. . . Though this really isn’t a game! It’s law-making, and whoever wins should be the PEOPLE most impacted by proposed laws!
But it won’t happen if you don’t contact the Senate to say you support S-2680 and that you prefer it over the House Bill 2646 (the Tim Murphy Bill)! And the earlier you do this–the better, because some lawmakers are trying to attach gun-related laws that could call for so much discussion–the bill won’t make it through for voting until after the election!
As a reminder, the bill that has passed in the House, HB 2646, will give special funding to promote far more forced outpatient treatment. It restricts the role of SAMHSA and does not support recovery. In fact, it bases much of its thinking on an unproven theory that people with severe mental health challenges have no insight whatsoever into their mental changes and can therefore not govern themselves with regard to personal information or self-determination. It undoes years of recovery oriented work done by well-informed providers and consumer organizations.
On the other hand the SENATE BILL 2680 makes no invasive changes but strengthens much of the positive momentum that has been growing in the shift toward improved life outcomes–putting funding behind increasing implementation of evidence-based practices and recovery outcomes. It also supports funding the training in new practices that will bring our system to currency (other countries are working toward and gaining many more recovery outcomes than the U.S. currently).
PLEASE HELP US BEFORE IT IS TOO LATE! One of the difficulties is that if H.E.L.P. committee members do not hear from us in numbers and SOON, there are Senators who are considering attaching gun-related laws to this bill that could stall the bill as is! SO ACT NOW!
According to Senator Burr’s Health Specialist, the following are the two MOST IMPORTANT OFFICES TO CONTACT:
NC Senator Richard Burr (home or Washington office)- Serves on the Committee addressing this bill
To contact a local office, go to this link: https://www.burr.senate.gov/contact/office-locations
To contact his Washington office, call or fax:
P: 202-224-3154
F: 202-228-2981
***
Senator Lamar Alexander, Chairman of the Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions–the committee considering the bill and on which Burr Serves.
Phone: 202-224-2944
Fax: 202-228-2398
The Honorable Lamar Alexander,
Chairman, Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions
428 Senator Dirkson Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510
Please contact ASAP! Thank you for your help – we need to be heard!
