Hundreds Rally at the Capitol for Better Mental Health Services

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE - March 12, 2009 NAMI Minnesota, 800 Transfer Road, Suite 31, St. Paul, MN 55114 Contact: Sue Abderholden, 612-202-3595 cell, [email protected]

On March 10, hundreds of people with mental illness, their families and mental health providers gathered at the State Capitol to urge for improvements in the mental health system and to appeal to legislators and the Governor not to cut services. Chanting “No Detours from our road to recovery,” people objected to the elimination of MinnesotaCare, cuts to providers, and elimination of some services.

The following day, the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s (NAMI) latest report card — Grading The States 2009: A Report On America’s Health Care System For Adults With Serious Mental Illness — was released, showing that on average the nation’s public mental health care system gets no better than a D. The new study is the first report card since an initial measurement in 2006.

In 2006, the national average also was a D, with the latest study showing that the country remains largely stagnant in improving a mental health care system that a presidential commission condemned as an inadequate, outmoded “system in shambles.” In 2009, like the nation overall, 23 states also saw their grades remain unchanged.

Today, 1 in 4 Americans experience mental illness at some point in their lives. The most serious conditions affect 10 million people and twice as many Americans live with schizophrenia as HIV/AIDS. In fact, mental illness is the greatest cause of disability in the nation. In an economic crisis such as this, the need for mental health services increases. However, state budget cuts threaten to cut access to mental health services, making the situation worse.

Minnesota’s grade stayed the same, a C. The report recognized the significant investment in 2007 of our mental health system’s infrastructure where funding was obtained for crisis teams, supportive housing, CIT training, culturally diverse providers and evidence based practices. The common benefit set across all Minnesota Health Care Programs was also praised a great innovation.

Yet, having a C grade demonstrates that Minnesota needs to do better with addressing workforce shortage issues, ensuring access to treatment for people from culturally diverse communities and increasing access to housing and employment supports. While there are two mental health courts and several communities with CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) trained police officers, more could be done to decrease the criminalization of mental illness.

(1 of 2) Hundreds Rally at the Capitol for Better Mental Health Services…

“While we have made some progress,” said NAMI Minnesota Executive Director Sue Abderholden, “we clearly have a long way to go before we have a system that truly provides mental health services when and where they are needed.”

Most troubling is that the very innovation that brought praise – the common benefit set – would disappear if MinnesotaCare for adults is eliminated. Over 88,000 people would lose their health insurance and 30% of them use mental health services. Knowing this and the impact that cuts to providers, including inpatient hospitals, would have, the Governor’s budget actually increases the commitment costs acknowledging that without insurance and access to providers, people will get worse.

Abderholden stated, “What cruel times we live in that we won’t care for someone until they are a danger to themselves. We simply cannot allow the budget crisis to steer us so far off course.”

The Mental Health Rally was organized by the Mental Health Legislative Network, a coalition of more than 20 organizations, co-chaired by the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Minnesota and the Mental Health Association of Minnesota.

For more information, contact Sue Abderholden at 612-202-3595 cell, [email protected], or www.namihelps.org.

NAMI Minnesota’s mission is to champion justice, dignity, and respect for all Minnesotans affected by mental illness (brain disorders). Through education, advocacy and support, NAMI members strive to eliminate the pervasive stigma of mental illness, effect positive changes in the mental health system, and increase public and professional understanding of mental illness. NAMI Minnesota is a state affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a non-profit organization that serves as the Nation's Voice on Mental Illness through its grassroots effort to transform America's mental health system.

(2 of 2)