On June 13th Executive Director Carol Caruso went to Harrisburg to spend the day on Capitol Hill, meeting

with legislators on two key issues: Mental health parity and the state budget.

State Representative Tom Murt ( PA 152nd Legislative District) has introduced legislation to enforce mental

health parity here in Pennsylvania. Although the federal parity law was passed in 2008, and provides equal

coverage of mental health treatment as physical health treatment, insurance providers often fail on this, limiting

the number of outpatient visits and restricting medication formularies. Individuals with private health insurance

are often either not aware of the parity bill, or do not want to file a grievance (sometimes due to potential reper-

cussions or because of not knowing how to do this). The legislation would provide ways for checking on

providing equal coverage.

Our job as advocates is to spread the word so people know this is a federal law and insurance providers need

to abide by it. Many on private insurance have had to switch to Medical Assistance to have the mental health

coverage that they need. Enforcing this federal law will allow many to stay with their insurance provider. Rep.

Murt’s bill will do this. Please ask your state legislator to co-sponsor HB 2173. Already signed on as sponsors

are Reps. Acosta, Bradford, Brown, Bullock, DiGirolamo, Frankel, Freeman, Harper, Kavilich, Kinsey, Lewis,

Mahoney, McNeil, Roebuck, Rozzi, Santora, Taylor, Thomas, Truitt and Watson.

The FY Pennsylvania 2016-2017 budget is currently being developed. After the budget impasse of last year,

we hope that we will not have to wait as long for the new budget to pass. We also hope that there will be no

cuts to Human Services, which would include mental health. The 10%

cuts from 2012 are still being felt. Although legislation was written to re-

store those cuts (Rep. Gene DiGirolomo, PA 18th Legislative District), it

was never passed. So our mental health providers are forced to work with

less while need for services is on the rise. So while we want to ask for an

increase in the mental health budget we also need to demand that there be

no more cuts.

Our legislators are our public servants and they need to hear from us.

You may have other issues that are important to you, but please let them

know about this issue as well. Mental health is important to overall health;

one in four adults (and one in ten children) are affected by a mental health

condition every year. We know that treatment works, but we need to pro-

vide care when needed and for as long as is needed. If you need help iden-

tifying your state legislator, please contact our office.

montco memo Montgomery County, PA Summer 2016 Volume XXXV Issue 11

Also in This Issue

Calendar 2

Message from Our Executive Director

3

Reorganization of Board 3

Fall Family to Family Classes 4

Save the Date: 5th Annual Benefit for the Brain

4

Medications & Sensitivity to Heat or Sun

5

Police Departments Begin to Reward Restraint Tactics

5

Tributes and Donations 5

Study Finds Racial Differences in Psychiatric Diagnoses, Treatment

6

Montco Peer Support Groups 6

Measuring Progress on Mental Healty/Substance Abuse Parity

7

Legislative Alert!

19th

Annual NAMI Family Picnic on September 18th

Mark your calendar and be sure to join us on September 18th for our

19th Annual Family Picnic at Mermaid Lake in Blue Bell. There will be

games, music and a great chicken barbecue! Bring the whole family! The

event is free; however you must RSVP by September 11th; and please let

us know how many adults and how many children (under 8 years old)

will attend. To RSVP call 215-361-7784.

Summer 2016 Page 2

montco memo Volume XXXV Issue 11

the montco memo is published monthly by

NAMI of PENNSYLVANIA

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Board of Directors

President Neen Davis First Vice-President Dawn Hogan Second Vice President Dave Davis Secretary Beth Milton Treasurer Stephen Nelson

Victoria Bright Armand DiYenno Rhea Fernandes Precious Graham Laura Longstreet Tricia Malott Donna McNelis Jerry Rudakevich Mike Solomon

Executive Director Carol Caruso Editor Beulah Saideman Co-Editor Mary Schuck Editor Emeritus Maryella D. Hitt Office Manager Debra Herbut Bookkeeper Jane Polto Walk Manager Danielle Blanchard

Support Group Facilitators Coordinator Carol Caruso

Abington Presbyterian Church Joan Kozlowski Corinne Smith

Lansdale Rich Kelble Anne Magowan

Lower Providence Presbyterian Church Neen Davis Sue Soriano

Pottstown Nina & Alan McDaniel

NAMI of PA Montgomery County

100 W. Main Street Suite 204

Lansdale, PA 19446 Phone: 215-361-7784 FAX: 215-361-7786

Email: nami-montcopa@verizon.net Web page: www.namimontcopa.org

Letters to the Editor and other articles and contributions are welcome. Send them

to the NAMI Office or by Email to brsaideman@comcast.net

by the 15th of the preceding month.

NAMI of Pennsylvania Montgomery County is an approved Donor Choice Agency of the United Way of Greater Philadelphia and

Southern New Jersey

United Way Agency Code # 5076

Calendar

Peer Support July 14 Aug. 11 July 5 Aug. 2

July—no meeting Aug. 1

July 14/28 Aug. 11/25

Hearing Voices Support Groups “Taking Back Our Power” for both adults and young people, are for people who hear, see or sense things that other people don’t, and want to learn and grow together. They are run by Creating Increased Connections (CIC). See the schedule on Page 6. For more information on Voices, call CIC (David, Mary or Mike) at 484-681-9432.

Voices Learning Community meets the 2nd Thursday of every month 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM — Creating Increased Connec-tions Office, 18 E. 4th Street, Bridgeport. Voices Family Support Group meets the 1st Tuesday of every month 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM — Creating Increased Connections Office, 18 E. 4th Street, Bridgeport.

WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plans) is a way to plan and monitor what you need to do to stay both mentally and physically healthy. Also run by CIC. See schedule on Page 6. For more in-formation call 484-681-9432.

NAMI Connection Groups are peer run support groups for individuals living with mental illness. See Page 6 for schedule.

New Directions Bipolar & Depression Support Group, 2nd & 4th Thursday, 10:00 AM, Giant Food Store, 315 York Rd, Willow Grove

July—no Meeting Aug. 1

Pottstown Family Support Group, 1st Monday at Creative Health Services, Consumers Library, 11 Robinson Court,, 7-8:30PM. July meeting canceled. Will resume in August.

July— no meeting Aug. 1

Lower Providence Family Support Group, Lower Providence Presbyterian Church, 3050 Ridge Pike, Eagleville, Room 205. 7 PM. First Monday except on holidays. July meeting canceled. Will resume in August.

July 5 Aug. 2

Lansdale Family Support Group at St. John’s United Church of Christ, Main Street and Richardson Avenue, Lansdale. First Tuesday, 7:00 PM.

July 5/19 Aug. 2/16

New Directions Bipolar & Depression Support Groups (2) one for Consumers & one for Family/Caregivers — 1st & 3rd Tuesday, Abington Presbyterian Church, 1082 Old York Road, Abington — 7:30 PM. Call 215-659-2366.

July 14 Aug— no meeting

Glenside Family Support Group, Abington Presbyterian Church, 1082 Old York Road, Abington — 2nd Thursday, 7:30 PM. August meeting canceled.

July 21 Aug. 18

Montgomery County CSP (Community Support Program), 3rd Thursday,12-2:30 PM, Montgomery County Library, 1001 Powell St., Norristown.

July 21 Aug—None

Board of Director’s Meeting, 3rd Thursday, Lansdale Office, 6:30 PM. No meeting in August.

A Note About Our Meetings

Although some of our meetings are held at religious institutions, they are non-denominational and open to people of all beliefs.

Summer 2016 Page 3

montco memo Volume XXXV Issue 11

Re-Organization of Board

Message from Our Executive Director As we head into the summer months, please know

that we are still here and available if needed. Please do not

hesitate to call or email us as we know that mental illness

does not take a break during the summer. Our support

groups will continue (however due to the schedule of the

church, our Abington support group will not meet in Au-

gust); however if you need help or support in between

groups please call 215-361-7784.

There is still room in our Family to Family classes for

the fall so if you are interested in registering for this free

12 session course or have questions about it, please call

our office (same number as above).

We have been very active legislatively regarding parity

of mental health coverage and the state budget. Please see

our article on Page 1 and contact your legislators regarding

these. If you need guidance on this, don’t hesitate to call

me.

Please mark your calendar for our Annual Family Pic-

nic on September 18th at Mermaid Lake. The event is free

and will feature a great chicken barbecue, games and lots

of fun. Bring the whole family and please RSVP by Sep-

tember 11 and be sure to tell us how many adults and how

many children (under 8) will be attending (as we are

charged separately for each).

Our monthly information meetings will resume in Oc-

tober and will move to the 2nd Wednesday of the month

(rather than the first Wednesday). This is to allow for more

lead time after our newsletter comes out in the beginning

of the month.

Have a safe and healthy summer, and as always, thank

you for all that you do on behalf of persons living with

mental illness and their families.

Carol Caruso

New and returning directors were welcomed and new

officers were elected at our June 16th Board meeting. Re-

elected directors (for 3 years) are Beth Milton, Trish Ma-

lott and Jerry Rudakevich. Returning Board member is

Neen Davis (3 year term). Newly elected officers are: President: Neen Davis

1st Vice President: Dawn Hogan 2nd Vice President: Dave Davis Secretary: Beth Milton Treasurer: Steve Nelson

Congratulations to our new officers, and thank you to

our outgoing officers!

Register Now for Fall Family to Family Classes Registrations are now being taken for our fall Family to

Family classes. Family to Family is a 12 session course for

family members and caretakers of adults (18 and older)

living with mental illness. All course materials and instruc-

tion are free of charge. Classes meet one night per week

(Tuesdays) and each session covers a different topic such as

diagnosis, medications, communication and empathy.

We currently have two classes scheduled: one in Lans-

dale at our office and one in Norristown at Hopeworx. We

ask for a commitment to attend all sessions. If you would

like more information or would like to register, please call

215-361-7784.

Summer 2016 Page 4

montco memo Volume XXXV Issue 11

* Be sure to see the SAMHSA update below, especially Extreme

Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal Health and

Safety

Nearly all psychiatric medi-

cations increase the body's sen-

sitivity to the heat or sun. Pho-

tosensitivity is the result of

drugs combining with proteins

in the skin to form substances

which react with direct light.

Being in the sun for as little as

30 to 60 minutes can cause a

variety of allergic skin rashes.

Other signs of sensitivity are

severe sunburn, nausea and vomiting, flushed or pale skin, and

confusion and fainting.

If photosensitivity does occur, speak to your doctor. Sun

should be avoided for as much as 4-6 weeks. There are many

commercial sunscreens available to help protect anyone who

either works or plays in the sun. They come in lotions, creams

and sprays and should be applied to all exposed areas of the body

such as hands, face, neck, feet, legs, and top of head if bald. Sun

block or other sunscreens containing para-aminobenzoic acid

(PABA) should be used. These products screen out the ultravio-

let rays. Protective clothing, such as wide-brimmed hats, are also

a big help in protection.

Anti-psychotics (Neuroleptics), Anti-depressants, and Anti-

parkinsonians inhibit the body's ability to sweat. Take cool show-

ers or baths, or splash cool water on your face and arms if they

are becoming overheated. Anti psychotics (Neuroleptics) also

make the skin more susceptible to sunburn. Use sunscreen. Lithi-

um causes excessive loss of fluids, such as through excessive

sweating, and can cause the lithium level in your blood to be-

come too high. Drink plenty of liquids and use salt unless in-

structed not to do so.

The following is a partial list of psychiatric medications

known to cause heat or sun sensitivity. Your pharmacist is an

excellent source of information concerning the specific medi-

cines you take and reaction to heat and sun.

Update from SAMHSA (July 19, 2013)

Excessive Heat Poses Increased Risks for Individuals

With Behavioral Health Conditions…

Individuals with behavioral health conditions taking psycho-

tropic medications or using certain substances are at a higher risk

for heatstroke and heat-related illnesses. These medications and

substances can interfere with the body's ability to regulate heat.

The Substance and Mental Health Services Administration

(SAMHSA) is issuing a heat advisory to alert the nation to the

increased risk of heat-related illnesses for individuals with men-

tal and substance use disorders. Children and older adults with

these conditions are particularly vulnerable to elevated tempera-

tures.

Exposure to excessive heat is dangerous for all American

citizens and can lead to heatstroke which is considered a medical

emergency. Heatstroke occurs when the body's temperature-

regulating system breaks down and the body is unable to cool

itself. Internal body temperatures can rise to levels that may

cause irreversible brain damage and death.

Individuals with behavioral health conditions who are taking

psychotropic medications or using certain substances are at a

higher risk for heatstroke and heat-related illnesses. These medi-

cations and substances can interfere with the body's ability to

regulate heat and an individual's awareness that their body tem-

perature is rising.

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention

(CDC), effective methods to prevent heat exhaustion include

drinking plenty of fluids, replacing salt and minerals that may

be removed from heavy sweating, wear loose light-colored

clothing, wear sunscreen, stay cool indoors with air condition-

ing, and monitor those at high risk. For individuals who may

be living in facilities, ensure that they are well hydrated, have

access to cooler areas, and monitor temperature levels, espe-

cially for those individuals who may be taking antipsychotic

and anticholinergic medications.

For more information on how to prevent, recognize, and

treat heat-related illnesses, see the CDC's publications below.

Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Preven-

tion (CDC):

• Extreme Heat: What You Should Know

• Extreme Heat: A Prevention Guide to Promote Your Personal

Health and Safety

© Copyright Advocacy Unlimited, Inc.

Anti-psychotics ---------------------

Thorazine

Compazine

Stellazine

Mellaril

Navane

Trilafon

Haldol

Loxitane

Prolixin

Risperdal

Anti-depressants -----------------------

Elavil

Tofranil

(Imipramine)

Desipramine

Ludiomil

Desyrel

(Trazadone)

Parnate

Norpramine

Sinequan

Anti-parkinsonians -------------------------------

Cogentin

Artane

Symmetrel

Medications and Sensitivity to Heat or Sun

Summer 2016 Page 5

montco memo Volume XXXV Issue 11

Police Departments Begin to Reward Restraint Tactics

By Errin Haines Whack, Associated Press, May 31, 2016

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A few police agencies in the U.S. have

begun rewarding officers for showing restraint in the line of duty,

putting the tactic on par with bravery.

More than 40 Philadelphia officers have received awards since

December for defusing conflicts without shooting, clubbing or

otherwise using maximum force against anyone. The Los Angeles

Police Department recently created a Preservation of Life award.

And later this year, the U.S. Justice Department's new Communi-

ty Policing Awards will recognize officers who prevent tense situ-

ations from spinning out of control.

The awards reflect a growing emphasis on "de-escalation" in

police work, a trend driven in part by the deadly shootings of

blacks in such places as Ferguson, Missouri; Cleveland; Chicago;

and North Charleston, South Carolina. The killings have given

rise to accusations of excessive force.

"An officer going home is of paramount importance to us, but

everybody should have an opportunity to go home if that presents

itself," Philadelphia Police Commissioner Richard Ross said.

"This is an effort to slow down situations for the sake of every-

body concerned."

Advocates say that encouraging de-escalation as part of police

culture can help establish trust with the public and that such tac-

tics can be especially useful in handling suspects who may be

mentally ill or on drugs.

But critics warn that the emphasis on de-escalation could lead

officers to hesitate in life-threatening situations.

Philadelphia Officer Eric Tyler was recognized for using a

stun gun instead of a firearm on a suspect who threatened to shoot

Tyler's colleague in February. Tyler, who has never shot anyone

in his 12-year career, said he considered using deadly force but

made a split-second decision not to.

"I thought better of it, and our training took over," Tyler said.

"With everything that's going on in policing, sometimes you have

to think to de-escalate things. Somebody has to be a calming

force."

The suspect turned out to be unarmed.

The Police Executive Research Forum, a law enforcement

think tank, has found that officers receive significantly less train-

ing in de-escalation than in firearms or self-defense.

Increasingly, agencies are discussing and adopting de-

escalation tactics, including slowing down confrontations and

using distance and cover to defuse situations.

The establishment of Philadelphia's award was one of the rec-

ommendations issued by the Justice Department after it investi-

gated a 2013 increase in shootings by the city's police.

Such awards are key to changing the mentality inside law en-

forcement, said Phillip Goff, director of the Center for Policing

Equity, a think tank.

Ronald Davis, director of the Justice Department's Office of

Community Oriented Policing Services, said more local agencies

should institute such an award: "It says that force should be a last

resort and that we value this."

The idea has met resistance from critics in law enforcement

who fear officers might second-guess themselves with tragic con-

sequences. The Los Angeles police union called the award "a ter-

rible idea."

"It suggests that officers must go above and beyond their nor-

mal activities to avoid harm; or put another way, that officers will

be penalized for resorting to an appropriate, lawful use of force,"

the Los Angeles Police Protective League's Board of Directors

said in a blog post in November.

"This award will prioritize the lives of suspected criminals

over the lives of LAPD officers and goes against the core founda-

tion of an officer's training."

Rich Roberts, spokesman for the International Union of Police

Associations, said his organization supports de-escalation tech-

niques, provided they don't interfere with an officer's ability to

make split-second decisions if those efforts don't work.

Tyler said his de-escalation training hasn't made him hesitate

on the streets.

"I was put in a situation where I thought using a Taser was

better," he said. "If a different situation arises ... I won't second-

guess myself, because I have to protect myself and my fellow

citizens."

http://bigstory.ap.org/898f72aa8c2b4cd7bf099f9200759c2e

Tributes and Other Contributions

The Tribute Fund is a good way to mark anniversaries, weddings and other special occasions, and to express sympathy for the

loss of a loved one. We will send a note of appreciation to anyone you designate. Send your check to NAMI of Pennsylvania Mont-

gomery County, 100 W. Main Street, Suite 204, Lansdale, PA 19446. When designating NAMI in an obituary

notice, please specify NAMI of Pennsylvania Montgomery County.

In memory of Eric MacFarland Barbara Potts

Individual Donations Diana Brody Christine Grad, M.D.

Justin Kaplan

Corporate Matching Gift Anonymous, Quaker Chemical Corporation

Research News You Can Use

Montgomery County Peer Support Groups NAMI Connection

1st Monday at 6:15 PM at William Jeanes Memor ial Library,

4051 Joshua Rd, Lafayette Hill, PA. No meeting July 4th.

Monday

VOICES – Pottstown 12:00 – 1:30 PM, Trinity Reformed

Church of Christ, 60 N. Hanover Street, Pottstown

WRAP – Bryn Mawr 12:00 – 1:30 PM, Ludington Library,

5 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr

VOICES – Norristown 3:00 – 4:30 PM, Friends Meeting

House, 20 E. Jacoby Street, Norristown

VOICES-Young People - Lower Merion 4:30 - 6:00 PM,

The Middleton Center, Rm 203, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church,

625 Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr

VOICES – Willow Grove 7:00 – 8:30 PM, Giant Food Store

(Use entrance near Café) 2nd Floor Meeting Room, 315 York Rd,

Willow Grove

Tuesday

WRAP – Pottstown 2:00 to 3:30 PM, Tr inity Reformed

Church of Christ, 60 N. Hanover St, Pottstown

VOICES - Lansdale 4:30 - 6:00 PM, Lansdale Public Library,

301 Vine Street, Lansdale

VOICES Young People – Hatboro 7:00 – 8:30 PM, Braccia

Complex, 1st Floor (across from Dance Arts), 2935 Byberry Road,

Hatboro

Wednesday

WRAP – Roslyn 1:00—2:30 PM, Faith Community Church,

1200 Easton Road, Roslyn

WRAP - Lansdale 3:00 - 4:30 PM, Lansdale Public Library,

301 Vine Street, Lansdale

VOICES – Lower Merion 3:30 – 5:00 PM, The Middleton

Center, Rm 203, Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church, 625

Montgomery Avenue, Bryn Mawr

WRAP – Norristown 6:00 – 7:30 PM, HopeWorx, 1210

Stanbridge St, Suite 300, Norristown

Thursday

WRAP - Norristown 10:30 - 12:00 PM, Friends Meeting

House, 20 E. Jacoby Street, Norristown Dual Recovery Anonymous (DRA) - 6:00 – 6:45 PM,

Women’s Village of Hope, 807 Lawn Avenue, Sellersville

Summer 2016 Page 6

montco memo Volume XXXV Issue 11

Mad in America, May 24, 2016

According to a recent study published in the jour-

nal Psychiatric Services, black patients are almost twice as likely

as their white counterparts to be diagnosed with schizophrenia,

while white patients are significantly more likely to receive a

diagnosis of anxiety or depression.

The researchers also found that the likelihood of receiving

psychotherapy for any diagnosis (34%), regardless of race or

ethnicity, was much lower than the probability of receiving a

psychotropic medication (73%).

The researchers, funded by a grant from the National Institute

of Mental Health (NIMH), looked at data on the diagnoses, psy-

chotropic prescriptions, and psychotherapy records of over 7.5

million patients within the Mental Health Research Network.

This study is an especially important addition to the literature

as it uses health care records rather than surveys and self-reports,

while also including a large, geographically and racially diverse

representative sample of the population.

The data revealed that white patients were diagnosed with

psychiatric conditions at a higher rate (19.8) than Black (13.5),

Hispanic (14.3), and Asian (7.5) patients. Native American and

Alaskan Native patients had the highest rate of any diagnoses

(20.6).

The researchers also found that white patients were signifi-

cantly more likely (77.8 percent) to be prescribed psychotropic

drugs than non-white patients. There was also some evidence that

black patients were over two and a half times more likely to re-

ceive psychotherapy for a schizophrenia diagnosis than white

patients, but the overall rate of psychotherapy was so low that it's

hard to determine clinical relevance.

While the data from this study does not reveal why these ra-

cial and ethnic differences in diagnosis persist, the authors point

to previous research that reports that health care providers pre-

sented with the same symptoms are more likely to diagnose black

patients with schizophrenia or bipolar disorder, while white pa-

tients are more likely to receive a diagnosis of major depression.

In 2010, the sociologist Jonathan Metzl wrote “The Protest

Psychosis: How Schizophrenia Became a Black Disease,” de-

tailing the dramatic racial and gender bias in people diagnosed

with schizophrenia during the 1960s. In reviewing the charts

from the Ionia State Hospital for the Criminally Insane in Michi-

gan, Metzl found that in the fifties, schizophrenia was used as a

label to explain why some women were unable to perform their

expected roles as mothers and wives, but in the 1960s, during the

civil rights movement, the diagnoses switched to apply to African

American men from Detroit who presented with “paranoia

against police.”

http://www.madinamerica.com/2016/05/

racial_differences_in_psychiatric_diagnosis_and_treatment/

Study Finds Racial Differences in Psychiatric Diagnosis, Treatment

Summer 2016 Page 7

montco memo Volume XXXV Issue 11

By Richard Frank, PhD

Much like health care reform, realizing comparable insur-

ance coverage for mental health and substance use disorders

(known as parity) has been a long time coming. Recognizing

mental health and substance use disorder treatment as integral

to health underpins the significance of providing parity in cov-

erage of treatment for mental and substance use disorders and

other medical conditions.

The Obama Administration has made parity a priority, and

because of our efforts and those of the dedicated advocates,

legislators, and stakeholders who fought for people with men-

tal illnesses and substance use disorders before us, we have

improved insurance coverage for mental health and substance

use disorder care for over 170 million people. As we take

stock of this progress, it’s worth reviewing the work that got

us here and the steps that lay ahead.

President Kennedy first advocated for parity in mental

health care coverage for employees

of the federal government back in

1963. In 1999, President Clinton

ensured parity in the Federal Em-

ployee Health Benefit Program and

signed the Mental Health Parity Act

in 1996 requiring comparable annual

and lifetime dollar limits on mental

health and medical coverage in large

group employer-sponsored plans.

Congress then passed the Paul

Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental

Health Parity and Addiction Equity

Act (MHPAEA) in 2008. The legis-

lation expanded parity protections to

ensure that financial requirements (such as co-pays and de-

ductibles) and treatment limitations (such as visit limits) for

mental health or substance use disorder benefits are generally

no more restrictive than the limits applied to medical/surgical

benefits. As implemented by the Obama Administration, these

protections benefit an estimated 103 million people.

The Affordable Care Act further extended Mental Health

and Substance Use Disorder Parity protections to individual

health insurance plans, and regulations implementing the Af-

fordable Care Act’s “essential health benefits” requirements

extended parity protections to small group coverage, covering

an additional 48 million people. Recently, the Administration

finalized mental health and substance use disorder parity regu-

lations for plans in the Medicaid and Children’s Health Insur-

ance Programs, covering about 23 million more people. Also

earlier this year, the Department of Defense issued a proposed

rule to apply the principles of mental health and substance use

disorder parity to TRICARE, the health benefits program for

uniformed service members and their families.

As a result of these efforts, employer-sponsored large

group plans have improved their mental health and substance

use disorder benefits by eliminating higher cost-sharing for

inpatient and outpatient mental health and substance use disor-

der care. For many families, this can mean they no longer

have to choose between not paying for treatment for a loved

one and potential financial ruin.

Despite this progress, there remains unfinished business.

We often hear that insurers have been slower to implement

the more complex new parity provisions. And our partners in

the industry have told us that some new provisions would ben-

efit from further clarification. Plus, the process for consumers

and providers to understand and act on their new protections

can be confusing.

This is why the President created a Mental Health and Sub-

stance Use Disorder Parity Task Force which is tasked with

increasing awareness of parity protections, improving under-

standing of requirements for health plans, and increasing trans-

parency around compliance with the law. The Task Force

wants to hear from patients, families,

consumer advocates, health care provid-

ers, insurers, and other stakeholders on

their experiences with coverage and re-

ceiving mental health and substance

abuse services. This is also why the

President continues to seek $1.1 billion

from Congress to tackle the opioid crisis,

among other key investments.

We remain committed to achieving

mental health and substance use disorder

parity across the health care sys-

tem. Still, as someone who has worked

on these issues for over 30 years, I have

been gratified to see how far we’ve come

in recent years. Our actions have made life a little easier for

families affected by serious mental illnesses, like schizophre-

nia or bipolar disorder. We have proven that we can offer the

support that keeps substance use disorders from destroying

families. By building on what we have already accomplished,

we can give all Americans with mental health or substance use

disorders the opportunity to get the care they need.

Richard Frank served as the HHS Assistant Secretary for

Planning and Evaluation from 2013 through June 3, 2016. Dr.

Frank is the Margaret T. Morris Professor of Health Econom-

ics in the Department of Health Care Policy at Harvard Medi-

cal School.

http://www.hhs.gov/blog/2016/06/07/progress-mental-health-

and-substance-use-disorder-parity.html

BLOG POST: Measuring Progress on Mental Health & Substance Use Disorder Parity

This is why the President created a

Mental Health and Substance Use

Disorder Parity Task Force which is

tasked with increasing awareness of

parity protections, improving under-

standing of requirements for health

plans, and increasing transparency

around compliance with the law.

PENNSYLVANIA MONTGOMERY COUNTY

Dues are for one year and are Tax Deductible. Donations are welcome and are also Tax Deductible.

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the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). NAMI is a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)3 and all dues and donations are tax-deductible. Official registration and financial

information of NAMI PA Montgomery County may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll free within PA 1.800.732.0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

The official registration and financial information of NAMI PA Montgomery County can be obtained from the Pennsylvania Department of State by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania:

1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

PENNSYLVANIA

MONTGOMERY COUNTY

100 W. Main Street, Suite 204

Lansdale, PA 19446