More than 210 National Council members gathered in Washington D.C. on May 2, 2007 for the Third Annual Hill Day. We had behavioral healthcare providers from 31 states AL, AZ, AR, CA, CO, CT, DC, FL, GA, IL, IN, IA, KS, KY, MD, MA, MI, MT, NE, NY, NC, OH, OR, PA, RI, SD, TN, TX, UT, VA, and WV.

Hill Day 2007 events began with the National Council's Public Policy Committee meeting on May 1, during which key Congressional aides and others provided in-depth updates on policy issues. One-on-one lobbying coaching was also available to those who were interested. On May 2, members began the day with a breakfast briefing, led by Lowell Weicker, Jr., former Representative, Senator, and Governor of Connecticut, and then made visits to the Senators and Representatives from their home states. Members also attended a parity press conference organized by Representative Patrick Kennedy (D-RI).

The National Council focused Hill Day visits on six key issues:

• Medicaid
• Medicare Parity
• Mental Health and Addictions Treatment Parity
• Addictions Appropriations
• Community Mental Health Services Improvement Act
• Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA)

The day ended with the National Council's Capitol Hill reception and awards ceremony, where four legislators were presented with the National Council’s Legislator of the Year awards:

• Senator Edward Kennedy (D-MA)
• Representative Pete Sessions (R-TX)
• Senator Gordon Smith (R-OR)
• Representative Lois Capps (D-CA)

Thank you to everyone who helped make the National Council's Third Annual Hill Day a success! Join us for Hill Day 2008.