Mental Health Update
MH Update – 8/4/20 – Update on Capitol Tonight and Other Actions by Behavioral Health Advocates
Behavioral health groups that serve over a million individuals with mental health and substance use issues continue to advocate for the elimination of the 20% withholds to county government for mental health and 31% from addiction disorders. Our advocacy also continues nationally as well as we are working to insure that there is funding to States as part of the next stimulus package.
- Our phone calls to Senators Schumer and Gillibrand continue. Please take two minutes to call them.
A L E R T
Call Senator Schumer Now at 202-224-6542
Call Senator Gillibrand Now at 202-224-4451
and insist that “that the Senate must not pass another bill
without ensuring that the next round of Federal Emergency Relief funding addresses the disaster in our states!”
- Yesterday, I was on Capital Tonight with Susan Arbetter, speaking about the impact to our sector if the withholds become actual cuts. Already working on small margins, MHAs and our colleagues will be forced into difficult decisions that will directly impact our loved ones. The accompanying article is listed below.
- Also our colleagues at ACL are holding a press conference later this week identifying the impact of withholds to housing providers and those they serve.
Look for continued actions by our collective groups.
State “Withholdings” to Mental Health Services is Creating Anxiety
By Susan Arbetter New York State
PUBLISHED 2:38 PM ET Aug. 03, 2020
The state is withholding from counties 20% of contract money earmarked for mental health services in the months of July, August and September. The funding will be withheld from counties unless federal funding makes them whole.
What You Need To Know
- New York State is withholding from counties 20% of contract money for mental health services for three months.
- While not all counties are immediately affected, advocates say the threat is real.
- The money will be restored if the federal government passes a broad enough stimulus package.
- Advocate says the cuts could force some people with mental illnesses out onto the streets.
According to Glenn Liebman, the Executive Director of the Mental Health Association of New York State, the impact on providers, individuals and family members could be dramatic, and the threat is causing a lot of sleepless nights.
“This is powerful stuff,” Liebman told Spectrum News. “In the 25 years that I’ve been either in or out of state government in mental health advocacy, I’ve never seen anything like a 20% cut across the board for mental health services.”
The good news is that the effects aren’t yet being felt in most counties around the state, but that will change if federal stimulus money isn’t forthcoming.
According to the state’s guidance, counties may not play favorites with agencies.
“The state has said to counties, basically, we want you to spread this 20% across the board, we don’t want you to play favorites. You’re withholding 20% from every provider providing mental health services,” said Liebman.
Some counties are better off than others and have been able to delay cuts by dipping into their reserves. Other counties aren’t making the July cuts because they believe the federal government will be sending funding to states and counties in August or September.
While some agencies have yet to see cuts, Liebman says the threat is hanging over the entire industry.
“As you can imagine, this is creating a great amount of anxiety and a great amount of trepidation about the future,” Liebman stated. “How are providers going to handle 20% cuts in funding? Housing providers may be in this incredibly difficult situation where an individual could end up homeless because they no longer have the capacity to take care of that individual anymore. That person could end up in a homeless shelter or in jail. We don’t know the repercussions of all of this.”
