To: Jean Williams, NAMI Oklahoma/Edmond North-OKC, The United States House of Representatives, and The United States Senate

Fix why so many living with a mental illness go untreated

The Energy and Commerce Subcommittee on Oversight and Investigations revealed the approach by the federal government to mental health is a chaotic patchwork of antiquated programs and ineffective policies across numerous agencies. Representative Tim Murphy, PhD[R-PA-18] has the fix.

Please support (H.R. 3717) The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, ensuring Psychiatric Care for Those in Need of Help Most.

Why is this important?

I believe Rep. Murphy's Bill H.R. 3717 - The Helping Families In Mental Health Crisis Act, ensuring Psychiatric Care for Those in Need of Help the Most, has the fix for all problems found in the Oversight and Investigation report.

I have experienced the problems sighted with my consumer peers, working for a Community Mental Health Center and as a field organizer for NAMI, National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Driven by evidenced based care, the items to fix are many:
Empower parents and caregivers by revising the HIPAA law,
Addresses the shortage of inpatient psychiatric beds by changing the cap of beds per unit from 16 to 32,
Gives alternatives to institutionalization,
Reforms the Department of Justice,
Reforms the accountability of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMSHA) by instituting a new oversight position reporting to Congress.

Goals include:
Reaching underserved and rural populations,
Stabilizing beyond the ER,
Advances critical medical research,
Provides high quality community behavioral health services,
Increasing awareness in the behavioral health needs of children and teens,
Integrate primary and behavioral care,
Increasing physician volunteerism.