Letter to House Members about Mental Health and Substance Use caucuses

December 16, 2004

Dear Congressman _____,

As you prepare for the 109th Congress, we are writing to ask that you consider joining two important caucuses that have been founded to advance the quality of research and service delivery for those individuals with mental health and substance use disorders. The Congressional Mental Health Caucus and the Congressional Caucus on Addiction, Treatment and Recovery both share the laudable goals of fostering research and improving access to, and quality of, mental health and substance use disorder treatment services.

Despite remarkable advances in research on mental health and substance use disorders, these basic health issues continue to tear the fabric of American lives. Approximately 50 million Americans have a mental health disorder, and 23 million have a substance use disorder. The good news is that these disorders are remarkably responsive to a range of psychosocial and pharmacologic treatments. However, patients, advocates, providers and even researchers continue to face stigma that undercuts prevention and treatment initiatives not seen in other areas of healthcare. This is all the more reason to celebrate the leadership of the Congressional Mental Health Caucus by Representatives Tim Murphy and Grace Napolitano and of the Congressional Caucus on Addiction, Treatment and Recovery by Representatives Jim Ramstad and Patrick Kennedy. We appreciate their deep personal commitment to improve the lives of those affected by mental health and/or substance use disorders.

We recognize that the 109th Congress will face unprecedented challenges in allocating budgetary resources for discretionary programs under its charge, and we urge you to help your colleagues highlight the importance of these debilitating health issues by joining both of these caucuses. Please contact Michael Baxter (225-2301) on Congressman Murphy's staff or Karin Hope (225-2871) on Congressman Ramstad's staff for more information.

Sincerely,

Norman B. Anderson, Ph.D.

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