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You may contact legislators by phone, regular mail or email. Use the method that is most comfortable for you.
If you are a mental health service consumer, or the family of a person with mental illness or a development disability, identify yourself as such right off the top. Make it clear that you are someone who will be directly affected by their actions.
Explain that you are writing to express your concern about the consequences of the proposed FY 2010 General Fund reductions to the community mental health system. Then explain those concerns.
If you will be personally and directly affected, tell how:
“My wife has severe bipolar disorder and requires regular medication and therapy. We are above the income threshold for Medicaid assistance, but our health insurance does not adequately cover the services she requires. I cannot express how the proposed cuts in will affect us. Paying privately for the care she needs will destroy us financially; giving up the medication and treatment she needs will break our family apart.”
If your interest is professional, explain it:
“I am an emergency room nurse. At least twice a day, I treat people with mental illness who have hurt themselves intentionally. If the CMH general fund cuts now proposed are enacted, that number will go up, and the people we see will be more severely injured. Worse, we will no longer be able to count on a 24/7 crisis service for follow-up care for these people.”
You may offer a note of understanding, but underscore your firm position:
“Clearly, I understand the need to find cost reductions wherever possible to solve Michigan’s budget crisis. But the reductions to the CMH system in the proposed bills will create an unacceptable risk to the health and safety of our community.”
Finally, say exactly what you want:
“I urge you to uphold the mandate of Michigan’s constitution to provide adequate services for people with mental illness and developmental disabilities, and preserve, as much as possible, the general fund allocation for community mental health.”
You may add other “talking points” as you wish. Some that you may want to include:
- Increased waiting lists make it likely that most people will never see services. Some may drastically deteriorate requiring more intensive services. Some will even die waiting for services.
- The Michigan Mental Health Code (PA 258 of 1974) requires Community Mental Health Organizations to serve people with severe mental disabilities whether or not they can pay. An individual cannot be denied a service that is medically necessary because of inability to pay or lack of insurance.
- To display the impact of the cuts, find an example of someone who is/would be served by GF dollars who will no longer be served; talk about community benefit programs that will be cut and stress the increased demand for services as the result of the economy and returning veterans.
Keep your message respectful. If you would like suggestions on other points, the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards has some here.
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Sometimes it can be difficult to write a letter. Below are a few sample letters. You can use them in part or entirely, but your message is always more effective if you use your own words.
Dear Senator [or Representative] Smith:
Mental illness affects nearly 20 percent of Michigan’s residents. The mental and physical health, families, jobs and even the very lives of thousands of people depend on general fund services provided through the community mental health system.
Cuts in those services that are proposed for the FY 2010 Michigan budget will mean many of these people will not receive the services they need to lead normal, productive lives. Families will be broken apart. People will lose their jobs. People will die.
Reduced access to crisis, outreach and consultative services provided through general fund dollars will increase demands put upon our police departments, probate courts and hospital emergency rooms. In the long run, these cuts will likely cost the State of Michigan more than they will save.
The Michigan Constitution mandates that “institutions, programs and services for the care, treatment, education or rehabilitation” for those with disabilities, including mental illness, “always be fostered and supported.” Please fulfill your constitutional duty and preserve, as much as possible, the general fund allocation for mental health services.
Sincerely,
Your name
You may want to add or substitute key points in your letter, as in the examples here. These will help you add ways in which the proposed cuts will directly affect you and your community.
Other things you may want to add include:
A story about a friend, family member (or even yourself) who has benefited from mental health services that were not covered by insurance.
The Saginaw County Community Mental Health Authority has already cut more than $1 million out of this year’s budget. Other CMH providers throughout the state have made similar cuts. Our mental health system is already cut to the bone. Yet demand for mental health services is on the rise, while more and more people do not have adequate insurance to cover its costs.
Some of the people who require CMH services can be, without proper treatment, a danger to themselves and, in some case, other people. Putting them on a “waiting list” will lead to an increase in suicide attempts, completed suicides and other injuries. These cuts will have a negative impact on public safety in the State of Michigan.
For other points, visit the Michigan Association of Community Mental Health Boards here
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