ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY:
1. ACT NOW TO PROTECT MENTAL HEALTH FROM "SUPER COMMITTEE" CUTS
2. NJ NIXES PLAN THAT WOULD HAVE CUT MEDICAID COVERAGE
3. N.J. SCHOOLS INSTITUTE NEW ANTI-BULLYING BILL OF RIGHTS

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ACT NOW TO PROTECT MENTAL HEALTH FROM "SUPER COMMITTEE" CUTS

Time is of the Essence. In August Congress came to an agreement with President Obama that lifted the debt ceiling while protecting Medicaid from immediate cuts. As part of this agreement, Congress created a bipartisan, bicameral congressional super committee charged with coming up with specific recommendations for an additional $1.5 trillion in deficit reduction over the next ten years from changes to entitlement programs and the tax code.

The committee is working on a tight timeline, with a November 23 deadline for reaching agreement. With the committee's task spanning the entire range of federal spending and revenue, all health care programs are potentially at risk for cuts. Medicaid and Medicare in particular may be prime targets because they account for a large share of federal spending.

Take two minutes to contact your members of Congress and urge them to ensure that the "super committee" produces a balanced deficit reduction package that rejects deep cuts to Medicaid and Social Security disability programs and critical programs such as mental health research and services, housing and veterans programs.

Send an email letter to your Senators and House member.

In addition, you can call your Members of Congress toll-free at 1-888-876-6242 and demand they protect the health care Americans depend on.

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NJ NIXES PLAN THAT WOULD HAVE CUT MEDICAID COVERAGE

Thousands of New Jersey's working poor will keep their health insurance under a new administration proposal to restructure Medicaid, abandoning a controversial plan that would have drastically reduced the number of eligible recipients.

The plan unveiled in May also proposed charging $25 co-payments for Medicaid recipients who visit emergency rooms for non-emergencies, but that provision was eliminated. The state’s application also seeks federal funds to invest in community-based housing for the elderly as well as adults with developmental disabilities and mental illness.

Read the Star Ledger report:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/christie_nixes_plan_that_would.html 

More about the Comprehensive Waiver:
http://www.state.nj.us/humanservices/dmahs/home/waiver.html

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N.J. SCHOOLS INSTITUTE NEW ANTI-BULLYING BILL OF RIGHTS

Following the high-profile suicide of a former Rutgers University freshman last year, and other well-publicized student suicides, the issue of bullying in schools has become a national concern. In New Jersey’s schools, where some 1.35 million students are returning to classes, the nation’s toughest anti-bullying law took effect this month. The law requires a formal process for reporting and investigating suspected bullying. Every district needs an "anti-bullying coordinator," and each school an "anti-bullying specialist" and a "school safety team."

Read more:
http://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/nj_schools_institute_new_anti-.html

 

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