Policy Issues & Resources: National Conference of State Legislatures'
The National Council is pleased to have once again exhibited at the National Conference of State Legislatures’ (NCSL) Annual Conference that took place in Philadelphia, PA from July 20-24, 2009. This year’s conference included workshops on a wide range of issues including patient-centered medical homes, child welfare, comparative effectiveness research, criminal justice, and more.
The National Council's presence at NCSL provided an opportunity to:
- Ensure that mental health and substance use issues were addressed in discussions of importance to our community
- Engage state legislators and staff in identifying strategies that support community mental health and substance use services
- Identify national trends in state budget and policy activities that have implications for national and state advocacy efforts
- Remind legislators of the importance of covering people with mental health and substance use disorders in any healthcare reform package through the National Council Ad placed in the final NCSL program.
The National Council also created several fact sheets and resources for the state legislators including:
1. Information on the National Council:
- National Council Fact Sheet
- National Council Annual Report
- National Council Membership by State
- National Council Association Executive CEO Contact Information
2. Information on National Council's projects and initiatives:
- Access to Treatment for Justice Involved Individuals Fact Sheet
- Children's Mental Health Fact Sheet
- Medical Homes Fact Sheet
- Mental Health First Aid Fact Sheet
- Parity in Healthcare Reform Fact Sheet
- Preventing and Treating Substance Use Disorders: A comprehensive Approach Fact Sheet
- Substance Use and Child Welfare Fact Sheet
3. Information on mental health and substance use disorders and how they affect state budgets:
- Impact of Mental Health and Substance Use Disorders on State Budgets Fact Sheet
- Mentally Ill Die 25 Years Younger on Average Fact Sheet
- Anxiety Disorders Fact Sheet
- Bipolar Disorder Fact Sheet
- Depression Fact Sheet
- Schizophrenia Disorder Fact Sheet
