MHAV’s MID-WEEK ALERT  March 3, 2008
CALL TO ACTION!!!
Mental Health America urges you to: TAKE ACTION on PARITY Sustaining the momentum you helped launch, the House of Representatives has scheduled a historic vote on a comprehensive mental health/substance use parity bill Wednesday, March 5.  This vote is critical to our shared goal of winning enactment of a strong mental health parity law this year.  Here's how you can help: Send an e-mail Please urge your U.S. Representative to support passage of H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act by sending an e-mail. Call the Toll-Free Parity Hotline @ 1-866-parity Given the importance of this vote, please take a minute to also call your Representative using the toll-free Parity Hotline, 1-866-parity4 (1-866-727-4894).  The Parity Hotline reaches the Capitol switchboard, which can connect callers to their members of Congress.  If you do not know the name of your Representative, click here: Message: “I am calling to ask that the Representative vote for H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health & Addiction Equity Act.  Parity is needed to end insurance discrimination and save lives.” Please let us know you made the call! Click here to let us know you made the call and share any information from the conversation. Forward this message to your friends and family. Learn more To learn more about this life saving legislation, visit the Campaign to Insure Mental Health and Addiction Equity at http://www.equitycampaign.info/. Thank you for fighting to protect America's mental health!
FROM THE ED’s DESK
Parity It is most urgent that we all call our Congressman and urge they vote for HR 1424 (see above)!  In September the Senate passed their version of a parity bill (SB 558).  The Senate bill and the House bill are different so if the House passes HR1424 parity would go to a conference committee.  However the first step is to encourage our Representative to pass their parity bill. Legislature Thing became more complex for the budget conference committee when the Virginia Supreme Court struck down parts of the state transportation funding plan.  The result is that before the budget can be passed the loss of the transportation funding must be resolved.  The session is scheduled to end Saturday so it may do so without passing a budget forcing the Governor to call a special session.    The mental health part of the budget appears to be safe.  The debate is between the Senate’s $42 million (as originally proposed by the Governor) and the higher amount passed by the house.
IN THE NEWS
Mental health Daily Press - Newport News,VA,USA Seung-Hui Cho kills 32 people and himself at Virginia Tech, and another big scramble ensues among Virginia officialdom to fix mental health services. ... See all stories on this topic Va. Braces for Veterans' Needs Washington Post - United States By Chris L. Jenkins Virginia officials are preparing for a sharp increase in requests for community mental health services from troops returning from Iraq ... See all stories on this topic What the candidates forgot to debate The Daily Voice - New York,NY,USA Yet none of the leading presidential candidates makes a big deal of these tragedies, or rather, of the tattered state of the country's mental health care ... See all stories on this topic
LEGISLATIVE UPDATE
Click here to view the MHAV Legislative Tracking Index.
	ABOUT MHAV
	Our Mission Mental Health America of Virginia and its fourteen affiliates around Virginia are nonprofit, nonpartisan, advocacy organizations affiliated with the Mental Health America.  Our mission statement: To promote mental health, develop services to prevent mental illness and assure the proper care and treatment of mentally ill children and adults. What does MHAV Do?  MHAV is a thoughtful voice of reason advocating for public and private sector services and financing to ensure adequate and appropriate detection, treatment, housing, and rehabilitation programs. Teaming with consumers, families of consumers, mental health professionals, providers and the public we ensure that the members of the Virginia assemble and members of Virginia’s Congressional delegation are aware of the concerns and needs of people with mental illness. MHAV educates the public about mental health and mental illness to eliminate the stigma which prevents people from obtaining the help they need.   MHAV promotes and provides programs to meet the needs of individuals suffering from mental illness, to improve mental health, and to reduce conditions which impede the attainment of mental health. Find back issues of Mid Week Alerts on our web page mhav.org Contact Us:   3212 Cutshaw Ave, Suite 315   Richmond, VA 23230  804-257-5591

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