A Bit on Action Annapolis from OOO & MDLC

Action Annapolis 2010 was a Huge Success!

Thank you to all who attended Action Annapolis! Your efforts in participating during the event and meeting with your legislators made this year’s event a huge success. Even if you did not attend, you are welcome and encouraged to get involved in other ways, as discussed below.

We were able to increase the attendance from last year’s 80 attendees to more than 130 attendees. Consumers & advocates from all over Maryland traveled to the event, including areas in Anne Arundel County, Baltimore County & City, Cecil County, Frederick County, Harford County, Howard County, Montgomery County, St. Mary’s County, and the Eastern Shore.

Everyone who visited their legislators did a great job in discussing the Mental Hygiene Administration’s Budget for FY 2011 and requesting that no cuts be made to the proposed budget.

If anyone is interested in attending and observing the MHA Budget Hearings, they will occur in Annapolis on Thursday, February 11^th and Monday, February 15^th. Details and specific information about the hearing dates will follow.

If you are interested in providing oral testimony during those hearings, please comment here so I can forward to the appropriate people as soon as possible so that they can coordinate testimony.

If you are interested in submitting written testimony, please see the sample letter below:

*Sample Letter*

You should write 2 letters: one to the Chair of the House Subcommittee and one to the Chair of the Senate Subcommittee

The Honorable Mary-Dulany James

Chair, Health & Human Resources Subcommittee

House Office Building, Room 404
6 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401

Re: Requesting No Cuts to Community Mental Health Services

Dear Delegate James:

• First say: “I am writing this letter as a mental health consumer/advocate/family member. I am requesting that no cuts be made to the FY 2011 Mental Hygiene Administration’s proposed budget. If cuts must be made, then please make cuts to MHA inpatient facilities instead of community services . . .”

• Then, explain why mental health community services are important. Talk about your personal experiences receiving mental health community services. For example, you can discuss how these community services are recovery-oriented. You can also mention how essential/important community services are to your or your family member’s recovery. If you or your friend/family member experienced difficulty obtaining community services, you can talk about how under-funded they are now and how important it is that more funding is not cut from these vital and scarce community mental health services.

• If you are recommending that funding for MHA inpatient facilities should be cut over community services, you can talk about your or your friend’s/family member’s personal experiences in psychiatric facilities. If you were treated poorly in state facilities or if your rights were violated, etc., you can speak specifically about your experiences in these facilities and how inpatient facilities do not promote recovery.

Sincerely,

(your name)

(your address)

The second letter should be addressed to:

The Honorable Edward J. Kasemeyer

Chair, Health, Education & Human Resources Subcommittee

Miller Senate Office Building, 3 West Wing
11 Bladen St., Annapolis, MD 21401

Re: Requesting No Cuts to Community Mental Health Services

Dear Senator Kasemeyer:

(same as above)