Have you registered to vote?  If you have not done so, contact the CMH Customer Service Representative and the representative can assist you in this process.

Find out how you can help to ensure no more cuts to the public mental health system. The Advocate Handbook has been provided to you by this CMH to give guidance on how to make contacts with your elected government officials.

CURRENT ISSUE: 

Regarding the FY 2011 Department of Community Health (DCH) Budget:  This CMH, in partnership with other mental health and human services advocates, across the state are taking part in a campaign to protect the CMH system, and those whom we serve, from budget cuts.

There are a number of threats to the budget of this CMH and others, contained in the FY 11 DCH Appropriations bills that passed the State Senate and House. The greatest threat is the $58 million cut - contained in the Senate's budget bill - to the state General Fund (GF) portion of the CMH budget line item. Such a cut would mean a $1.7 million cut to this CMH's GF funding - a cut that would dramatically harm those persons not enrolled in Medicaid. A cut of this size would mean large and damaging losses of services to adults and children for whom the CMH system is their mental health safety net.

The final DCH budget bill will be worked out in a Conference Committee, made up of the leadership of the House and Senate. It is the deliberations of this committee that we are working to influence by our advocacy.

HOW CAN I HELP?

You can log in by going to the website: www.macmhb.org and clicking on the MACMHB ADVOCACY button (large red button at top right of page).

After logging in (name, phone number, etc.) you do need to go any further (however, you can, of course) in that the advocacy actions that are described on the site.

Thank you, in advance, for your advocacy on behalf of the CMH system and those whom we serve.