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ADVOCACY ACTION ALERT
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Please take a few minutes of your time to take action on both of these advocacy opportunities to prevent funding cuts to vital Mental Health, Developmental Disability and Substance Abuse funding, then forward this information to others and ask them to take action.
It is critical that Governor Perdue and our Legislators receive an outpouring of requests asking them to fund services vital to the MH/DD/SA community.
Thanks for taking action on this critical issue.
1) Sign Petition to "Maintain Funding Supports for Mental Health, Developmental Disability and Substance Abuse Services in North Carolina "
Please go to: http://www.PetitionOnline.com/MHDDSA/petition.html and sign the online petition to "Maintain Funding Supports for Mental Health, Developmental Disability and Substance Abuse Services in North Carolina ".
2) Call Governor Perdue and Your Legislators to Prevent $50 Million in Cuts to Mental Health Funding.
Governor Bev Perdue has issued a series of recommendations on her proposed reductions to align NC’s budget with reduced revenues as a result of the economic downturn.
**Please call (919)733-4240 or fax (919)733-2120 or write the Governor’s office and request that Gov. Perdue not cut funding for MH/DD/SA services.
Governor Bev Perdue
Office of the Governor
20301 Mail Service Center
Raleigh , NC 27699-0301
***Then go to the Captol Advantage Legislative Site: http://capwiz.com/cdpmi/home/ to access info for contacting your NC legislators.
You can use the following message(s) from the petition requesting Governor Bev Perdue and members of the North Carolina Legislature to:
1. NOT close or reduce funding to the Wright School or the Whitaker School . These programs and the services they provide to families in North Carolina are vital to essential behavior modification/re-training for youth who already struggle at home, in school and in their communities. Without such programs they will quickly become members of an invisible society in this state and another sad statistic of the failing mental health care system in North Carolina ;
2. NOT reduce ANY funding to state budgets that serve people who struggle with mental illness, developmental delays or substance abuse issues. To cut funding is equivalent to cutting lifelines of support for thousands of North Carolinians who need and deserve state supported services in an effort to survive with a modicum of success in their communities. Cutting funds to these services is another statement of failure by the State of North Carolina to adequately provide for their most fragile citizens;
3. NOT reduce funding to educational programs that provide services and supports to special needs children in North Carolina and to find a way to INCREASE funding sources to these vital programs.”
Additional talking points:
*Mental Health funding in NC is currently 43rd per capita among all states in funding for mental illness in NC. The current status of inadequate resources and funding for services provided to citizens of North Carolina who struggle with mental illness, developmental delays or substance abuse issues should not be exacerbated with additional funding cuts
* In last year’s budget, new positions were established at institutions in order to correct the problems that led to loss of Federal accreditation. To cut those same positions is unwise- we will lose more than we will gain. At Broughton Hospital , we lost roughly $l million per month and at Cherry Hospital , we lost $800,000 per month as a result of the loss of federal accreditation.
* For years, NC continues to underfund community services; this budget plan of ~$26 million in cuts to the community perpetuates the disparity in funding that is causing most of the ills in our system. Our community services must be built up.
* The Governor made campaign promises to work on mental health, and to support the Centers of Excellence, intensive case management.
* We cannot solve this by cuts alone; some revenue adjustments must be made
Some of the proposed cuts which add up to ~ $50 Million include:
Reduce community services $25.9 M
Consolidate LME system mgmt $8.9 M
Reduce Operating expenses - Central admin $250,000
Close two 25 adult bed units at Broughton, Cherry $6.02 M
ATB ADATC (Alcohol and Drug Abuse Treatment Center ) cuts $l.86 M
ATB Central and Western Regional $l M
Close Wright and Whitaker Schools $5.77 M
Total: $49,774,659 million, 200 positions
These cuts alone are dreadful, but the Summary of Reduction Options for FY 2009-10 indicates that the $50 M is not the only thing that will affect our families and people living with mental illness. It cuts across the services also offered in rural health, aging, child development, public health, social services, Medical Assistance, Vocational Rehab, and Corrections, in addition to reduction in payment rates and elimination of cost of living increases for providers.
Examples of the cuts that will affect us that are not included in the above $49.7 Million: (meaning the impact is more than just $50 M)
Eliminate psychiatric loan repayment which allows rural areas in particular to recruit psychiatrists $248,000
Reduce state county special assistance $5.38 M
Implement preferred drug list atypical psychotropic drugs $12.672 M
Reduce funds to NC housing finance agency $485,000
Eliminate contract with drug and substance abuse facility for male inmates $2.52 M
Eliminate criminal Justice Partnership Program $9.76 M
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| North Carolina Gov. Beverly Perdue |
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