In this section of our site, we’ll present information on important advocacy issues that affect adults with mental illness and children with emotional problems. Watch for updates! On our advocacy agenda right now is to: Pass National Mental Health Parity legislation Sign up for our e-mail “advocacy alerts” if you’d like to learn more or get involved.

Advocacy – working to inform elected officials about mental health issues – is a cornerstone of our MHA and Mental Health Americas across the country. Our advocacy action is based on a belief that people with mental illness deserve equal health care, decent places to live and meaningful jobs.

We advocate to preserve resources that make care available for children who have emotional problems and adults who have mental illness. We act to protect rights of people with mental illness in housing, employment and education. We advance systems change that will help people with mental illness live, work and participate fully in their communities.

MHA is active at all levels of government, working with the national Mental Health America and the Mental Health Association in California. We monitor budget and legislative processes. We testify before Congress, the California Legislature, our county Board of Supervisors and local city councils. We visit offices of elected officials and meet with their staffs. We coordinate letter writing campaigns on mental health issues.

Pass National Mental Health Parity Legislation

• The push is on to pass strong mental health parity legislation this year. Both the Senate and House of Representatives have passed versions of parity bills, and negotiators have bridged key differences on the requirements for health plans under a mental health parity bill, as our national affiliate reports.
  
  This compromise, announced in late June, is a major step forward. While there will be more deliberations before a final vote, this agreement to reconcile the Senate bill, S.558, and the House bill, H.R. 1424, lays the foundation for achieving an historic victory this year.
  
  According to our national affiliate, the compromise would improve current law by requiring parity on both treatment limitations and financial requirements. It would provide that if a plan offers out-of-network medical or surgical benefits, it must also offer out-of-network mental health and addiction benefits at parity. It would preserve stronger state parity and consumer protection laws.

	Status: A final version will have to be approved by both the Senate and House and signed by the President before parity will be law. Action: Write to your Senators and Representative and urge them to push for enactment of a strong parity bill. For information on writing letters to your elected officials on this topic, you may contact our public policy director at ccostello@mhala.org.