Call to Action: Join CBHA and the Steinberg Institute in Advocacy

Update: Copy of letter sent: MHSUD Stimulus Priorities

Greetings Colleagues,

We hope that all of our valued partners are doing well during this pandemic. Many of your organizations are working to provide advocacy for service providers, clients and others who are impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic. This pandemic creates an opportunity for us to band together and advocate for needed changes to Stimulus Bill #4 which will impact behavioral health organizations across the country. We have a unique opportunity to shape the provisions of the bill, but time is of the essence!

CBHA and the Steinberg Institute are writing to urge your participation in a grass roots advocacy campaign. While Congressional representatives and their staff work over the holiday weekend to frame up the stimulus bill, we request that each of you take a few minutes to send the attached form letter to your congressional representative. While many national organizations are weighing in to advocate, we know there is power in each individual participating as part of a ground swell we are hoping to create. Here are the main provisions we are advocating for:

  • Emergency assistance to save treatment infrastructure.
  • Emergency funding for MHSUD services.
  • Fully implement 9-8-8 suicide prevention hotline (it's very close to done, Congress just has to fund and pass existing language to make it official)
  • Guarantee access to telehealth coverage.

Please consider joining us in this movement. 

Look up your congressional representatives’ emails using the below links:

https://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

https://www.house.gov/representatives

Thank you,

CBHA & Steinberg Institute

 

Call to Action: Youth Mental Health First Aid Bill (SB 428)

A bill (SB428) that would help bring Youth Mental Health First Aid (YMHFA) into schools across the state is currently being held in the Senate Appropriations Committee. YMHFA teaches school personnel how to recognize and respond to the signs of mental illness and substance use in young people.  

Legislators need to hear from you THIS WEEK (deadline May 17, 2019) in support of this important bill. Please visit the YMHFA Action Page for information on how to show support. You can: 

  1. Email the Senate Appropriations Committee directly using this sample email and send it through the Senate Standing Committee on Appropriations Position Letter Portal.
  2. Tweet your support directly and post on Facebook using this sample language. 
  3. Don’t forget to use these shareable graphics in your posts.

Thanks so much for helping push this bill to the next stage of the process! Please let us know if you have any questions by emailing [email protected]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

California Council of Community Behavioral Health Agencies