legislativealertformletter

NAMI Store \| Donate \| NAMIWalks \| Conference \| About Us \| Contact

Webmaster

If you have found this information useful, won't you please consider supporting NAMI?
Your contribution will help us to continue helping millions of people living with mental illness.

HOT LINKS:
Emergency Preparedness Forensics Educational Programs
Resources Legislation News Affiliates Join

If you have found this information useful, won't you please consider supporting NAMI?
Your contribution will help us to continue helping millions of people living with mental illness.

HOT LINKS:
Emergency Preparedness Forensics Educational Programs
Resources Legislation News Affiliates Join

NAMI PA Contacts:
email us: nami-pa@nami.org
1-800-223-0500 1-717-238-1514 TTY: 1-800-890-6093 1-717-238-3593

click here for the PRINT VERSION

LEGISLATIVE ALERT!!

Contact

Fields with an asterisk * are required

First Name*

Last Name*

Email*

Address

City*

Zip*

Phone*

Yes, I would like to receive periodic updates and communications from NAMI PA

Message

Subject: State Budget Cuts

Jim Jordan customizable FORM LETTER to the Governor and Legislators on the
STATE BUDGET

(Insert Date)

NAMI PA
namipa.nami.org
nami-pa@nami.org
800-223-0500

Dear Representative ________ and Senator ____________ and Governor Rendell,

As one of your constituents I wish to express my concern with the proposed cuts to mental health and substance abuse services in the 2010 budget.

The budget, as proposed, will cut funding which will devastate services for individuals and families. Cuts have been proposed by both the Governor and Members of the Senate. If these cuts are allowed to become the final budget there will be a serious and negative impact on families and consumers with mental illness. In addition, the impact will be felt by families and all persons with disabilities.

We need your help to restore the safety net for these vulnerable populations which include persons with mental illness. We are asking for leadership and compassion. We need support from both political parties.

The next few days are critical. We again ask that you review the following information.

Some facts which may help you to support us:

- Community programs are documenting a growing number of individuals seeking treatment. This is caused by a number of factors including a depressed economy, increased unemployment, war and its impact on families and soldiers, general uncertainly and accompanying stress and rumors and reports of pending pandemics like the swine flu or H1N1 virus.
- Disabilities affect 54 million Americans or 1 in 6 people. This is 16% or 1.8 million people in Pennsylvania.
- Mental Illnesses affect 20% of our population each year. (Surgeon General's Report)
- Severe Mental Illnesses, approximately 5 to 6% of the population, devastate the lives of up to 600,000 individuals and families in Pennsylvania.
- There are up to 3% of People with an Intellectual Disability in PA. This is over 300,000 people.
- The ARC of PA has 35 chapters in 47 counties.
- Populations affected by cuts to services:
  - 600,000 Persons with a Mental Illness
  - 300,000 Persons with an Intellectual Disability
  - Thousands of Veterans in Pennsylvania

Some Effects of Proposed Cuts:

The importance of restoring proposed funds cannot be overstated. The following are a few examples of the impact these cuts will have on families, consumers and communities.

- Cuts in the state budget will result in a shift in financial cost to families already strapped to provide support and services.
- Cuts in state support will also result in an increase in the non financial responsibility of families to care and support their loved ones.
- Cutting services for Pennsylvanians with Mental Illnesses is devastating to their recovery.
- Cuts in the state budget will result in a shift of cost and responsibibility to counties.
- Counties will be forced to offset rising costs to programs by raising property taxes.
- Emergency rooms and community hospitals will face increasing demands for services- the most expensive services.
- Persons expecting services in communities because of state hospital clsures will receive reduced support based on cuts to counties to provide these services.
- There will be increazsed shifts into the Criminal Justice System. Both county jails and state corrections centers are already experiencing the increasing burden of growing demands. They are becoming points for treatment as a last resort.
- Expanding mental health courts may be stopped.
- There will be an increase in homelessness.

It will help us tremendously if you consider these facts as you consider how you will vote on the budget and work with your colleagues. We all need to work together for the best interests of our most vulneerable populations. Please restore the funds for these services.

Thank you in advance for your consideration.

Sincerely,

(Your Name)
(Title, if appplicable)
(Your Address, Email and Phone)
Friend of NAMI Pennsylvania

Below is a sample letter you can customize to your needs to submit to
your legislators. We will forward it to your legislator from you, or you
can copy and paste the letter into your own email. You can find your
legislators by enterring your zip code in the form to the right. Please
carbon copy ("cc") us at nami-pa@nami.org on any letters or emails
you send to strengthen our impact, thank you!