Following a January mental health symposium with state legislators, a statewide coalition of mental health advocates will send Governor Lamont and Legislative leaders a roadmap for fully funding mental health and addiction services as the state grapples with a skyrocketing need for mental healthcare in the midst of the pandemic and plummeting staffing levels, creating a crisis in care.
Coalition leaders representing patients, families and healthcare providers in state-run and state-funded care facilities will send a letter to the Governor and legislators Thursday to put forth a roadmap to address the need for healthcare and a budget that increases funding for public and private services, addresses the workforce crisis and upcoming retirement wave in state-run services, and strengthens the state’s care economy and public health systems, which are at a breaking point.
The ravages of the pandemic have pushed thousands of people in our communities into crisis. Yet over the last two years, state investment in mental health and addiction treatment has been cut significantly as need has increased exponentially. Mental health call requests (telephone and electronic) to 211 increased 20% in the first 21 months of the pandemic alone. Advocates are asking elected leaders to join them in working to provide robust mental health and addiction services to everyone no matter where they live, what they look like, or how much money they have.
WHO: Advocates from statewide mental health coalition, including:
Connecticut Legal Rights Project (CLRP)
National Association of Social Workers (NASW)
Transitions Clinic Network, Seiche Center for Health and Justice at Yale
SEIU District 1199 New England
Recovery 4 All
Unidad Latina en Acción
Congress of Connecticut Community Colleges SEIU 1973
Keep the Promise Coalition
National Alliance on Mental Illness CT
The Social Welfare Action Alliance of CT
WHAT: Press conference urging Governor Lamont and state legislators to prioritize and invest in mental health and addiction services ahead of the budget announcement and 2022 legislative session
WHEN: Thursday February 3, 2022 at 10:30 am
WHERE: Zoom – link can be found here. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the meeting.
** For additional background or to speak with members of the mental healthcare coalition, please email Rebecca Simonsen at rsimonsen@seiu1199ne.org**
Contact: Rebecca Simonsen, SEIU District 1199NE, rsimonsen@seiu1199ne.org, 860-420-7844, Nina Wheeler, nina.wheeler@berlinrosen.com, 339-234-0502
