Take Action!
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Free Pervis Payne Campaign
A number of our folks are organizing to demand the release of Pervis Payne, a Black man with intellectual disabilities who has been on death row for 33 years and is facing execution in Tennessee for a crime he did not commit. Help us reach our goal of 1,000,000 supporters of Justice for Pervis Payne. Contact Governor Bill Lee – Tennessee Residents call Gov. Lee’s office to let him know you support clemency for Mr. Payne due to his intellectual disability and his strong claim of innocence. You can reach Gov. Lee at 865-205-8612. Join the Statewide Rally – On Sept 8th, 2021, from 4-5PM CST, stand on a corner and hold signs in your city raising awareness about Mr. Payne’s case.
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Tell your legislators to support the Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act. The Pursuing Equity in Mental Health Act, written following the release of the Congressional Black Caucus Emergency Taskforce on Black Youth Suicide and Mental Health report, Ring The Alarm, would authorize $805 million in grants and other funding to support research, improving the pipeline of culturally humble providers, building outreach programs that reduce stigma, and developing training programs for providers to effectively manage bias and reduce disparities in access to and delivery of mental health care for Black and brown youth.
Ask your representative to co-sponsor the PEERS in the Medicare Act of 2021. H.R. 2767, the Promoting Effective and Empowering Recovery Services (PEERS) in Medicare Act of 2021, was introduced in the House of Representatives to promote the use of peer support specialists as part of integrated care in Medicare. More specifically, the bill would recognize certified peer specialists for the first time in Medicare and would ensure reimbursement of support and services provided by peer specialists as part of coordinated care teams that work together to provide the best mental and physical health care for an individual based on their unique needs.
Tell Congress to support FY22 funding for local crisis centers, the 988 Lifeline, and a new 988 coordinating center. Our community reopening should not mean that things return to a normal that fails to support people when they are experiencing distress and possibly one of the worst days of their lives. Funding for stronger public health infrastructure should include significant resources for the behavioral health workforce, universal access to the suicide prevention and mental health crises hotline, for local crisis centers, and new funding for a 988 federal-state coordination center at SAMHSA. Congress must support additional investment in these areas through the FY 2022 appropriations bills.
Tell your legislators to support the Black Maternal Health Momnibus Act of 2021, which includes the Moms Matter Act, a maternal mental health equity bill to provide for quality screening, treatment, support, and research of Black mothers with mental health needs. Congress can and should make it easier for moms and babies to access support and care early on when it matters most.
Tell Congress to Support S.660/H.R. 2264, the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act. The Federal government facilitated improved access to mental health care during the pandemic, especially tele-mental health care in Medicaid and Medicare. However, issues remain in accessing and covering these services for people who do not have access to broadband or smartphones. We must support S.660/H.R. 2264, the Tele-Mental Health Improvement Act, a bill to require employer-sponsored health care plans to cover tele-behavioral health care services at the same pay rate as those services provided in-person
Tell the Senate to Pass Changes That Increase Funding and Access to Mental Health Services in the next COVID-19 Package. Additional funding for mental health and substance use services will help states and local governments provide services as many states face budget shortfalls and plan to instead cut funding from mental health accounts. Expanded coverage of telemental health services has allowed people with mental health conditions to stay in treatment or get into treatment at a time when it is unsafe to meet in person. To help keep safety net Medicaid providers afloat, many of which have seen drastic increases in demand for services, an increase in federal matching funds (FMAP) for Medicaid is needed. And, activation of Medicaid for individuals coming out of the justice system settings helps many overcome the major hurdle of paying for treatment as they manage reintegrating into the community. The first 60 days back into the community is the highest risk period for many of these individuals and oftentimes, having access to health care is the difference between life and death.
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