Legislative Work

Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Network is proud to be a member of the Minnesota Mental Health Legislative Network, a collaborative effort of more than 20 organizations that creates visibility for mental health issues, advocates for a more effective and accessible mental health system, and shares resources to promote change.

As our legislators debate the merits of specific bills and budget proposals, CSN encourages our members to learn about pending legislation and to get involved with issues that matter most to you.

Mental Health Legislative Network’s
Positions on Legislative Issues

Visit the Minnesota State Legislature for more about these issues.

Maintenance of Effort (MOE) Funding

Opposes:

• Elimination of the current mandate for Maintenance of Effort by Counties

Supports:

• Temporary proportional reduction of the Maintenance of Effort

Health Care Funding and Changes

Opposes:

• Changes to the PCA program that would make it difficult for people with mental illness to access PCA services
• Elimination of MinnesotaCare for single adults
• Decreases to community mental health providers and inpatient psychiatric hospitals
• Fund Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training (HF 449/SF 318)

Supports:

• Buying out the county share of residential care for children under pre-paid Medical Assistance
• Increasing the transparency of the drug formulary committee and increasing full access to medications used to treat mental illness (HF 987/SF378)
• Funding for suicide prevention activities
• Changing the focus of the CABHS but not necessarily the specific proposal

Personal Care Assistant Program (PCA)

Supports:

• An assessment tool that will include an objective determination of need for PCA services for adults and children with mental illnesses living independently
• Required general and specific training for PCA providers to meet the needs of the individual directing his/her own care
• Increased accountability and oversight by DHS of provider agencies

Provider Payments

Urges legislators to:

• Avoid rate cuts to hospital, outpatient, rehabilitation and community-based mental health services
• Modify how services are paid and how certain services are defined so that all legitimate reimbursable services are covered by MA
• Support a proposed increase to partial hospitalization rates for child/adolescent services
• Retain the “Maintenance of Effort” (M.O.E.) law that requires counties to continue funding mental health services

Mental Health and Criminal Justice

Supports:

• Fund Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training (HF 449/SF 318)
• Hire more prison discharge planners and fund pilot projects and develop standards for counties to conduct discharge planning from jails (HF 524/SF 317)
• Create standards and funding for mental health and drug courts
• Hire more public defenders
• Allow 911 operators to refer to mental health crisis teams (HF 448/SF 707)

Community Supports: Housing and Employment

Supports:

• Providing additional funding for the EE-SMI to meet the demand (approximately $1 million per year) (HF 848/SF 931)
• Providing funding for pilot projects that facilitate employment for people in mental health courts or for transition age youth (HF 848/SF 931)
• Increasing funding for BRIDGES certificates (HF 522)