ACTION alert for mental health care funding

If you care about mental health services for the indigent, please join me today in emailing or phoning the legislators involved.

Here's a sample email (please cut, paste, and edit to make it your own):

Dear Senator ________:

Please correct your recent cut of mental health funding for North Carolina's mental health service providers. The budget cuts of the last five years have taken their toll on the service providers who remain in business.

The recent 33% cut is negligent and irresponsible. Those service providers who are defrauding the state should be dealt with separately. It makes no sense to cut services for the least able to defend themselves because a few providers are breaking the rules.

Do you realize that the state is already ranked 50th in per capita mental health funding? Among other unacceptable scenarios, these recent budget cuts will result in untrained police officers having to deal with the dangerously untreated mentally ill.

Please immediately restore the $61/hour payments to those qualified.

As to the future, it's obvious that North Carolina legislators need to completely overhaul our mental health system. The current system is negligent, irresponsible, unacceptable, and unChristian.

Thank you so much for your attention to this matter.

Sincerely,
Your name, address, phone.

Here are the 10th district legislators with email addresses and phone numbers.

Representative Bob England, Cleveland Rutherford, Email: Bobe@ncleg.net 919-733-5749

Representative Debbie Clary, Cleveland, Gaston, Debbiec@ncleg.net, 919-715-2002

Senator Jim Jacumin, Burke, Caldwell, Email: Jimja@ncleg.net (919) 715-7823

Senator Austin Allran, Catawba, Iredell, Email: Austina@ncleg.net (919) 733-5876

Senator James Forrester, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln, Email: Jamesf@ncleg.net (919) 715-3050

If you would prefer to cut and paste a whole list of emails into your "To" box on your email use these lists:

The House Mental Health Committee members emails:

Beverlye@ncleg.net, Verlai@ncleg.net, Marthaa@ncleg.net, Jeffba@ncleg.net, Williambr@ncleg.net, Vanb@ncleg.net, Debbiec@ncleg.net, Lindac@ncleg.net, Jimcr@ncleg.net, Bobe@ncleg.net, Rickg@ncleg.net, Path@ncleg.net, Carolynj@ncleg.net, Jhl@ncleg.net, Marianm@ncleg.net, Earlinep@ncleg.net, Karenr@ncleg.net, Lauraw@ncleg.net

Link to Senate Mental Health Committee members:

Boba@ncleg.net, Elliek@ncleg.net, martinn@ncleg.net, Charlied@ncleg.net, Jamesf@ncleg.net, Jimja@ncleg.net, Vernonm@ncleg.net, Jeanp@ncleg.net, Williamp@ncleg.net, Larrys@ncleg.net, Johnsn@ncleg.net, abs@ncleg.net

Here are the senator's phone numbers.

Sen. Martin L. Nesbitt, Jr.
(919) 715-3001 or (828) 252-0490

Sen. Austin Murphy Allran
(919) 733-5876 or (828) 322-1410

Sen. Robert C. Atwater
(919) 715-3036 or (919) 715-3036

Sen. Janet Cowell
(919) 715-6400 or (919) 649-4172

Sen. Charlie Smith Dannelly
(919) 733-5955 or (919) 733-5955

Sen. James Summers Forrester
(919) 715-3050 or (704) 263-4716

Sen. Vernon Malone
(919) 733-5880 or (919) 828-5853

Sen. William Robert Purcell, MD
(919) 733-5953 or (910) 276-7328

Sen. Jim Jacumin
(919) 715-7823 or (828) 397-3723

Sen. Eleanor Kinnaird (Dem)
(919) 733-5804 or (919) 929-1607

Sen. Jean Preston
(919) 733-5706 or (252) 354-6993

Sen. Larry Shaw (Dem)
(919) 733-9349 or (910) 323-5303

Sen. John Snow (Dem)
(919) 733-5875 or (828)837-5052

Sen. A. B Swindell (Dem)
(919) 715-3030 or (252) 462-0190