For Immediate Release: February 8, 2005
Contacts: William Emmet, 703-739-9333
Chris Burley, 202-467-5730 x 133

Budget Brings More Broken Promises

Campaign for Mental Health Reform Statement on President Bush’s Proposed FY2006 Budget

Campaign for Mental Health Reform: President's FY 2006 Budget at a Glance

WASHINGTON, DC—A national coalition of groups representing millions of people with mental or emotional disorders, their families, service providers, administrators and other concerned Americans today condemned President Bush’s proposed FY2006 budget for undermining already overburdened services that are crucial to people with mental illnesses.

The following is a prepared statement by William Emmet, campaign coordinator for the Campaign for Mental Health Reform:

“The President’s budget—and the disregard it shows for the urgent need to address unmet mental health needs in America—is incredibly disappointing.

“In April 2002, President Bush announced the formation of his New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, remarking that ‘[o]ur country must make a commitment to Americans with mental illnesses.’ Unfortunately, the Administration has done little to honor its pledge.

“Since the President’s Commission on Mental Health released its final report in July 2003, more than 40 thousand adults and children with mental health disorders have died by suicide and the U.S. economy has lost more than $118.5 billion in worker productivity due to mental illness. Yet, the Administration maintains only tepid support for concrete action to address this public health crisis.

“At a time when the Administration should be offering bold proposals to address major problems in public mental health systems, it has instead proposed tens of billions of dollars in cuts to Medicaid—the largest public funder of mental health services—and slashed discretionary spending on mental health.

“The rare bright spots in this bleak budget picture are eclipsed by deep cuts in federal spending for education, housing and efforts to expand employment opportunities for people with mental illnesses. Specific initiatives to address the growing number of people with mental illnesses inappropriately placed in the nation’s jails and prisons are also given short shrift.

“ There are even darker clouds on the horizon. The Administration’s proposal to cap federal Medicaid spending on “optional” populations and services—those that states are not required to cover—is a disaster in the making for people who have mental illnesses. Many people who have mental illnesses—and the critical services that they need—are covered under these “optional” eligibility categories.

“The Administration should be offering solutions, not backpedaling on its promise to the millions of people in this country with unmet mental health needs. Wrong-headed Medicaid reforms and soft support for mental health spending are no way to address this crisis.”

For more information on the budget, visit the Campaign for Mental Health Reform’s website at http://www.mhreform.org/.

# # #

The Campaign for Mental Health Reform has been organized as the mental health community’s united voice on federal policy. Its goal is to make access, recovery, and quality in mental health services the hallmarks of our nation’s mental health system. For more information, see www.mhreform.org.

Campaign for Mental Health Reform: American Psychiatric Association * American Psychological Association * CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder * Consumer Organizing and Networking Technical Assistance Center (CONTAC) * Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) * Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health (FFCMH) * International Association of Psychosocial Rehabilitation Services (IAPSRS) * Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law * National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) * National Association of County Behavioral Health Directors (NACBHD) * National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors (NASMHPD) * National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare (NCCBH) * National Empowerment Center (NEC) * National Mental Health Association (NMHA) * National Mental Health Consumers' Self-Help Clearinghouse * Suicide Prevention Action Network USA (SPANUSA)