message to your Representatives!
As it stands now, Governor Walker's co-called "Budget Repair" bill, if passed, at least 63,000 Wisconsinites will lose the basic health insurance they currently have. Folks who rely on SeniorCare, FamilyCare, children's waivers and other vital Medicaid programs could lose health benefits as critical decisions about cost-sharing, benefits and eligibility will move behind closed doors. The Department of Health Services (DHS) would be allowed to supersede existing state laws that ensure families have access to basic health care in Wisconsin and that support older adults and persons with disabilities. More importantly, the bill severely limits the ability for the public to have any input in the changes to rules on these critical Medicaid programs.
Even if you've already sent 1 or 2 messages already, take a few moments now to send a message loud and clear to the members of the State Senate and State Assembly to "Remove the Medicaid Provisions from the Budget Repair Bill." Wisconsin simply can't afford to undermine 1.2 million Wisconsinites who rely on Medicaid in all forms.
Fact sheet (.pdf) on what's at stake for BadgerCare in the Budget Repair Bill.
5 Things You Can Do Today to Support Medicaid & BadgerCare!
- Add your name to our online petition and help spread the word.
- "Like" the Save BadgerCare Coalition on Facebook and encourage your friends, family, neighbors and co-workers to do the same.
- Share your story - explain why protecting and investing in Medicaid and BadgerCare is important to you!
- Link here (.pdf) to take note of how many working families in your county depend on BadgerCare for their basic health care.
- Call 800-362-9472 to reach your state representatives and tell them "Remove the Medicaid Provisions from the Budget Repair Bill"
Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force/ Make It Work Milwaukee Coalition
Action Alert
Support Mental Health Recovery Services in the State Budget (2/8/2011)
Background
Governor Walker is working on the 2011-2013 state budget which he will present on February 22. Mental Health RECOVERY services have been either unfunded or underfunded by the state for way too long and the Counties are broke. It is time we SPEAK OUT!!!!!
It is important that the Governor Walker and DHS Secretary Dennis Smith hear from the community and especially from consumer/survivors about the urgent need to fund the vital mental health RECOVERY services in the state budget.
Action Needed NOW
• Contact Governor Walker and Secretary Smith as soon as possible. Tell them “WE NEED PREVENTION SERVICES! WE NEED EARLY INTERVENTION SERVICES! WE CAN AND WILL RECOVER WITH THE RIGHT SERVICES AND SUPPORTS! WE WANT TO BE PART OF THE SOLUTION TO THE MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS IN WISCONSIN
Write a letter to the editor about the importance of funding these vital programs. Letters are limited to 200 words and must include your name, address, and daytime phone. Email to jsedit @ journalsentinel.com. (for help with writing a letter, email barbarab @ drwi.org or mollycisco @ msn.com )
Collect stories about the need for RECOVERY based mental health services and send to barbarab@drwi.org
Join United We Stand Wisconsin (http://groups.google.com/group/united-we-stand-wi) and post your story or letter to help and encourage others and to get the latest updates on the state budget and mental health services
Sample Message
Here is a sample message for you to personalize with your own story:
Dear Governor Walker and Secretary Smith,
As you develop the state budget, I urge you to fund mental health services in a smart and resourceful way. State of the art programs like Consumer Run Recovery Services, Peer Specialist Services, Comprehensive Community Services, Peer Run Respite Houses can save the state millions of dollars and should be available in all counties. These are proactive services that often prevent people with mental illness from experiencing a crisis. These programs instead lead many closer to recovery and wellness. Expensive and traumatizing crisis and institutional services such as hospitals, nursing homes, corrections and law enforcement interventions are NOT Evidence Based Practices and should only be used as an absolute last resort. I know you face a difficult budget, by supporting RECOVERY based mental health services, you not only save money…you save lives!!!!!
Sign with your full name and address
Governor Scott Walker
Office of Governor Scott Walker
115 East Capitol
Madison WI 53702
Email: govgeneral @ wisconsin.gov
Secretary Dennis Smith
Department of Health Services
1 West Wilson Street
Madison, WI 53703
Email: DennisG.Smith @ dhs.wisconsin.gov
February 2009
By a 20-13 vote, Wisconsin's mental health parity bill passed the State Senate on January 28. The legislation now advances to the Assembly -- which may vote on the bill as early as Tuesday, Feb. 22.
Visit Parity for Wisconsin to learn about how to take action in support of parity.
Read more from the Capital Times
July 2009
Celebrate the 19th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
The ADA was signed on July 26, 1990. The workforce includes many individuals with psychiatric disabilities whose disabilities may be stigmatized and misunderstood. Despite the contributions of numerous people who have had or who currently have mental illnesses, employers and the public may discourage people who have mental illnesses from fulfilling their career goals.
Mental Health in the Workplace - Information from the ADS Center on employing people with mental illness, for the employee and employer
The DBTAC National Network of ADA Centers has developed a comprehensive toolkit available from the Web site: Your Resource on the Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA)
Helping People who are Mentally Ill Find Jobs Could Save Federal Government $368 Million A Year -- Dartmouth researchers advocate for a national "supported employment" program, which could save federal resources and result in $1.6 billion of income of people with a mental illness who are now receiving SSI. Read more>>
February 25, 2008
Dear friends (the more than 550 of you who were able to come to Madison for Mental Health Parity Action Day and the countless others who are advocating from home),
Thank you one and all for the many ways you contributed to the tremendous success of our Mental Health Parity Action Day. I smile as I write, remembering vivid images of that triumphant day and savoring the congratulations that came from many quarters.
To relive the moment with me, click the links below to access both a photo gallery and some of the press coverage of the event: http://ltgov.wisconsin.gov/scrapbook_view.asp?ssid=167&locid=126
I will never forget the sight of the capitol rotunda brimming over with our determined crowd in sunny yellow t-shirts, taking in the inspirational words of SB 375 co-sponsors Senator Dave Hansen and Representative Sheryl Albers. Nor the bipartisan line up of legislators who also signed on, there to express their appreciation for such a large and smart and visible constituency to support them.
I will also remember your gracious accommodation to tight quarters at the funky Majestic, and the generosity of so many who volunteered to make this day happen. Members of Wisconsin’s legislature will long remember the most articulate and effective citizen lobbyists they have ever welcomed into their offices. I know that because so many have already taken pains to tell me.
It was a triumph. But our work is not done.
Today, Rep. Albers released the bill for co-sponsorship in the Assembly (LRB 3794/2). As she explained last Wednesday, the next challenge lies in ensuring that Mental Health Parity receives a committee hearing in the Assembly so it may move to the floor for a vote. You can help make that happen by calling or writing to Assembly Speaker Mike Huebsch (contact information below) to ask him to assign the bill to the Public Health Committee, chaired by Representative “Doc” Hines, who promises to give it a hearing.
If you lead an organization, I suggest you invite all your members to communicate with the Speaker, to remind him of a leader’s responsibility to give all our representatives a chance to weigh in on Mental Health Parity (SB 375 or Assembly LRB 3794/2).
You gave this bill a powerful and jubilant launch. Let us carry on and work together to close the deal, to deliver it to Governor Doyle’s desk before the close of this legislative session.
With my gratitude and warm regards,
Barbara Lawton
Lieutenant Governor
Speaker Mike Huebsch Contact Information:
P.O. Box 8952
Madison, WI 53708
Rep.Huebsch@legis.state.wi.us
888-534-0094/608-266-2401
January 2008
An excellent mental health parity bill -LRB 1049/5- with the bipartisan team of State Senator Dave Hansen and State Representative Sheryl Albers as lead sponsors, is circulating among the rest of the legislature with an invitation to sign on as co-sponsors.
Many of you were part of the historic effort to connect Wisconsin families to free depression screening. Widespread support for that effort was built on recognition of the economic impact of higher medical costs and loss of productivity that accompanies untreated mental illness. If we just account for depression, which affects at least 16% of all Americans, we discover that medical costs of untreated depressed people average twice those of the non-depressed, and that those suffering untreated depression are seven times more likely to be unemployed or underemployed.
With your help, we extended a personal invitation for a free depression screening to more than 750,000 people in our state. We want to make history again, in a way that will have an immediate and significant impact on our state's economy, and on the well-being of tens of thousands of Wisconsin families. We want to guide a bill to enact mental health parity in insurance coverage all the way through to Governor Doyle's desk for his signature.
I invite you to join me in closing the deal, making our legislators' constituency for mental health parity visible and the message vivid and powerful. Join hundreds of people from every walk of life and every legislative district on February 20, 2008 in Madison for Mental Health Parity Action Day.
Please contact Cecely Castillo in my office (cecely.castillo@wisconsin.gov) to
* Join the list of individuals and organizations supporting mental health parity here.
* Confirm your participation in Mental Health Parity Action Day.
* Starting January 1st you can register online for Parity Action Day at www.ltgov.wisconsin.gov. Until then you can contact Cecely to sign up.
Then please forward this letter to everyone you know and ask them to be part of our historic work.
We want our magnificent Capitol to spill over with all of us who are determined to put the health and well-being of our citizens and our economy at the top of the agenda. We want to take Wisconsin out of the sorry group of only eight states still waiting to enact mental health parity.
You can make that happen. Thank you for your continued help and generous good will.
Truly yours,
Barbara Lawton
Lieutenant Governor
MONTHLY FEATURE: NOVEMBER 2007November 11 is Veterans Day. How timely that just weeks ago the U.S. House and Senate passed a bill that will address the high rate of suicide in our Veterans. The Omvig Veterans Suicide Prevention Act calls for increased screening and treatment programs, as well as education for staff, veterans and their families. Peer counseling, hotlines and additional research are addressed as well.
For more information from WUMH: Mental Health Issues of Military Personnel
This November, NAMI launched its Veterans Resource Center, an online portal to mental health resources for America's veterans, active duty service members, and their families.
To learn more about Bill H.R. 327 visit The Library of Congress's website or "VA Told to Establish Multiple Suicide Prevention Programs," an article by Psychiatric News.