Protecting And Saving Mental Health In Alabama
1
Protecting & Saving Mental Health In Alabama The Alabama Legislature is considering some major cuts that would harm the people of Alabama. Everything from the courts, prisons, Medicaid, human resources, veterans, state parks, emergency management, mental health, and anything else under the General Fund budget would be affected. Here is what would be cut if the General Fund budget passes without new revenues. GeekAlabama.com Facebook.com/GeekAlabama @GeekAlabama Plus.Google.Com/+GeekAlabama Infographic Brought To You By: Infographic Created By: Nathan Young SlideShare.net/NathanYoung Facebook.com/nvyoung Twitter.com/nvyoung Gplus.to/nvyoung Pinterest.com/nvyoung About.me/nvyoung RebelMouse.com/nvyoung Linkedin.com/in/nvyoung Instagram.com/nvyoung44 Keek.com/nvyoung 256-452-1565 [email protected] GeekAlabama.com Facebook.com/GeekAlabama @GeekAlabama Plus.Google.Com/+GeekAlabama Infographic Brought To You By: Infographic Created By: Nathan Young SlideShare.net/NathanYoung Facebook.com/nvyoung Twitter.com/nvyoung Gplus.to/nvyoung Pinterest.com/nvyoung About.me/nvyoung RebelMouse.com/nvyoung Linkedin.com/in/nvyoung Instagram.com/nvyoung44 Keek.com/nvyoung Youtube.com/barcncpt44 [email protected] •A 23.8 percent cut to overall legislative funding, which includes a 54.1 percent cut to the Office of the Speaker of the House, and a 38.8 percent cut to the Office of the Senate Pro Tempore. • An 18.9 percent cut to overall judicial funding, which includes a 17.2 percent cut to the Court of Civil Appeals, a 21.15 percent cut to the Court of Criminal Appeals, and a 23.5 percent cut to the State Supreme Court. • A 4.89 percent cut to overall Department of Corrections funding. • A 13 percent cut overall to district attorney’s offices, which includes 22 percent cuts to all offices. • An 11.5 percent cut to overall Emergency Management Agency funding, a 100 percent cut to the Department of Environmental Management, and a 21.7 percent cut to the Alabama Forestry Commission. • A 100 percent cut to the State Health Planning Agency, the Alabama Indian Affairs Commission, and the Department of Labor. • A 32 percent cut to funding for the Alabama Department of Veteran’s Affairs, including 50 percent cuts to the Department of Alabama Disabled American Veterans. To help stop these major and disastrous cuts, please sign this Change.Org petition which will be sent to Governor Bentley, Senate leader Del Marsh, and House leader Mike Hubbard. Sign the petition at: http://goo.gl/oNBGVK Also, help me to cover events and talk about issues on Geek Alabama by pledging money on Go Fund Me at: Gofundme.com/nvyoung Mental Health in Alabama would be cut between 15 to 30 percent. If these major budget cuts did happen, $63.78 million in federal matching funds across the mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance abuse services divisions would be eliminated. Coupled with the proposed $35.2 million state funding cut, the state mental health department would be subjected to a total $98.9 million decrease in its funding. That’s almost $100 million cut from mental health programs in Alabama. This would cause extreme hardships in the state and the only people who would be able to get help are those who have a lot of cash. More than 24,000 would lose mental health services entirely, 589 would lose residential services, and more than 4,800 would lose intensive mental health services. Community mental health centers would be forced to discontinue outpatient mental health services for more than 16,000 people and almost 2,600 will not receive crisis mental health services. For people with intellectual disabilities, 5,829 people currently receiving services through the Federal Intellectual Disability Waiver will have their services reduced by 21 percent, more than 1,100 current waiver slots will be closed and 2,000 individuals will lose work and day supports. Around 1,100 community mental health program staff throughout Alabama would lose their jobs, on top of the 650 people who have already been laid off. Many satellite mental health centers, often the only mental health provider in rural counties, would be forced to close. If this budget or anything close to it passes, it will dismantle Alabama’s community-based systems of care for people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities. In other terms, if these major budget cuts happen, the Alabama government will basically be saying “screw you” to those with mental health problems or people with intellectual disabilities. Hundreds of people would lose their jobs, services would be cut, wait times would be extremely long, and people would suffer if these major budget cuts passed. But, this petition will concentrate on the mental health cuts Alabama would face if the major budget cuts did pass and became law. As you know, I have Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. People like me who have intellectual disabilities would suffer greatly if these major budget cuts were passed by our legislature. Everyone with an intellectual disability should have the best services available so their lives are filled with promise and hope, not despair and misery. If the major budgets cuts to mental health happened, there would be few to no options for those who lose community-based care, and the state will be at risk of federal litigation. The loss of community-based services would be a civil rights violation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. And organizations like the Alabama Disability Advocacy Program have threatened to re-open a federal lawsuit to make sure all people with mental health problems or intellectual disabilities gets the help they need. In the long run, cutting close to $100 million now will cost the state of Alabama a lot more in the long term. People with mental health problems or intellectual disabilities have a constitutional right to receive treatment in the least restrictive environment. If the major budget cuts happen, it would cause a cascade of program closures and an explosion of individuals being added to already lengthy waiting lists for services across the state. These people would have little options available and would eventually go onto welfare, food stamps, and/or Social Security Disability because they are not getting the help or opportunities they need to succeed and prosper in Alabama. The Alabama Legislature needs to realize that cutting close to $100 million from mental health and intellectual disability services will leave a black cloud hanging over the state for years to come. The national media will criticize Alabama for cutting these necessary services and it will slow down and stop the economic development in Alabama. Families and loved ones will suffer because they can’t afford the treatments, people with intellectual disabilities will lose supports and could end up homeless and living on the streets, and unless you have a lot of money, mental health and/or intellectual disability services will be out of the reach of many people, and something that can only be afforded by the rich. Our lawmakers in Montgomery are about the make Alabama the laughing stock of America once again. Cutting your way to prosperity does not work. Government exists to do things for the common good - things difficult to be done just by single individuals. Cutting mental health and intellectual disability services will result in more people suffering on the streets or in our jails. Even if it means our legislature has to mention the “T” word, and raise some taxes. Funding mental health and intellectual disability services is something the state should be obligated to provide.
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Transcript of Protecting And Saving Mental Health In Alabama
Protecting & Saving Mental
Health In Alabama
The Alabama Legislature is considering some major cuts that would harm the people of Alabama.
Everything from the courts, prisons, Medicaid, human resources, veterans, state parks, emergency
management, mental health, and anything else under the General Fund budget would be affected.
Here is what would be cut if the General Fund budget passes without new revenues.
GeekAlabama.com
Facebook.com/GeekAlabama
@GeekAlabama
Plus.Google.Com/+GeekAlabama
Infographic Brought To You By:
Infographic Created By:
Nathan Young SlideShare.net/NathanYoung
Facebook.com/nvyoung
Twitter.com/nvyoung
Gplus.to/nvyoung
Pinterest.com/nvyoung
About.me/nvyoung
RebelMouse.com/nvyoung
Linkedin.com/in/nvyoung
Instagram.com/nvyoung44
Keek.com/nvyoung
256-452-1565
GeekAlabama.com
Facebook.com/GeekAlabama
@GeekAlabama
Plus.Google.Com/+GeekAlabama
Infographic Brought To You By:
Infographic Created By:
Nathan Young SlideShare.net/NathanYoung
Facebook.com/nvyoung
Twitter.com/nvyoung
Gplus.to/nvyoung
Pinterest.com/nvyoung
About.me/nvyoung
RebelMouse.com/nvyoung
Linkedin.com/in/nvyoung
Instagram.com/nvyoung44
Keek.com/nvyoung
Youtube.com/barcncpt44
•A 23.8 percent cut to overall legislative funding, which includes a 54.1
percent cut to the Office of the Speaker of the House, and a 38.8
percent cut to the Office of the Senate Pro Tempore.
• An 18.9 percent cut to overall judicial funding, which includes a 17.2
percent cut to the Court of Civil Appeals, a 21.15 percent cut to the
Court of Criminal Appeals, and a 23.5 percent cut to the State Supreme
Court.
• A 4.89 percent cut to overall Department of Corrections funding.
• A 13 percent cut overall to district attorney’s offices, which includes
22 percent cuts to all offices.
• An 11.5 percent cut to overall Emergency Management Agency
funding, a 100 percent cut to the Department of Environmental
Management, and a 21.7 percent cut to the Alabama Forestry
Commission.
• A 100 percent cut to the State Health Planning Agency, the Alabama
Indian Affairs Commission, and the Department of Labor.
• A 32 percent cut to funding for the Alabama Department of Veteran’s
Affairs, including 50 percent cuts to the Department of Alabama
Disabled American Veterans.
To help stop these major and disastrous cuts, please sign this
Change.Org petition which will be sent to Governor Bentley,
Senate leader Del Marsh, and House leader Mike Hubbard. Sign
the petition at:
http://goo.gl/oNBGVK Also, help me to cover events and talk about issues on Geek Alabama
by pledging money on Go Fund Me at:
Gofundme.com/nvyoung
Mental Health in Alabama would be cut between 15 to 30 percent. If these
major budget cuts did happen, $63.78 million in federal matching funds
across the mental illness, intellectual disability, and substance abuse
services divisions would be eliminated. Coupled with the proposed $35.2
million state funding cut, the state mental health department would be
subjected to a total $98.9 million decrease in its funding. That’s almost
$100 million cut from mental health programs in Alabama. This would
cause extreme hardships in the state and the only people who would be
able to get help are those who have a lot of cash.
More than 24,000 would lose mental health services entirely, 589 would
lose residential services, and more than 4,800 would lose intensive mental
health services. Community mental health centers would be forced to
discontinue outpatient mental health services for more than 16,000 people
and almost 2,600 will not receive crisis mental health services. For people
with intellectual disabilities, 5,829 people currently receiving services
through the Federal Intellectual Disability Waiver will have their services
reduced by 21 percent, more than 1,100 current waiver slots will be closed
and 2,000 individuals will lose work and day supports.
Around 1,100 community mental health program staff throughout Alabama
would lose their jobs, on top of the 650 people who have already been laid
off. Many satellite mental health centers, often the only mental health
provider in rural counties, would be forced to close. If this budget or
anything close to it passes, it will dismantle Alabama’s community-based
systems of care for people with mental illness and intellectual disabilities.
In other terms, if these major budget cuts happen, the Alabama
government will basically be saying “screw you” to those with mental
health problems or people with intellectual disabilities.
Hundreds of people would lose their jobs, services
would be cut, wait times would be extremely long,
and people would suffer if these major budget cuts
passed. But, this petition will concentrate on the
mental health cuts Alabama would face if the major
budget cuts did pass and became law. As you know, I
have Asperger’s Syndrome and Autism. People like
me who have intellectual disabilities would suffer
greatly if these major budget cuts were passed by
our legislature. Everyone with an intellectual
disability should have the best services available so
their lives are filled with promise and hope, not
despair and misery.
If the major budgets cuts to mental health happened, there would be few to no options for those who lose
community-based care, and the state will be at risk of federal litigation. The loss of community-based services
would be a civil rights violation under the Americans with Disabilities Act. And organizations like the Alabama
Disability Advocacy Program have threatened to re-open a federal lawsuit to make sure all people with mental
health problems or intellectual disabilities gets the help they need. In the long run, cutting close to $100 million
now will cost the state of Alabama a lot more in the long term.
People with mental health problems or intellectual disabilities have a constitutional right to receive treatment in
the least restrictive environment. If the major budget cuts happen, it would cause a cascade of program closures
and an explosion of individuals being added to already lengthy waiting lists for services across the state. These
people would have little options available and would eventually go onto welfare, food stamps, and/or Social
Security Disability because they are not getting the help or opportunities they need to succeed and prosper in
Alabama.
The Alabama Legislature needs to realize that cutting close to $100 million from mental health and intellectual
disability services will leave a black cloud hanging over the state for years to come. The national media will
criticize Alabama for cutting these necessary services and it will slow down and stop the economic development in
Alabama. Families and loved ones will suffer because they can’t afford the treatments, people with intellectual
disabilities will lose supports and could end up homeless and living on the streets, and unless you have a lot of
money, mental health and/or intellectual disability services will be out of the reach of many people, and something
that can only be afforded by the rich.
Our lawmakers in Montgomery are about the make Alabama the laughing
stock of America once again. Cutting your way to prosperity does not work.
Government exists to do things for the common good - things difficult to
be done just by single individuals. Cutting mental health and intellectual
disability services will result in more people suffering on the streets or in
our jails. Even if it means our legislature has to mention the “T” word, and
raise some taxes. Funding mental health and intellectual disability services
is something the state should be obligated to provide.
