(Sept. 25, 2017) The federal government, including the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), has failed those with serious mental illness for decades. The consequences of this failure can be found on our streets, in our jails and splashed across national headlines, as the Treatment Advocacy Center has previously documented. However, with the passage of 21st Century Cures Act, the world has changed. We finally have the opportunity to refocus the federal government on those most in need – but we need your help!
Our first major task comes with the work of the Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC). The ISMICC is charged with reshaping the federal government’s response to serious mental illness and is composed of senior leaders from 10 federal agencies including Health and Human Services, the Departments of Justice, Veteran Affairs, and the Social Security Administration along with 14 non-federal public members, including the Treatment Advocacy Center Executive Director John Snook.
The Treatment Advocacy Center is your voice on this committee, but we need to hear from you. We have created this simple form to collect your responses. Fill it out and share with friends to make your voice heard. We need to know what reforms are most important to you. Tell us how the system is failing you and your family, and how SAMHSA and the federal government can be a better resource to help those in need. How has the current system failed you or your family? What programs are missing in your community? Where should federal resources be focused?
Together, we will change the way serious mental illness is treated in this country.
by Treatment Advocacy Center
