Because block grant funding has been stagnant for almost 20 years, it makes up an ever smaller share of total state community mental health spending. NMHA staff is already collaborating with the state mental directors and the community mental health centers to attain congressional approval of this lofty funding objective. The critical nature of this funding increase is highlighted by the Capitol Hill shooting last July and the recent New York City subway tragedy.

As many of our long-time members will recall, May Is Mental Health Month started as a public education collaboration between NMHA and the Junior Chambers of Commerce across the United States in 1949! Needless to say, national center staff will be heavily involved in planning the White House event. We believe that the conference will be a unique opportunity to educate Americans about mental health problems and fight the stigma associated with mental illnesses.

These new initiatives reflect a long history of advocacy on behalf of the mentally ill. Beginning with national health care reform and stretching through the 1996 mental parity fight and the 1997 battle over children’s health insurance, both President Clinton and Tipper Gore have both championed improved services for children adults with mental disorders as well as and end to discriminatory health insurance practices.