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ACTION ALERT: MHSA Funding
Governor Schwarzenegger recently released his State Budget proposal for the fiscal year, 2010-2011. The 2010-2011 budget proposes to divert funding from the Mental Health Services Act (Prop. 63) funding into the general fund in order to help address the state’s budget deficit in 2010-11. This proposal would nearly eliminate state funding for the Early and Periodic Screening, Diagnosis, and Treatment (EPSDT) Program and significantly reduce state funding for the Medi-Cal Mental Health Managed Care program. As you recall from last year, 65 percent of California voters already rejected this proposal (Proposition 1E), which would have redirected $226 million away from the Mental Health Services Act.
On February 11, 2010, the Assembly Budget Subcommittee will hear and take public comment on the Governor's proposal to divert MHSA funding. This decision on whether to accept the Governor’s proposal will be made by the Legislature during the next few weeks.
If this proposal is adopted, the progress MHSA is making at reducing costly hospitalizations, incarceration, homelessness, school failure, and out-of-home placements could be destroyed. When community services are not available, patients utilize hospitals and emergency rooms imposing high costs on both the state and local governments. Without funds being distributed to combat mental illness, “state and county governments are forced to pay billions of dollars each year in emergency medical care, long-term nursing home care, unemployment, and housing.”[1] Inadequate access to mental health services forces law enforcement officers to serve as the mental health providers of last resort, and this misuse of the corrections’ system costs taxpayers’ money, and creates a lack of law enforcement where necessary. The MHSA is an exceptional first step towards addressing the problem of untreated mental illness for low income families within our society. We therefore urge our members to tell their Legislators that they oppose this proposal.
What can you do? Write a letter to the Assembly and Senate Budget Committees, as well as to the Assembly Members and Senators who represent your community and explain your opposition to cutting MHSA funding and encouraging your legislator to reject the Governor’s proposal to divert MHSA funds to the State General Fund.
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The contact information for the budget committees is as follows:
· Senate Budget Committee: Direct (916) 319-2099 or Fax (916) 323-8386
· Assembly Budget Committee: Direct (916) 651-4103 or Fax (916) 319-2199
If you wish to speak to your legislator directly, to find out which Legislators represent you and your community, simply enter your zip code here: http://www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
You can also testify in person on February 11, 2010 at the State Capitol, when the Assembly Budget Committee will be taking public comment on this proposal. The Assembly Budget Committee will have a discussion and take public comment on Thursday, February 11th at their hearing, which will be held at 1:00 p.m. in Room 4202 of the State Capitol building in Sacramento .
We all can agree that the state has an economic crisis on its hands. But cutting mental health services to our state’s most vulnerable populations is not the answer. In fact, it will turn those currently receiving services out into the streets and emergency rooms. How can this be a solution to our state’s money problems?
