State Budget
2009-2011 State Budget: Items of Interest to the Mental Health Community
Click here for a summary of mental health-related items included in the 2009-2011 state budget.
2009-2011 State Budget Background Documents
Wisconsin Council on Mental Health
This paper outlines the factors that are undermining the public mental health system and identifies a variety of potential solutions. The core argument is that a variety of trends have resulted in counties bearing an increasing share of the burden for mental health services at a time when they are constrained in their ability to collect property tax revenue to support human services. The Governor and Legislature must find some way to provide relief to counties, which are charged with administration of the public mental health system. Click here to read the Mental Health Funding and Access to Services briefing paper.
Survival Coalition of Wisconsin Disability Issues
The Survival Coalition represents about 40 consumer, provider and advocacy organizations addressing the needs and interests of people with disabilities in Wisconsin. Survival Coalition has been on the forefront of the movement to end waiting lists for community care for people with developmental and physical disabilities, an effort that has resulted in the Family Care program. This session Survival Coalition is calling for more attention to the needs of persons with mental illnesses and children with disabilities, two groups who have been left behind as Family Care expansion- and funding- have moved through the State. Click here to read the Survival Coalition Priorities: 2009-2011 Biennial Budget.
Additionally Survival Coalition has drafted a set of principles reflecting the values that should be applied to the decision-making process. Importantly, Survival Coalition stresses the need to look at increasing revenues as well as cutting costs and services.
Click here to read the Statement of Principles.
More Information
Contacting members of the State Legislature:
Who are my legislators? Click here to identify your legislators.
