MHA Public Policy & Advocacy Department

1. MHA Public Policy & Advocacy Department Class of 2011

2. PPA Department • Julio Abreu – Sr. Director, Government Affairs • Sarah Steverman – Director, State Policy • Steve Vetzner – Sr. Director, Media Relations

3. Federal Affairs • Advocacy on the Hill • Advocacy with the Administration • Working in Coalition • Advocacy Alerts • Hill Day

4. Hill Day - Messages Messages to Congress on Medicaid and other Mental Health Supports and Services (various bills) • Oppose all plans that would decimate Medicaid. Reject all plans to block grant or otherwise cut Medicaid thereby harming low-income and disabled individuals, including those with mental health and substance use conditions. • Oppose all efforts that undermine the integrity of the Medicaid program, including the State Flexibility Act (Medicaid Maintenance-Of-Effort Repeal; H.R.1683/S. 868). • Reject federal “global spending caps,” including the CAP Act of 2011 (Global Spending Caps on Medicaid, Medicare, Social Security and all other federal spending; H.R. 1605/S. 245). • Reject the House-proposed $139.2 billion cap for the FY12 Labor, Health and Human Services and Education bill, which is over $18 billion less than last year’s (FY11) funding level for the Labor, HHS bill and nearly $42 billion less than the Administration’s request. • The burden of deficit reduction must not be borne disproportionately by low- and moderate-income or disabled individuals. • Support a balanced approach to deficit reduction—looking at both spending and revenues, which is critical for any efforts to mitigate the deepest cuts to discretionary spending. Any deficit reduction plan that does not include revenues as part of its strategy represents a prolonged and protracted assault on funding levels for federal agencies such as SAMHSA.

5. Messages to Congress for the Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2011 (S. 539) • Behavioral health is integral to a person’s overall health status. • To improve care coordination and overall quality of care, mental health and addiction treatment providers must be encouraged to implement HIT and engage in the appropriate, privacy-protected exchange of electronic health information. • Cosponsor Behavioral Health Information Technology Act of 2011 (S. 539). Messages to Congress for Sergeant Coleman S. Bean Reserve Component Suicide Prevention Act (H.R. 1089/S. 579) • This bill recognizes the unique challenges that Guard and Reserve members face when they return home. • The legislation emphasizes the value of peer-to-peer counseling, recognized by the Defense Department’s August 2010 report on suicide prevention. • H.R. 1089 and S. 579 are desperately needed to prevent suicides. • Cosponsor H.R. 1089 and S. 579.

6. Messages to Congress for Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2011 (S. 740) • Suicide is the third leading cause of death among those 15-24 years old. In the general U.S. population, one person dies by suicide about every 15 minutes and while there are four male suicides for every female suicide, three times as many females attempt suicide. • Cosponsor Garrett Lee Smith Memorial Act Reauthorization of 2011 (S. 740). • Increase funding for evidence-based prevention and early intervention programs that lower the incidence of suicide and suicide attempts (e.g., GLSMA) and promote wellness and mental health (e.g., Project LAUNCH).

7. State Policy • Regional Policy Council • Important State Issues - Toolkits • Parity Implementation – Issues in the states

8. RPC Representatives Regions 1 & 2 – Barbara Johnston, Director of Advocacy, MHA-NJ CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT & NJ, NY bjohnston@mhanj.org / 973-571-4100 Region 3 – Linda Raines, Executive Director, MHA-MD DE, DC, MD, PA, VA, WV lraines@mhamd.org / 410-235-1178 Region 4 – Ellyn Jeager, Director of Public Policy and Advocacy, MHA-GA AL, FL, GA, KY, MS, NC, SC, TN ellyn@mhageorgia.org / 678-904-1965 Region 5 – Shel Gross, Director of Public Policy, MHA-WI IL, IN, MI, MN, OH, WI shelgross@tds.net / 608-250-4368

9. Region 6 – Gyl Wadge Switzer, Director of Public Policy, MHA-TX AR, LA, NM, OK, TX gyl@mhatexas.org / 512-454-3725 Region 7 – Susan Crain Lewis, President and CEO, MHA-Heartland IA, KS, MO, NE slewis@mhah.org / 913-281-2221 Region 8 – Moe Keller, V.P. of Public Affairs and Systems Advocacy, MHA-CO CO, MT, ND, SD, UT, WY mkeller@mhacolorado.org / 720-208-2224 Regions 9 & 10 – Rusty Selix, Executive Director, MHA-CA AZ, CA, HI, NV & AK, ID, OR, WA rselix@mhac.org / 916-557-1167 At-Large – Steve McCaffrey, President and CEO, MHA-IN Public Policy Committee Representative smccaffrey@mhai.net / 317-638-3501

10. National Working Group on Evidence-Based Health Care • Monthly Calls – 1st Tuesday of every month, 2:00 Eastern • www.evidencebasedhealthcare.org

11. Priority Issues for 2011 • Budget – Medicaid, Medicare, Discretionary • Medicaid restructuring and move to managed care • Health Reform Implementation • Parity Implementation • Prevention

12. MHA Policy Resources • Position Statements – http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/position-statements • Policy Issues A-Z - http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/action/policy-issues-a-z • Comments on Rules - http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/action/2011-regulations/mental-health-america-comments-on-proposed-federal-rules • Advocacy Guide - http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/action/Advocacy_Guide.pdf • Advocacy Alerts - http://takeaction.mentalhealthamerica.net/site/PageServer?pagename=action_alerts • Archived Webinars - http://www.mentalhealthamerica.net/go/action/policy-issues-a-z/recorded-presentations/webinars-and-presentations

13. MHA Partners • Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration – www.samhsa.gov • Health and Human Services – www.healthcare.gov • Parity Implementation Coalition - www.mentalhealthparitywatch.org/Pages/mentalhealthparity.aspx • The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare – www.thenationalcouncil.org • National Alliance on Mental Illness – www.nami.org • American Psychiatric Association – www.psych.org • American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry – www.aacap.org

14. Need Anything? Julio Abreu jabreu@mentalhealthamerica.net Sarah Steverman ssteverman@mentalhealthamerica.net Steve Vetzner svetzner@mentalhealthamerica.net