GOVERNOR SIGNS NEW JERSEY LEGISLATURE’S RECOMMENDATIONS FOR THE FY’04 BUDGET

Redirection II: The $10 million increase to Redirection II was saved. The reformation of the state mental health system from one in which consumers are institutionalized in state hospitals, to one where less expensive services are present in the community where consumers recover and thrive, will continue.

Partnership for Children: The $3 million increase to the Partnership for Children was saved. The statewide expansion of the best system of care and services for emotionally disturbed children will continue.

FamilyCare: 58,000 working parents were reinstated to FamilyCare. Mental health consumers who are in this program can continue to work and provide for their families because they will have access to health care.

Housing and Mortgage Finance Agency: $25 million cut was restored. 1,000 families, many of whom are undoubtedly mental health consumers, will have access to affordable housing and a more stable lifestyle.

Medicaid Fee for Service and General Assistance:

• Medication and Outpatient Visit Co-payments: Co-payments will not be implemented. Many consumers will not have to chose between food for their families and medication to manage their illness.
• Emergency Room Visit Co-Payments: Co-payments will not be implemented. Consumers will not be penalized for using emergency rooms because of the lack of mental health care services in the community.
• Dental Coverage: Dental coverage will not be eliminated. Consumers will be able to maintain healthy teeth and gums while taking the extremely powerful medications required to manage their illnesses.
• Preferred Drug List: PDL not instituted. The long fought and hard won recovery efforts of consumers to find the right medication(s) to manage their illnesses will not be compromised.

DMHS fund that supports operations at state psychiatric hospitals: 10% cut to Division of Mental Health Services’ non-salary funding was restored.

Direct Care Salary Workers: No Cost of Living Increase provided for Direct Care Salary Workers.

Thanks to Governor James E. McGreevey and the following legislators on the Senate and Assembly Budget Committees and in leadership positions who listened and responded to mental health consumers. They crafted, upheld, and adopted a humane and fair budget which will serve to support mental health consumers in their efforts to maintain and reach their recovery potential:

Senate Co-President, Richard James Codey (D27), Senate Co-President John O. Bennett (R12), Senate Budget Committee Co-Chairperson, Robert E. Littell (R24), Senate Budget Committee Co-Chairperson, Wayne R. Bryant (D5), Senator Joseph F. Vitale (D19), Senate Budget Committee Members, Senator Martha W. Bark (R8), Senator Anthony Bucco (R25), Senator Barbara Buono (D18), Senator Joseph Charles, Jr. (D31), Senator William L. Gormley (R2), Senator Sharpe James (D29), Senator Walter J. Kavanaugh (R16), Senator Thomas H. Kean (R21), Senator Bernard F. Kenny, Jr. (D33), Senator Leonard Lance (R23), Senator Joseph Suliga (D22).

Assembly Speaker Albio Sires (D33), Assembly Majority Leader Joseph J. Roberts, Jr. (D5), Assembly Minority Leader Paul DiGaetano (R36), Assembly Budget Committee Chairperson Assemblyman Louis Greenwald (D6), Assembly Budget Committee Vice Chairperson William D. Payne (D29), Assemblywoman Mary T. Previte (D6), Assembly Budget Committee Members, Assemblyman Frank Blee (R2), Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D20), Assemblywoman Clare M. Farragher (R12), Assemblyman Douglas H. Fisher (D3), Assemblywoman Linda R. Greenstein (D14), Assemblyman Joseph R. Malone (R30), Assemblyman Kevin J. O’Toole (R40), Assemblywoman Elba Perez-Cinciarelli (D31), Assemblywoman Bonnie Watson Coleman (D15).

MHANJ PARTNERS AND CONSUMERS – RALLY ON!

The Coalition for Vulnerable Citizens’ press conference held on April 2nd was the first public response by the human services community to the Proposed FY ’04 Budget. Spanning the spectrum of human services from mental health to HIV, people spoke of how they and their peers would personally be affected by proposed cuts. Thanks to all coalition members for supporting this courageous step.

On May 27th, The Anti Poverty Network (APN) held a Rally for Health Care at the State House in Trenton. Before a group of over 150 stakeholders and the press, disability and poverty advocates and many stakeholders, including mental health consumers, spoke about the impact that the cuts to FamilyCare and Medicaid would have on people in the state of NJ. Senator Joseph Vitale (D19) spoke at the event calling for a restoration of FamilyCare. Thanks to all APN members for organizing the rally and to mental health consumers for their strong voice.

On June 2nd, MHANJ, in cooperation with the Consumer Advocacy Partnership, held a press conference to publicly deliver over 2500 letters written by mental health advocates and consumers to Governor McGreevey . The letters were written in response to a challenge put forth by the Governor’s Office Deputy Chief of Management and Operations, Kevin Ryan. He had stated, “Don’t let a day go by that you don’t advocate,” as a way to ensure that mental health consumers’ voices are heard as loudly as other special interest groups at risk in this year’s budget. Consumers accepted the challenge in the form of a letter writing campaign. Over 2500 letters were sent from all 21 counties and all 40 legislative districts.

On June 12th, The Housing and Community Development Network of NJ hosted its Annual Lobby and Rally Day for Affordable Housing at the State House in Trenton. On hand to meet with constituents in committee rooms to discuss the impact of taking $25 million away from HMFA will have on their districts as well as other low- and moderate income housing concerns were: Senator Barbara Buono (D18), Senator Joseph Suliga (D22), Senator Shirley Turner (D15), Senator Joseph Vitale (D19), Assemblyman Christopher Bateman (R16), Assemblyman Joseph V. Egan (D17), Assemblywoman Linda Greenstein (D14), Assemblyman William D. Payne (D29), and Assemblywoman Nelida Pou (D35). Addressing the crowd of over 400 was Chair of the Assembly Housing Committee, Assemblyman Jerry Green (D22). Due in large part to this rally, the Democratic budget that was released days later included the $25 million for HMFA. Thanks to all Network members who helped make this rally a very successful one.

On June 16th, The Mental Health Coalition of NJ held a Rally Day at the Statehouse to highlight the need for a range of health care, housing and children’s programs, some of which had been slated for a budget cut (FamilyCare, Medicaid Dental, Medicaid FFS co-payments), but restored the day before by Governor McGreevey and Democratic legislative leaders. Over 2000 mental health advocates and consumers attended the rally and heard from providers, consumers and legislators including, Senator Diane Allen (R7), Senator Richard James Codey (D27), Senator John O. Bennett (R12), Senator Sharpe James (D29), Assemblyman Joseph Cryan (D20), Assemblyman Reed Gusciora (D15), Assemblyman John F. McKeon (D27), Assemblywoman Mary T. Previte (D6), Assemblywoman Joan M. Quigley (D32). Thanks to members of the Mental Health Coalition for a great event and the consumer participation that made it a success.

On June 27th mental health advocates attended a meeting of the Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee to urge legislators to support Governor McGreevey’s revenue proposals. Advocates let the committee know that without revenue supports, there would most certainly be cuts to the Division of Mental Health Services, Department of Human Services and to the Housing and Mortgage Finance Administration within the Department of Community Affairs, all of which provide programs and services necessary for the recovery efforts of consumers.

Congratulations x 2 to Marion Achor, President of the Mental Health Association of Union County. Not only did she receive the Union County Advocate of the Year Award on May 13th, but was also honored as the Citizen of the Year Award in her hometown of Fanwood on June 1st for her advocacy efforts and cell phone drive. Marion is an advocate par excellence…...and fun to be with too…..Congratulations to you, Marion, for all your hard work and jobs well done.

Congratulations to Carolyn Feibel of The Herald News, West Paterson, NJ who was one of 14 journalists and other media professionals honored in the 2003 NMHA Mental Health Media Award on June 6 in Washington, DC. Ms. Feibel was awarded for her outstanding reporting on New Jersey’s Institutional Lien Laws, “Mentally Ill Face Fate Worse Than Debt.”

CONSUMER ADVOCATES OF THE MONTH

We do not know your names. We do not know what you look like. We may never meet you. But when we ask you to make a phone call, write a letter, type an e-mail or attend a rally to help NJ mental health consumers, you do. You are an essential element of a successful and growing consumer movement. Thank you.


 

Join MHANJ’s Legislative Network! Contact
C. Chin at 973.571.4100 Ex. 37  or cchin@mhanj.org