Congress must act to fund crisis services
3174 actions taken
826 needed to reach next goal
A person in a mental health crisis deserves help, not
handcuffs. But too often, members of our NAMI community don’t get a mental
health response when we’re in crisis.
Your voice can help change that.
Next year, 988, a 3-digit number for mental health crises,
will be available nationwide. But what crisis services will be available in
your community if you or someone you know needs this life-saving line?
NAMI is urging Congress to fund mental health
crisis services. We need you to email your member of Congress to help ensure
that there is more federal funding for crisis services in your community. NAMI's Angela Kimball, National Director of Advocacy &
Public Policy, testified to Congress on the need to invest in mental health crisis services. She
discussed a range of opportunities to help people in crisis, including:
- Doubling the set-aside for mental health crisis services in the Mental Health Block Grant from 5% to 10%. This will provide your state with federal funding that it can invest in life-saving services like local 24/7 crisis call centers, mobile crisis teams, and crisis stabilization programs.
- Increasing funding for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline network, which will manage 988 calls. People who call the Lifeline will need a fast and appropriate response. Calls for help are expected to increase dramatically when 988 becomes available everywhere in 2022, so more resources are needed to manage the additional call volume and ensure call takers can help a person in a mental health crisis.
Help boost Angela’s testimony by adding your voice to
these asks.
Send an email to your Representative. Let them know that investing in the National
Suicide Prevention Lifeline and mental health crisis services is important to
you and your community. Add a personal story to your email about your
experience with crisis services to make more of an impact with your
Representative.
*988 will not be
available nationwide until July 2022, but if you or somebody you know is in
crisis now, get help by texting “NAMI” to 741741 or calling the Suicide
Prevention Lifeline at 1-800-273-8255.