(July 18, 2017) A standing-room-only crowd attended "The State of Mental Health Care: Challenges and Solutions" event in Washington, DC, today, during which invited speakers addressed the pressing issues that remain following enactment of the 21st Century Cures Act. The advocates, health officials and policymakers talked about what the future holds for those with mental illness.
Speakers included Governor Terry McAuliffe (D), Virginia and Congressman Leonard Lance (R-NJ), and the following panelists:
- Dennis Hobb, executive director, McClendon Center
- Fred Osher, director, Health Services and Systems Policy, Council of State Governments Justice Center
- Teresa Pasquini, mental health advocate
- John Snook, executive director, Treatment Advocacy Center
- Dr. Altha J. Stewart, president-elect, American Psychiatric Association
The wide-ranging conversation spanned concerns from criminalization to diversion to treatment. Snook pointed out issues not addressed in the Cures Act that await action such as HIPAA reform and repeal of the Medicaid Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD) exclusion. According to Snook:
- We need to stop allowing people to get so sick that treatment is based on whether someone has hurt someone else
- The IMD exclusion is a relic of an outdated view of mental illness … we're in crisis, we need this solved
- There's a risk Congress says we're done with mental health reform -- we need to keep attention up. Keep engaging!
To watch the entire one hour and 40-minute program, visit the thehill.com events.
As Snook reminds, it is more important than ever to get engaged and stay engaged -- sign up for our enews and advocacy alerts here.
NOTE: The Hill's event was underwritten by a grant by Janssen with support by the National Council for Behavioral Health. John Snook and the Treatment Advocacy Center received no payment to participate in this talk. The Treatment Advocacy Center does not accept funding from the pharmaceutical industry. We rely entirely on people like you - private individuals and foundations - for our work.