Kathleen Gearin, chief judge of Ramsey County, issued a temporary restraining order yesterday to restore funding to a program that provides food assistance to Minnesotans with complex medical dietary needs. The ruling specifically noted the constitutionality of unallotment as a law, but noted several issues with the way in which it was recently used by Governor Pawlenty. She interpreted that the use of this power is intended to be limited to addressing unforeseen budget shortfalls: “[unallotment] is not meant to be used as a weapon by the executive branch to break a stalemate in budget negotiations with the Legislature or to rewrite the appropriations bill.”

More coverage on this story can be found at MinnPost, the Star Tribune, and MPR News.

Judge Gearin also noted that simply reversing unallotment entirely is not within the boundaries of the judiciary, and that it will be necessary for the Legislature and the Governor to revisit the budget in a much more comprehensive way. While 2010 is scheduled to be a relatively calmer bonding session, this ruling could signal a much more active session as 2009 cuts are reconsidered. As we have said before, some compromise on the budget will continue to be necessary. However, we are greatly concerned by cuts that disproportionally affect Minnesotans with mental illnesses, such as the elimination of General Assistance Medical Care. GAMC is a much larger budget item, and is unlikely to be restored in a similar fashion. But we believe this underscores how critical it is to find a workable solution that acknowledges the necessity of these services.

There’s a long way to go before we know the final outcome. While the grant of a stay does send a signal about the judge’s assessment of the likely final outcome, the Governor has already announced his intent to respond. In addition, this suit is limited to one relatively small program of the many that were cut. But it reminds us that the budget of the state and many social services are still hanging in the balance. For anyone who cares about mental health services in Minnesota, it is critical to remain informed about the budget process and to talk to your legislators about the programs that you value.

Please check back soon, as we will continue to post here and send out email to our Public Policy Update subscribers. We expect to have more information shortly about cuts to the Personal Care Assistance program, which provides a measure of independence for many people with disabilities, including serious mental illnesses.

Thanks to all of you who have celebrated 70 years of mental health education and advocacy in Minnesota with us this year! We are grateful for your ongoing support!

2009 has been very productive:

• In January, we introduced new vision and mission statements and established new principles of service.
• In February, we introduced a new newsletter, The Voice, published 5 times per year.
• In May, we hosted the first event of the Gloria Segal Education Forum, Taking the Lid off the Black Box of Mental Illness.
• In July, we launched a brand new website.
• In August, we hosted the second event of the Gloria Segal Education Forum, Managing Stress During Tough Times.
• In September, we welcomed two new staff members, Ben Ashley-Wurtmann and Anna Raudenbush.
• In November, we celebrated our 70th anniversary with a Birthday Gala.
• Throughout the year, we continued to provide individual advocacy to people living with mental illnesses and to participate in issues advocacy through our work on the Mental Health Legislative Network and with Local Mental Health Advisory Councils throughout Minnesota.

If you are interested in making a year-end gift to MHAM to help us continue our work in 2010, here’s an easy way to do it! MHAM has its own page on GiveMN.org. Click on the button to visit our page to make a quick and easy online donation. All proceeds will come directly to MHAM.

We will be taking a little time off during the holidays. Our offices will close at noon on Thursday, December 24 and reopen at 9 am on Monday, December 28. We will also close at noon on Thursday, December 31 and reopen at 9 am on Monday, January 4. Advocates will be available all other days throughout the holidays. If you need to speak to an advocate, please give us a call at 612-331-6840 or 800-862-1799.

We hope you are having a healthy and joyous holiday season, and we wish you a very happy new year!

The 2010 Legislative Session has not formally opened, but action is already heating up. Yesterday, Sen. Linda Berglin and Reps. Erin Murphy and Tom Huntley set forth a proposal to help save General Assistance Medical Care. The event has been widely reported, including at MinnPost , the Star Tribune, and the PioneerPress.

As you may be aware, funding for GAMC was cut by Gov. Pawlenty through the un-allotment process. This program has helped Minnesotans who lack the means to pay for necessary medical care, but are not eligible for federal relief. Currently, the Governor has proposed transitioning GAMC recipients to Minnesota Care, but this falls short for several reasons. Low income patients are unlikely to be able to pay the premiums, and the Health Care Access Fund that supports MN CARE is already facing budget shortfalls.

With a mix of funding sources, the new plan for GAMC seeks to restore coverage to those who would have no other options, encourage transition to federal assistance for those who are eligible, and share the costs of this care in a fair manner. Federal funds, county contributions, and a surcharge on providers would all contribute, and the plan is currently tax neutral, an important compromise to the Govenor’s stated position on health care.

This proposal recognizes the unique health care needs of persons with mental illnesses. There are provisions for better urgently required care to avoid hospitalization, and payments for medication. This is what we’ve always known. We need better access to timely care and ongoing support. The alternative is waiting until a person is in even further crisis.

As the plan authors note, the federal proposals currently in discussion would likely solve these issues in the future by expanding federal Medical Assistance. But until then, we need to find real solutions for the populations served by GAMC. Cutting people off from necessary care and unleashing a wave of uncompensated care on hospitals and counties is the worst case scenario.

It’s likely that many proposals on this issue will emerge in this session and much will change before anything is signed into law, but at the Mental Health Association, we are pressing for stable sources of care for persons with mental illnesses, and cost cutting that focuses on preventive care, not slashing services.

Please contact your legislators today, and make sure that they know your priorities going into the 2010 legislative session. Minnesota needs GAMC. The cost of inaction is just too high.

Stay up to date with the issues with MHAM Public Policy Alerts. In the coming weeks, look for information on the critical issues for 2010, including more on GAMC, Personal Care Assistance, changes to State Operated Services, Maintenance of Effort Agreements, and the Acute Care Needs Report.

(This post was originally sent to our Public Policy Alerts email list. Sign up through MyMHAM to stay up to date with developments affecting persons with mental illnesses in Minnesota.)

By Ed Eide

As I have traveled around the state visiting with Local Advisory Councils (LAC’s) I have heard comments about reducing the stigma of mental illness. While we can pretend that stigma is lessening, in smaller towns in greater Minnesota it is not. People are often identified by their mental illness, not their accomplishments.

As we work on goals to getting more people involved in their community, an understanding of what mental illness is becomes critical. Along those lines, a group of major mental health organizations are supporting BringChange2Mind.org.

From the BringChange2Mind Website:

BringChange2Mind.org is a not-for-profit organization created by Glenn Close, the Child and Adolescent Bipolar Foundation (CABF), Fountain House, and Garen and Shari Staglin of IMHRO (International Mental Health Research Organization).

The idea of a national anti-stigma campaign was born of a partnership between Glenn Close and Fountain House, where Glenn volunteered in order to learn about mental illness, which both her sister and nephew suffer from.

This is the first effort of this magnitude in U.S. history. Ron Howard generously donated his time in directing our first PSA that features Glenn Close and her sister, Jessie Close. John Mayer generously donated his song, Say, which serves as an anthem for this movement.

The campaign has the support of major mental health organizations, including Active Minds, the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP), International Mental Health Research Organization (IMHRO), the Jed Foundation, Mental Health America (MHA), National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), NARSAD, National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).

View this video and more at BringChange2Mind.org and then share the videos with others. These could make a difference in someone’s life.

By Brett Dumke

A recent pilot study, funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), shows a promising new intervention for depressed teens that have previously attempted suicide. Along with medication, this intervention uses a psychotherapy called cognitive behavioral therapy for suicide prevention (CBT-SP).  CBT-SP was developed to prevent or reduce the risk of suicide reattempts.  The study found that the rate of recurrence of either suicidal thoughts or attempts were lower than previous comparable studies, which suggests that this type of intervention might be an effective new approach in helping to reduce suicide among this most susceptible group of teens.

For more information, go to the NIMH study. Also, check out our youth education section on our website for information and resources pertaining to depression and suicide prevention.

By Brett Dumke

Thursday, October 8^th is National Depression Screening Day, a program sponsored by Screening for Mental Health, Inc. Last year, nearly 300,000 people were screened nationally at in-person events. Several Minnesota hospitals, health centers, and social service organizations are participating in this free event, which is available to the public. Many of these statewide screenings offer:

• An anonymous mental health self-assessment
• Educational resources for you to take home

• A confidential interview with a mental health professional to discuss the results of your screening
• In primary/specialty care offices

• A list of local referral resources where you can receive treatment

To contact an onsite screening location in your area, or to access an anonymous online self-assessment, please click on: http://register.mentalhealthscreening.org/Locator1.aspx?MPEID=14

The deadline is approaching for regulations to implement parity and friends of mental health in Congress want to make sure they are issued on time.

You can help them succeed.

For health plans to fully comply with the historic mental health parity law enacted last October (the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act), federal rules are needed. The law requires the Secretaries of the Departments of Health and Human Services, Labor and the Treasury to issue implementing rules before the date the parity law takes effect (for some plans this date is October 3, 2009, and for calendar-year plans, it is January 1, 2010).

With three agencies involved in what can be a lengthy approval process, quick action is critical. Earlier this year, the agencies issued a request for information (RFI) from the field to help inform their rulemaking, but final regulations have yet to be released. See the Bazelon Center’s May 26 Action Alert for a link to our comments on the RFI.

Before the August recess, Senators Al Franken (D-MN), Edward Kennedy (D-MA), Jack Reed (D-RI,) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) sent a letter to the three cabinet secretaries, concerned about the delay.  Thanks to everyone who helped secure endorsements from Senators for that letter.

With a need for continued pressure on the three departments to issue regulations in a timely fashion, Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) is circulating a letter, seeking endorsements by other members of the House of Representatives. The letter will insist that the secretaries of the three departments act quickly and consider the comments that were filed in response to the request for information (RFI).

The deadline for Representatives to endorse the letter is close of business (5 pm, EST) on Monday, September 21.

By Alida Purmalietis

There are several ways to become active in your communities.  For those interested in issues related to mental health services, understanding the current system can seem like a daunting task.  Most people understand that a good way to voice concerns is to contact their elected officials.   However, an option that is sometimes overlooked is to attend a Mental Health Local Advisory Council (LAC) meeting.  It was recently announced that the Hennepin LAC is looking for additional consumers to join the council.  For information about where the meetings take place and who to contact.

By Brett Dumke

September 6^th through September 12^th is Suicide Prevention Week.  This national campaign draws attention to this public health crisis and how we can take action.  There are many things that individuals, local communities, and places of employment can do to help in this effort.  Several local and national organizations can assist those who would like to get involved, here are just a few:

Suicide Awareness Voices of Education (SAVE), based here in Minnesota, offers a variety of educational materials and resources via their website.

Check out the Suicide Prevention Resource Center (SPRC), which provides an abundance of information and is a good starting point on how to create an effective approach for preventing suicide.  In addition, SPRC has compiled a list of ideas and activities that may also be helpful.

The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH), an outreach partner of MHAM, has an updated suicide prevention page for this campaign as well.

By Kathy Kelso

The August congressional recess has brought us opportunities to talk with our Senators, Congressmen and Congresswomen to urge enactment of a strong, comprehensive health insurance reform bill.

It is important for mental health advocates to counter negative messages spread by anti-reform groups. Urge Members of Congress to improve health care coverage and protections for millions of Americans by:

• Preventing insurance companies from denying coverage or charging more because of a pre-existing condition, like a mental illness, or dropping and reducing coverage if you become seriously ill.
• Ensuring payment for evidenced-based practices that work.
• Extending Medicaid to households with incomes below at least 133% of the federal poverty level.
• Requiring that all plans include mental health and chemical dependency treatment, and that this coverage must be at full parity (i.e., equal to the coverage of physical health conditions).

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law provides a detailed webpage on how the legislation affects individuals with a mental illness and issue briefs on the integration of mental health services in healthcare reform.

A number of policy proposals are under consideration, and parity for mental health must be a fundamental benefit in the final congressional act. We know that our Senators support parity and reform, as do some of our Congressional representatives. Thank them for all they are doing to enact historic health care reform!  Contact elected officials.