[Congressional Record Volume 154, Number 42 (Wednesday, March 12, 2008)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Pages E365-E367]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
PAUL WELLSTONE MENTAL HEALTH AND ADDICTION EQUITY ACT OF 2007
______
speech of
HON. FRANK PALLONE, JR.
of new jersey
in the house of representatives
Wednesday, March 5, 2008
Mr. PALLONE. Mr. Speaker, I would ask that the following letters of
support for H.R. 1424, the Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction
Equity Act of 2008, submitted for the Record on the floor debate on
this hill.
Parity Now Coalition,
March 3. 2008.
Hon. Patrick Kennedy,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Hon. Jim Ramstad,
House of Representatives,
Washington, DC.
Dear Representative Kennedy and Representative Ramstad: The
undersigned organizations applaud you for your commitment to
mental health and addiction parity legislation. We wish to
thank you and your staffs for the countless hours you have
dedicated to this bill thus far and look forward to working
with you towards enacting the Paul Wellstone Mental Health
and Addiction Equity Act of 2007 into law.
We hereby lend our formal support to this invaluable piece
of legislation.
NATIONAL ORGANIZATIONS
AFL-CIO
AIDS Action Council
Alliance for Children and Families
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Academy of HIV Medicine
American Academy of Neurology
American Academy of Pediatrics
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
American Association for Marriage and Family Therapy
American Association for Psychological Rehabilitation
American Association for the Treatment of Opioid Dependence
American Association of Children's Residential Centers
American Association of Pastoral Counselors
American Association of Suicidology
American College of Occupational and Environmental Medicine
American Counseling Association
American Federation of Teachers
American Foundation for Suicide Prevention
American Group Psychotherapy Association
American Hospital Association
American Medical Association
American Mental Health Counselors Association
American Music Therapy Association
American Nurses Association
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
Amercan Psychoanalytic Association
American Psychotherapy Association
American Probation and Parole Association
American Public Health Association
American School Health Association
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Anna Westin Foundation
Anxety Disorders Association of America
Association for the Advancement of Psychology
Association for Ambulatory Behavioral Healthcare
Association for Psychological Science
Association of American Medical Colleges
Association of Jewish Family & Children's Agencies
Association of Recovery Schools
Association of University Centers on Disabilities
Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
Betty Ford Center
Bradford Health Services
Caron Treatment Centers
Center for Clinical Social Work
Center for Science in the Public Interest
Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder
Child Welfare League of America
Clinical Social Work Association
Clinical Social Work Guild 49, OPEIU
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America (CADCA)
Cumberland Heights
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Disability Rights Education & Defense Fund
Easter Seals
Eating Disorders Coalition for Research, Policy and Action
Eating Disorder Referral and Information Center/
EDReferral.com
Entertainment Industries Council
Faces and Voices of Recovery
Families for Depression Awareness
Families USA
Family Voices
Federation of Families for Children's Mental Health
First Focus
Hazelden Foundation
HIV Medicine Association
Housing Works, Inc
Human Rights Campaign
Institute for the Advancement of Social Work Research
Johnson Institute
Kids Project
Legal Action Center
Mental Health America
NAADAC--The Association for Addiction Professionals
National Advocacy Center of the Sisters of the Good
Shepherd
National Advocates for Pregnant Women
National Alliance of Methadone Advocates
National Alliance to End Homelessness
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa and Associated
Disorders--ANAD
National Association of County and City Health Officials
National Association of County Behavioral Health and
Developmental Disability Directors
[[Page E366]]
National Association of Mental Health Planning & Advisory
Councils
National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners
National Association of School Psychologists
National Association of Social Workers
National Association of State Directors of Special
Education
National Association on Alcohol, Drugs, and Disability,
Inc.
National Committee to Preserve Social Security and Medicare
National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence (NCADD)
National Council on Independent Living
National Development and Research Institutes, Inc. (NDRI)
National Eating Disorders Association
National Eating Disorders Coalition
National Educational Alliance for Borderline Personality
Disorder
National Education Association
National Hispanic Medical Association
National Mental Health Awareness Campaign
National Physicians Alliance
National Recreation and Park Association
National Research Center for Women & Families
National Rural Health Association
Northamerican Association of Masters in Psychology
Obsessive Compulsive Foundation
PACER Center
Partnership for a Drug-Free America
Presbyterian Church (USA) Washington Office
Recovery Network Foundation
School Social Work Association of America
Society for Research on Child Development
Society of Professors of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
Students for Sensible Drug Policy
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
State Associations of Addiction Services (SAAS)
Therapeutic Communities of America
TII CANN--Title II Community AIDS National Network
Tourette Syndrome Association, Inc.
Union for Reform Judaism
United Jewish Community
United Methodist Church--General Board of Church and
Society
United Neighborhood Centers of America
U.S. Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
Wellstone Action
LOCAL AND STATE ORGANIZATIONS
622 Communities Partnership, Inc., Minnesota Affiliate of
the National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc
AA Safe Haven
Abilities in Motion
Addiction Recovery Institute
Addiction Resource Council
Addiction Treatment Providers of New Jersey
Advocates for Recovery
Alabama Voices for Recovery & Drug Education Council
Alcohol and Addictions Resource Center
Alcohol and Drug Abuse Council of Delaware County, Inc.
Alcohol and Drug Council of North Carolina
Alcoholism and Substance Abuse Providers of New York State
Alcoholism Council of New York
Alcoholism Council of the Cincinnati Area, NCADD
Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness
Alliance for Recovery
Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, Inc.
Alpha Project for the Homeless
A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing)
Anacostia Young Peoples Club
Arizona Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors
Arizona Council of Human Service Providers
Arkansas Association of Substance Abuse Treatment Programs
Association of Persons Affected by Addiction
Association of Substance Abuse Programs of Texas
Aspire of Western New York, Inc.
Barbara Schneider Foundation
Behavioral Health Services Association of South Carolina
BRiDGEs, Madison County Council on Alcoholism and Substance
Abuse, Inc.
Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
Burke Council on Alcoholism & Chemical Dependency. Inc.
California Association of Addiction Recovery Resources
California Association of Alcohol and Drug Program
Executives
California Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Counselors
Chautauqua Alcoholism & Substance Abuse Council (CASAC)
Childrens Health Initiative
Chemical Dependency Center of Charlotte-Mecklenburg Inc.
Coalition of Louisiana Addiction Prevention and Service
Providers
Coastal Horizons Center, Inc.
Colorado Association of Alcohol & Drug Service Providers
Community and Family Resources
Compassionate Women of the World
Connecticut Association of Addiction Professionals
Connecticut Association of Non-Profits
Council on Addictions of New York State (CANYS)
Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse for Greater New Orleans
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Sullivan County
Council on Substance Abuse--NCADD
The Council on Substance Abuse & Mental Health
County Alcohol and Drug Program Administrators Association
of California
Dads and Daughters
Delaware Association of Rehabilitation Facilities
DePaul's National Council on Alcoholism and Drug
Dependence--Rochester Area
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Detroit Recovery Project
Division for Learning Disabilities of the Council for
Exceptional Children
Dora Weiner Foundation
Drug and Alcohol Service Providers Organization of
Pennsylvania
Drug and Alcohol Treatment Association of Rhode Island
The Elisa Project
Employee & Family Resources, Inc.
Erie County Council for the Prevention of Alcohol and
Substance Abuse, Inc.
Exponents
Faces and Voices of Recover--Greenville, SC
Faces and Voices of Recovery-Pee Dee
Faces and Voices of Recovery--South Carolina
Faces and Voices of Recovery--Westchester
Feeling Blue Suicide Prevention Center
Florida Alcohol and Drug Abuse Association
Focus on Community
Friends of Delaware and Otsego Counties, Inc.
Friends of Recovery--Monroe County
Friends of Recovery--Vermont
Gail R. Schoenbach/FREED Foundation
Gateway Foundation
Georgia Council on Substance Abuse
GLAD House, Inc.
Greater Flint Project Vox
Greater Macomb Project Vox
Gurze Books
Hanley Center
Harbor Hall, Inc.
Hope4you
Illinois Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Association
Indiana Association of Substance Abuse Providers
Iowa Substance Abuse Program Directors Association
Jawonio, Inc
Kansas Association of Addiction Professionals
Kingdom Recovery Center
Kristin Brooks Hope Center
Long Island Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence
Maine Alliance for Addiction Recovery (MAAR)
Maine Association of Substance Abuse Programs
Maine Substance Abuse Foundation
Maryland Addictions Directors Council
Maryland Chapter of the National Council on Alcoholism and
Drug Dependence
Maryland NAMA
Massachusetts Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counselors
Massachusetts Association of Alcoholism and Drug Abuse
Counselors McHenry County Mental Health Board (IL)
McShin Foundation
Mental Health and Substance Abuse
Corporations of Massachusetts
Methadone Support Org.
Michigan Association of License Substance Abuse
Organizations
Mississippi Association of Addiction Services
Missouri Addiction Counselor Association
Missouri Association of Alcohol & Drug Abuse Programs
Missouri Recovery Network
Missouri Recovery Network--Jefferson City Chapter
Montana Addiction Service Providers
Montana Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counselors
M-Power, Inc.
Mountain Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence
Nantucket Alliance for Substance Abuse Prevention, Inc.
Nantucket Behavioral Health
National Alliance on Mental Illness, Minnesota
National Alliance on Mental Illness, Rhode Island
NCADD, Greater Kansas City
NCADD, Michigan
NCADD, South Bay
NCADD, Greater Detroit Area
NCADD, Long Beach
NCADD, Middlesex County Inc.
NCADD, New Jersey
NCADD, Northwest Florida
NCADD, Orange County
NCADD, Phoenix
NCADD, Sacramento Region Affiliate
NCADD, San Fernando Valley
NCADD, Silicon Valley
NCADD, St. Louis Area
NCADD, Tulare County. Inc.
National Council on Alcoholism/Lansing Regional Area, Inc.
[[Page E367]]
Nebraska Association of Behavioral Health Organizations
Nevada Alliance for Addictive Disorders Advocacy,
Prevention & Treatment Services
New England National Alliance of Methadone Advocates
New Hampshire Alcohol & Other Drug Service Providers
Association
New York AIDS Coalition
NJ Advocates--NJ Chapter of NAMA
Nicks Place
North Carolina Association of Alcoholic Residential
Facilities
North Carolina Substance Abuse Providers Association
North Dakota Addiction Treatment Providers Coalition
Northern California Chapter of the National Alliance of
Methadone Advocates
Northern Michigan Project Vox
Northpointe Council, Inc.
Ohio Citizen Advocates for Chemical Dependency Prevention &
Treatment
Ohio Council of Behavioral Healthcare Providers
Oklahoma Faces and Voices of Recovery
Oklahoma Substance Abuse Services Alliance
Ophelia's Place
Oregon Prevention, Recovery, and Education Association
PAR--People Advocating Recovery
Parent-To-Parent, Inc.
Pennsylvania Recovery Organization--Achieving Community
Together (PRO-ACT)
Puente de Vida
The RASE Project Buprenorphine Coordinator Program
Recovery Center
Recovery Consultants of Atlanta, Inc.
Recovery Resource Center
Volunteers of America Alaska
Royal Oak (Michigan) Save Our Youth Task Force
Recovery Resources
Rockland Council on Alcoholism and Other Drug Dependence
Samaritan Village
Seaway Valley Prevention Council
The Second Road, Inc.
Society of Addiction Counselors of Colorado
South Carolina Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counselors
South Dakota Association for Addiction Professionals
South Dakota Council of Substance Abuse Providers
Spirit Works Foundation Center for the Soul
Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery
Alliance (SAARA) of Virginia
Substance Abuse Directors Association of Alaska
Substance Abuse Recovery Alliance of Utah
Suicide Awareness Voice of Education
Tennessee Association of Alcohol, Drug, & Addiction
Services
Townsend Recovery, LLC
Transformation Center
Turning Point Recovery Center
Upstate Cerebral Palsy (NY)
Utah Behavioral Healthcare Network
Vericare Management
Vermont Association of Drug & Alcohol Programs
Virginia Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors
Virginia Association of Drug and Alcohol Programs
Washington Association of Alcoholism & Addiction Programs
Western Massachusetts School Substance Abuse Counselors
Association
West Virginia Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse
Counselors. Inc.
Mental Health America,
Alexandria, VA, February 27, 2008.
Dear Representative: On behalf of Mental Health America and
our 320 affiliates across the country, I am writing to
express our strong support for House passage of the Paul
Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007,
H.R. 1424, at the earliest possible date. House passage of
this historic legislation is a critical step toward enactment
this year of a strong mental health parity law.
Mental health conditions are the leading cause of
disability in the U.S. for individuals ages 15-44, and a
leading cause of premature death, implicated in 90% of the
more than 30,000 suicides annually in this country. While
scientific advances have led to the development of a range of
effective treatments, millions of Americans who need mental
health care are routinely denied access to those treatments,
with often tragic results.
Despite a compelling body of science documenting that such
practices are anachronistic and costly to employee health and
to the ``bottom line,'' employer-sponsored health plans
routinely continue to set strict, arbitrary treatment limits
and financial requirements on mental health coverage, while
imposing no such limitations, or far less onerous
limitations, on coverage for other illnesses. It is shocking,
more than 40 years after the passage of civil rights laws and
15 years after passage of the Americans with Disabilities
Act, that federal law still permits insurance discrimination
on the basis of mental illness. Our polling has consistently
shown that Americans abhor such discrimination and support
the enactment of a strong mental health panty law. Congress
can and must pass such legislation this year.
Please support improved access to needed mental health
treatment. Please support H.R. 1424.
Sincerely,
David L. Shern,
President and CEO.
____________________