May 22, 2008

Invite Your Members of Congress to Visit You During the Memorial Day Recess!

Members of the House and Senate will return home to their districts for the Memorial Day work period next week, May 26-30, 2008. The National Council encourages members to invite their members of Congress to visit your agency while they are in their district offices during this time.

Scheduling visits with your members of Congress ensures that they hear directly from you about the challenges that you face in providing high quality services to persons with mental illnesses and addiction disorders. It also provides you with an opportunity to build relationships with your legislators, educate their key staff members, and allow them to see community behavioral healthcare in practice.

Materials For Your Visits
In order to make your visit as successful as possible, the National Council suggests preparing a packet of materials to leave with the Representative or Senator. Items you may wish to include:

• Your organization’s most recent annual report
• A list of board members
• Descriptions of your programs and other organization highlights
• Business cards
• Overview of issues that affect your organization or state
• Your calendar, so that you can establish a date for a future site visit to your organization by the Representative or Senator and/or their legislative staff

Prepare for Your Visits
Having answers to the following types of questions will help prepare you for your visits. In addition, if you have met with the Representative or Senator in the past, keep in mind any areas of particular interest or concern.

• How many consumers does your organization serve annually?
• How many people does your organization employ?
• What do case management and/or rehabilitative services look like at your organization? Give examples of what these services are and what they can do for consumers.
• What would changes in the definitions of case management and/or rehabilitative services mean for your organization?

Key Talking Points
Among the timely issues you may wish to discuss with your legislators:

Ask them to support legislation to delay implementation of seven Medicaid regulations, including case management and the rehabilitative service option, for one year

Ask them to co-sponsor the Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act (S. 2182/HR 5176)

Contact the National Council
Please let the National Council know when you have scheduled an appointment by contacting Allison Fort at AllisonF@thenationalcouncil.org, or (301) 984-6200, x235. This allows the National Council to track and follow up on your efforts.

National Council Joins More Than 200 Groups on Letter to Congress Supporting Increased SAPT Block Grant Funding

On May 16, the National Council joined more than 200 national, state, and local organizations in sending a letter to members of the House and Senate Appropriations Committees in support of increased funding for the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment (SAPT) Block Grant.

Administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the SAPT Block Grant is the foundation of the publicly supported prevention and treatment system in this country.  In 2002, nearly 2 million people were served by SAPT Block Grant formula funding. The groups asked members of the two Appropriations Committees to support a $100 million increase for the SAPT Block Grant in FY 2009. 

“The SAPT Block Grant serves as the backbone of our publicly funded substance abuse service system in every State and Territory,” said the groups in their letter. “This flexible funding stream is designed to help States and communities address their own unique needs related to addiction – whether the primary problem is alcohol, methamphetamine, prescription drug abuse or persons using multiples substances.”

Other groups signing the letter include: the National Association of Counties, Child Welfare League of America, NAMI, Goodwill Industries, Inc., and the American Probation and Parole Association.

National Council and No Kidding, Me Too! Sponsor Congressional Briefing on Mental Illness’ Social Stigma

On May 22, the National Council and No Kidding, Me Too!, a non-profit entity founded by actor Joe Pantoliano to increase mental health awareness, hosted a briefing for Congressional staff on efforts to battle the social stigma associated with mental illnesses and its real world consequences. 

Panelists at the briefing addressed a variety of topics, including veterans’ mental health and recent research indicating that people with serious mental illness - which include schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major clinical depression – die, on average, 25 years earlier than the general population.  

Panelists included:

• Rep. Jim Ramstad (R-MN)
• Joe Pantoliano, actor and founder of No Kidding, Me Too!
• Master Sergeant Joe Santiago, Operation Iraqi Freedom veteran
• A. Kathryn Power, Director, Center for Mental Health Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA)
• Dr. Joe Parks, Medical Director, Missouri Department of Mental Health
• Delta Burke, actress

Linda Rosenberg, President and CEO of the National Council, served as the event’s moderator.

Submit Comments to CMS on the State Plan HCBS Benefit Proposed Rule

Recently, the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) put on display at the Office of the Federal Register a Proposed Rule for the Optional State Plan HCBS Benefit. This proposed rule implements Section 6086(a) of the Deficit Reduction Act. The National Council has prepared a summary of this proposed rule.  
 
Official comments must be submitted no later than 5 PM on June 3, 2008. The National Council has prepared draft comments – we encourage you to submit your own comments to CMS using this template.

For your convenience, we have included information on how to submit your comments below. Please share your comments with us – e-mail your comments to Mohini Venkatesh at MohiniV@thenationalcouncil.org.  If you have any questions, please contact Mohini Venkatesh.
 
To submit your comments electronically:
 
1. Click on the following link: http://www.regulations.gov  
 
2. Under "Comments or Submissions", search for "Medicaid program: Home and Community-Based State Plan Services". 
 
3. Click on the "Send a Comment or Submission" link and follow instructions to submit your comments.
 
To submit comments by regular or overnight mail, please see the instructions in the Federal Register announcements.

Make Your Plans for Hill Day 2008: RSVP and Sign Up for One-On-One Hill Visit Coaching; Second Hotel Room Block Now Available

The National Council places top priority on helping you do your job as a leader in the field of community behavioral healthcare by supporting you with new communications tools, increased emphasis on involving you in ongoing liaison with national decision-makers, and policy and research support for your efforts. The National Council's Fourth Annual Hill Day, scheduled for Wednesday, June 18, 2008, presents a wonderful opportunity to take the first step towards engaging your members of Congress and taking a lead role in shaping federal public policy in 2008.

We need YOU to help us lead. Click here to RSVP now for Hill Day 2008!

If you’d like help registering yourself or your delegation, or if you have difficulty registering online, please contact Allison Fort at 301-984-6200, x235 or AllisonF@thenationalcouncil.org.

Visit the National Council’s Hill Day web page for the latest information on Hill Day, including:

• Information on the National Council’s new online appointment-making tool
• Tips on bringing a team to Hill Day
• Schedule of Hill Day events

Among the events planned for Hill Day is an opportunity for one-on-one Hill visit coaching. As we prepare for these coaching sessions, it is important that we have a sense of the number of people who plan to participate in these sessions, scheduled for June 17 from 4:30 – 6:00 pm. If you have not already RSVPed for Hill Day, please do so today and let us know whether you plan to participate in one-on-one coaching.

If you are organizing a group for Hill Day and plan to have your group attend the coaching session, please contact Allison Fort at AllisonF@thenationalcouncil.org and let us know how many people from your group will participate in coaching.

Note: the National Council's room block rate of $279 has expired at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel. Rooms are still available at the Marriott Wardman Park Hotel at the rate of $329 and up. Hill Day participants who have not yet made a hotel reservation are encouraged to do so and ask to be placed on the waiting list for the National Council's group rate. To be placed on the waiting list, contact Laurie Velasco at 202-328-5695. Please also let Allison Fort know that you have been placed on the waiting list by e-mailing her at AllisonF@thenationalcouncil.org.  
You can make your reservation at the Marriott Wardman Park hotel:

• Online, or
• By calling 1-800-228-9290 or 202-328-2000
  
  A second block of rooms is available at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, which is located just two blocks from the Marriott Wardman Park. Rooms are available at the rate of $279. To make your reservations at the Omni Shoreham Hotel, call 1-888-444-OMNI (6664) or (202) 234-0700 and ask for the “National Council” room block.

We look forward to seeing you in Washington in June!

Contact Your Representatives Today In Support of Legislation to Strengthen Community Behavioral Healthcare!

Executive Summary: On January 29, Representatives Gene Green (D-TX) and Timothy Murphy (R-PA) introduced the Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act (HR 5176) in the House. HR 5176 calls for the co-location of primary care services in community mental health settings and to support innovative programs for mental health workforce recruitment and retention. The National Council needs your help securing co-sponsors for the Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act in the House of Representatives – contact your Representative today in support of HR 5176!

Action Needed: The National Council urges all members to contact their Representative and ask them to sign on as a cosponsor of HR 5176.  To find your Representative and his or her fax number, go to: www.house.gov.  

Currently, 13 Representatives have signed on as cosponsors:

• Representative Bruce Braley (D-IA)
• Representative Andre Carson (D-IN)
• Representative Yvette Clarke (D-NY)
• Representative Jerry Costello (D-IL)
• Representative Lloyd Doggett (D-TX)
• Representative Ruben Hinojosa (D-TX)
• Representative Sheila Jackson-Lee (D-TX)
• Representative Eddie Bernice Johnson (D-TX)
• Representative James McGovern (D-MA)
• Representative Michael McNulty (D-NY)
• Representative Donald Payne (D-NJ)
• Representative Ciro Rodriguez (D-TX)
• Representative Robert Wexler (D-FL)

Thank you to National Council members who reached out to these Representatives in support of HR 5176!

A model letter, to be placed on your agency’s letterhead, is available online. There are two templates: one for associations and one for individual agencies.

The National Council urges you to contact your Representatives and to reach out to others in your communities and states to sign letters in support of HR 5176. People and organizations you may wish to contact include:

• State legislators
• Mayors
• State and local NAMI or MHA chapters
• Sheriffs and other law enforcement officials/organizations
• Chambers of Commerce and other business groups

Please share your letters in support of HR 5176 with the National Council. Contact Allison Fort at AllisonF@thenationalcouncil.org to share copies of your letters with the National Council so that we may track support for the bill.

Background:

The Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act would amend the Public Health Service Act to include provisions to co-locate primary care and specialty medical care in community-based mental health and addiction treatment organizations. In addition, the bill includes training and loan assistance programs designed to address the recruitment and retention of qualified behavioral healthcare workers, particularly in health professional shortage areas.

Passage of this legislation will allow mental health providers to recruit qualified primary care professionals to provide essential health services to patients with serious mental illness. This is a critical need, given that we now know that patients with mental illness die on average 25 years earlier than the general population, largely due to chronic and unattended medical conditions.

HR 5176 also provides for innovative programs to address behavioral health workforce needs in designated mental health professional shortage areas. The act calls for loan forgiveness and repayment as well as expanded education and training to support the recruitment and retention of qualified mental health workers, especially for racial and ethnic minorities.

For more information on HR 5176, including an overview of specific provisions, fact sheets, model letters, and a list of supporting organizations, visit the National Council’s website.

Recently Released Resources from the National Council

The National Council’s website is frequently updated with issue briefs, letters, and other materials of interest to members. Please take notice of these recent updates:
 
Last week, the National Council began running ads in support of the Medicaid moratoria legislation in several prominent Capitol Hill publications – Roll Call, The Hill, and CQ Today. The Child Welfare League of America, Mental Health America, and NAMI joined the National Council on the ads.

In April, two new joint statements on important medications access issues were released by the National Council, American Psychiatric Association (APA), Mental Health America (MHA), and NAMI. Each of these joint statements is now available online.

Joint Statement on Therapeutic Substitution explores the risk of serious adverse outcomes when one medication in a therapeutic class is substituted for another and recommends policies on therapeutic substitution provide patient protections that promote appropriate access to medications and acknowledge the necessity of shared patient-physician decisions based on the unique needs of individuals. 
 
Joint Statement on Medication Cost Sharing in State Medicaid Programs discusses the burden of copayments on individuals with chronic or ongoing health problems, like major mental
illnesses, while increasing administrative costs for states and providers. In this paper, the four organizations recommend states follow the lead of corporate America to reduce or eliminate medication copayments for those with chronic diseases such as mental illness.

In addition, the National Council, MHA, and NAMI released a third joint statement. Joint Statement on Appropriate Utilization Management Approaches examines utilization management practices and highlights several utilization management programs that promote cost-efficiency through improved patient care and outcomes, particularly for individuals with serious or complicated health needs. 

On April 9, testimony submitted by Chuck Ingoglia, the National Council's Vice President, Public Policy, was quoted during the opening statement of Senator Richard Burr (R-NC) at a Senate Veterans Affairs Committee hearing on recruitment and retention of Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical  professionals and staff.

To read Ingoglia's testimony online, click here: In April, the National Council released a new State Policy Focus on state initiatives to provide community-based services to individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASDs). This State Policy Focus describes various service categories utilized by individuals with ASDs, barriers providers and states face in providing services, and state efforts to mitigate these barriers. Featured initiatives include Wisconsin, Massachusetts, and Connecticut.

On March 18, the National Council hosted a Congressional briefing for Senate staff highlighting mental health data from Arkansas and Colorado. Entitled “Arkansas and Colorado Community Mental Health Systems: Helping People in Need,” the briefing provided Congressional staff with a unique opportunity to see some of the most highly detailed public mental health care data available anywhere in the country.

Panelists included: Linda Rosenberg, President & CEO, National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare; Kenny Whitlock, Executive Director, Mental Health Council of Arkansas; John Althoff, Deputy Director, Division of Behavioral Health Services, State of Arkansas Department of Human Services; George DelGrosso, Executive Director, Colorado Behavioral Healthcare Council; and David Lloyd, President, MTM Services, LLC.

On February 27, Chris Copeland, Executive Director of Tri-County Mental Health Services in Lewiston, ME, testified at two briefings for House Senate staff to examine the potential impact of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ (CMS) proposed rule on case management.  Copeland shared examples of case management services offered by community behavioral healthcare providers and concerns about the impact the proposed regulations may have on both providers and the people they serve.

On February 15, the National Council released the first edition of Addiction News Now. This monthly publication will keep you up to date on federal addiction policies, ground breaking research, and issues and events that are making headlines across the country. The National Council is committed to strengthening and expanding addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery services nationwide and providing the information necessary to effect change on the local, state, and federal level. 

In partnership with over 40 national organizations, the National Council has formed the Whole Health Campaign and issued a call to the candidates to support wellness of mind and body for a healthier America. You can learn more about the Whole Health Campaign at www.wholehealthcampaign.org, where you can also comment on the blog entries, order copies of the WHC brochure, and sign up to become an endorsing organization. We encourage your organizations to endorse the work and the principles of the Whole Health Campaign. Together, we can have an impact.

On January 8, the National Council hosted a National Council Live webinar entitled, “The Role of State Policies in the Adoption of Naltrexone for Substance Abuse Treatment.”  Carolyn Heinrich from the University of Wisconsin-Madison presented on a recent study she co-authored with Carolyn Hill from Georgetown University that examined the state policies that affect treatment facilities' adoption of naltrexone, a pharmacotherapy for alcoholism treatment.  The webinar included an overview of their research and findings and a discussion about the state level practices and policies that play a role in treatment decisions that impact utilization of clinically proven cost-effective treatments for alcoholism.

The Public Policy Update is a weekly e-newsletter published by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. Managing Editor - Allison Fort.  Vice President, Public Policy - Chuck Ingoglia. Director of State Policy - Tammy Seltzer. Director of Public Policy – Alexa Eggleston.