The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law


 

 

Bazelon Center Mental Health Policy Reporter

Welcome to the Bazelon Center Mental Health Policy Reporter. Available exclusively online and to our email subscribers, the Reporter supplements the Bazelon Center’s Action Alerts by providing a periodic bulletin on significant policy developments that affect people with mental illnesses.

Volume VIIII, No. 1, February 4, 2010

In this issue:

Newsbytes

  • House Committee Approves Bill to Prevent Harmful Seclusion and Restraint of Students
  • Justice Department Sues Georgia for ADA Violation
  • Report Shows that Health Care Reform Would Help the Economy
  • CHIP Anniversary Kicks off New Program for Kids
  • Labor Department Hosts Sessions on Disability Employment
  • TANF Funds to be Available for Mental Health Services

President's Budget is a Mixed Bag

With health care reform stalled for the moment, the fiscal year 2011federal budget proposed by President Obama this week is the prime focus of advocates’ and policymakers’ attention. If its freezes, cuts and increases were enacted as submitted (never happens), children and adults with mental disabilities would win some and lose a little.  

Under the $3.8 trillion plan, new funding would address growing unemployment, relieve economic pressures facing the middle class and reduce deficits. War funding would also increase.

A three-year freeze is proposed for non-security domestic discretionary  spending. While the freeze would not impose across-the-board cuts to programs, many programs would be cut, eliminated, consolidated or level-funded. Others, however, would receive increases.

Some programs and services that assist children and adults with psychiatric disabilities face these budget challenges. However, in light of the nation’s economic crisis and overall goal of deficit reduction, several important programs serving this population fare well under the plan, in a mixed bag of gains and losses.

Read the full Reporter


Previous Issues of the Mental Health Policy Reporter


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  Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 1212
Washington, DC 20005

Phone: 202-467-5730
Fax: 202-223-0409
Email: webmaster@bazelon.org

 
Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
1101 15th Street, NW, Suite 1212
Washington, DC 20005

Phone: 202-467-5730
Fax: 202-223-0409
Email: webmaster@bazelon.org