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Report of the Presidents New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
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Contact: Christopher Burley, Bazelon Center,
202-467-5730 x 133 or cburley@bazelon.org;
Bill Emmet, NASMHPD, 703-739-9333 x 136 or Bill.Emmet@nasmhpd.org;
Elizabeth
Adams, NAMI, 703-524-7600, elizabetha@nami.org;
Heather Cobb, NMHA, 703-797-2588 or hcobb@nmha.org
President’s Commission Offers Prescription for Broken Mental Health System
Bazelon Center, NAMI, NASMHPD, NMHA Call on Bush and Congress
to Take Action
ALEXANDRIA, Va. (July 22, 2003) — The
President’s New Freedom Commission on Mental Health today released
its long-awaited report, including recommendations to improve America’s
broken mental health system. Together the Bazelon Center for Mental Health
Law, NAMI, National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
and National Mental Health Association commend the Commission for its work.
Our organizations call on President Bush and Congress to now take the bold
steps needed to realize the Commission’s recommendations and make
mental health a national priority.
“Mental health advocates today call on the nation’s leaders
to capitalize on this historic opportunity to address the growing crisis
in public mental health systems,” said Robert Bernstein, executive
director of Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. “Policymakers have
a choice — they can put this report on a shelf and continue the past
policies of hopelessness, or they can act on its recommendations and make
recovery-focused services a priority for millions of Americans with unmet
mental health needs.”
In its interim report, the Commission found America’s mental health
system to be “in shambles,” resulting in millions of people
with mental illnesses not receiving the care they need. The final report
calls for transforming fragmented public mental health services into a system
focused on early intervention and recovery. Such a system would provide
people with mental health needs the treatment and supports necessary to
live, work, learn and participate fully in their communities.
Research shows that people with— or at risk of— mental health
disorders need access to a range of advanced treatments, early interventions
and supports that are both culturally appropriate and consumer- and family-centered.
Without broad access to such services and supports, people with mental illnesses
can face school failure, unemployment, substance abuse, homelessness, arrest,
incarceration, increased reliance on emergency facilities, and suicide.
"We cannot wait another day, another year or another decade for real
progress," said Richard Birkel, Ph.D., national executive director
of NAMI. "We do not want another Presidential Commission, Surgeon General's
report, state audit or newspaper expose telling us what we already know
too well. Let today be the turning point. Let today begin the transformation
of a broken system of care to one that provides recovery-oriented, community-based
treatment and services that we know will work."
In April 2002, the president established the Commission to help eliminate
inequalities in mental health care. The Commission was to conduct a comprehensive
study of mental health delivery systems and recommend policies that – if
implemented by federal, state and local governments – would improve
the mental health system and, in turn, improve the services that millions
of adults and children with mental health problems need.
“The stakes are too high for us to continue with business as usual,” said
Robert Glover, executive director of the National Association of State Mental
Health Program Directors. “Our organizations are joining together
to demonstrate the urgency of need, to underscore the promise of effective
services for millions of Americans with mental illness, and to work with
federal officials to make those services available to all who need them.”
The Campaign for Mental Health Reform was founded by the Bazelon Center,
NAMI, NASMHPD and NMHA to serve as a focus for federal policy advocacy for
the mental health community. Twelve other mental health advocacy organizations
have joined the Campaign as partners. The Campaign’s goal is to work
directly with federal policymakers to make access, quality and recovery
in mental health services the hallmark of our nation’s mental health
system.
“The Commission’s report is a prescription meant to fix a mental
health ‘system’ that is on the verge of plunging from crisis
to catastrophe,” said Michael Faenza, president and CEO of the National
Mental Health Association. “It offers a great chance for advocates,
consumers and family members to work with federal leadership towards fundamental
change. But without commitment, action and funding this report is worth
no more than the paper it is written on.”
The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law is the leading national legal
advocate for people with mental illnesses or mental retardation. Through
precedent-setting litigation and in the public policy arena, the Bazelon
Center works to advance and preserve the rights of people with mental illnesses
and developmental disabilities. For more information, visit www.bazelon.org.
As The Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness, NAMI leads a national grassroots
effort to transform America’s mental health care system, combat stigma,
support research, and attain adequate health insurance, housing, rehabilitation,
jobs and family support for millions of Americans living with mental illnesses.
For more information, visit www.nami.org.
The National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD)
serves the interests of the directors and commissioners of 55 state and
territorial government mental health agencies. NASMHPD and the state agencies
it represents seek to create effective, culturally-sensitive services that
promote recovery and active participation in community life for those they
serve. For more information, visit www.nasmhpd.org.
The National Mental Health Association is the country’s oldest and
largest nonprofit organization addressing all aspects of mental health and
mental illness. NMHA works to improve the mental health of all Americans
through advocacy, education, research and service. For more information,
visit www.nmha.org.
###
Other Campaign for Mental Health Reform partners made the following statements
in response to the release of the Commission’s report.
"The American Psychiatric Association
(APA) commends the President
and the Commission for their strong efforts to improve our nation's mental
health delivery system. APA urges President Bush and Congress to provide
real solutions to fix the current fragmented mental health delivery system,
pass mental health parity legislation, and provide adequate funding in the
public health system," said Marcia K. Goin, M.D., APA President. (703)
907-7300
"The Commission's final report constitutes a major step on the road
to recovery for our nation's mental health system," stated Norman Anderson,
Ph.D., chief executive officer of the American
Psychological Association. "The
challenge now before us is to develop and finance a continuum of culturally
appropriate mental health and family support services, ranging from prevention
to acute and chronic care, across the lifespan." (202) 336-5500
"The 1999 Surgeon General's Report on Mental Health described the
science underlying the identification, assessment, and treatment of
mental disorders, including the disorders of childhood. The 20,000 family
members of CHADD (Children and Adults with
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) hope that the President's
Commission Report will result in financing and management strategies
that deliver the science to all individuals with mental disorders and their
families," according to CHADD CEO E. Clarke Ross, D.P.A. (301)
306-7070
"Bipolar disorder is an illness significantly predisposed to substance
or alcohol abuse. DBSA commends the Commission for recognizing the seriousness
of the underdiagnosis of mental illness and co-occurring disorders," said
Lydia Lewis, president of the Depression
and Bipolar Support Alliance. "The
lack of accurate diagnosis in our mental health system is a gaping hole
that must be filled." (312) 642-0049
“The Federation of Families
for Children's Mental Health remains
committed to insuring children with mental health needs and their families
can count on immediate access to quality services and supports that are
community based. It our desire that the President's New Freedom Commission's
report reflect the current status of children's mental health. We look for
a commitment from this administration to take action and support policy
changes with necessary increased funding in order to change the way this
nation serves its children with mental health needs and their families,” said
Barbara Huff, executive director, Federation
of Families for Children’s
Mental Health. (703) 684-7710
"The report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health
takes a major step forward by first recognizing the shambles of our current
system and second, by emphasizing the importance of building a mental health
system based upon the recovery of every person with a mental illness," stated
United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation
Association (USPRA) President
Anita Pernell-Arnold. (410) 789-7054
"The National Association of County
Behavioral Health Directors joins
other national mental health organizations in commending the Commission’s
just released report and intends to work with all to ensure that the report
spurs action to improve services for people with mental illnesses." Thomas
E. Bryant, MD, JD, executive director, NACBHD, 202-234-7543
"With the timing and release of the final report, we are confident
that the President is dedicated to crowning his Administration's significant
list of accomplishments with the priority of mental health services to all." said
Charles G. Ray, president and CEO, National
Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. (301) 984-6200
"The Commission report offers a great opportunity for consumers to
continue to lead on in infusing the light of recovery, hope, self-determination,
love, and empowerment into the mental health system," said Daniel Fisher,
MD, PhD, executive director of the National
Empowerment Center. (978) 685-1518
"As someone who has been diagnosed with a mental illness, I think
it's about time the serious problems we have in getting decent services
are recognized at this level. I congratulate the President's Commission
on its excellent work,” said Joseph A. Rogers, executive director,
National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help
Clearinghouse. (215) 751-1810
“We applaud the Commission’s call to improve and expand mental
health care, enabling many to overcome their pain and choose life,” said
Jerry Weyrauch, founder, Suicide Prevention
Action Network USA. (202) 294-8132
“It appears the President's New Freedom Commission has taken into
account the Surgeon General's Report and emerging research by acknowledging
opportunities to implement and support consumer-operated programs, such
as drop-in centers, peer specialist training, outreach, businesses, employment,
housing, and crisis services, etc. Consumers, staff, and the mental health
system all benefit through meaningful work, successful role-modeling, and
a potentially more sensitive service system,” said Larry Belcher,
CEO of WVMHCA/CONTAC. (304) 345-7312
###
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More Information
President's New Freedom
Commission on Mental Health Final Report
Mental Health Policy
Recommendations from the Mental Health Liaison Group*
*PDF document; You will need the free
Acrobat Reader to view and print this file.
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