| For the 54 million
Americans with mental illness, broad access to services and treatments
is not a luxury; it is a fundamental need. It is imperative that state
policymakers not target mental health as a way to save money with
state and local governments providing more than 50 percent of funding
for services through programs like Medicaid and SCHIP.
America’s mental health system
is at risk of plunging from crisis to catastrophe. Cutting budgets
and
instituting draconian limits
to needed treatments and services not only increases human suffering,
but also puts additional strain on state economies through increased
reliance on emergency services, correctional systems and welfare programs.
The National Mental Health Association and our nationwide network
of affiliates encourage you to contact your state legislators, governors
and Medicaid agencies to ask them to stop balancing their budgets
on the backs of people with mental illness.
For More Information
For more information or referrals for local services, contact your
local mental health association or the NMHA Resource Center.
National Mental Health Association
2000 North Beauregard Street, 6th Floor
Alexandria, VA 22311
Phone: 800-969-6642 (NMHA)
TTY: 800-433-5959
www.nmha.org | 
