Latest news with #DanielH.Gillison
Malaysian Reserve
3 days ago
- Health
- Malaysian Reserve
NAMI Statement on Executive Order Targeting Homelessness and Criminalizing Mental Illness
ARLINGTON, Va., July 25, 2025 /PRNewswire/ — Yesterday, the White House released a new Executive Order, 'Ending Crime and Disorder on America's Streets,' which directs federal agencies to make it easier to involuntarily treat people with serious mental illnesses as part of a bid to address homelessness across the United States. While addressing the nationwide homelessness crisis is urgent and necessary, yesterday's executive order promoting institutionalization of people with mental illness raises grave concerns for NAMI and our community. NAMI's Chief Executive Officer Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. said: 'Mental illness is not a crime, and people with mental illness deserve to be treated as human beings, with dignity and respect. While we agree that homelessness is an urgent crisis in our country, to truly address the systemic causes of this crisis, we should be pouring resources into treatment to improve early access to care and investing in supportive housing and other wrap-around services. It's always ideal – and best – for an individual to engage in their own treatment. Yet, too many NAMI families know that isn't always possible. Unfortunately, yesterday's order concerningly focuses broadly on institutionalization and not on real solutions that we know work in helping people lead better lives.' NAMI believes that in the rare instances where voluntary engagement in treatment is not possible, involuntary commitment should be used only as a last resort and only when it is believed to be in the best interests of the individual. While it is unclear how the executive order will be carried out since state law governs the process of involuntary civil commitment, the order also urges moving away from a 'housing first' approach, which has been successful in helping individuals stay connected to treatment and reduce homelessness. While NAMI is troubled by the overall order, it does include a direction to federal agencies to support crisis response services and prioritize funding for mental health and drug courts – strategies that NAMI supports. This executive order comes at a time when significant cuts are being made to mental health services nationwide. Earlier this month, Congress passed legislation that will drastically cut Medicaid and Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) benefits, impacting millions of Americans. The Administration has rescinded more than $1 billion in grants from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), with more cuts proposed for the next fiscal year. These changes will result in far too many people being unable to get the treatment they need. When that happens, more people will be arrested, incarcerated, land in emergency rooms, lose their connection to family and community, and ultimately become homeless. NAMI's Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski said: 'Rather than providing access to critical mental health services, this executive order appears to prioritize coercive tactics to move people who are homeless out of the public eye. This does nothing to address the root causes of homelessness, runs a high risk of exacerbating the homelessness crisis, and is not the way to address our mental health needs. People with mental illness deserve better.' For more information on the public policies that NAMI supports, visit
Yahoo
22-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
NAMI Statement on Devastating Medicaid, SNAP Cuts Passed by U.S. House
ARLINGTON, Va., May 22, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Earlier today, the U.S. House of Representatives passed a budget bill that will seriously hurt people with mental illness by massively cutting critical programs like Medicaid and SNAP, which provide lifesaving support to millions of Americans. NAMI is deeply alarmed and saddened by the passage of this bill in the House and released the following statement from CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr.: "Millions of people will lose their health care coverage under the House of Representatives' budget reconciliation bill, including many with mental health conditions. Medicaid is the backbone of our country's mental health system, paying for roughly one quarter of the country's mental health and substance use care and covering one in three people with a mental illness. Cutting hundreds of billions of dollars from Medicaid will undoubtedly hurt millions of Americans and keep far too many from getting the mental health services they need and deserve." The One, Big, Beautiful Bill Act makes deep cuts to Medicaid, which will result in fewer people having health care coverage, fewer health care services available, more expensive care, and a weaker overall U.S. mental health system. The bill makes significant cuts to the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps) that will impact millions of working Americans who rely on food assistance to feed their families. The bill will now move to the Senate. Congressional leaders have indicated that they hope to have a final bill on President Trump's desk by the July 4th holiday. NAMI's Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski said: "We are deeply concerned that half of the House would back a bill that so clearly harms people with mental illness—including many in their own districts. There is nothing beautiful about cutting off millions of Americans from life-saving health care coverage and food assistance. We fervently hope that the Senate will reject these cuts and protect access to these life-saving programs. NAMI will keep fighting to protect Medicaid and protect mental health care." NAMI launched the "Protect Medicaid. Protect Mental Health." campaign earlier this year to raise awareness of the impact of Medicaid on mental health care. Through this campaign, NAMI advocates have sent more than 120,000 emails and made more than 6,000 phone calls to Congress to protect Medicaid. To learn more about NAMI and our advocacy work, visit View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
Yahoo
12-05-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
House Budget Reconciliation Proposals Will Be Devastating for Medicaid, People with Mental Illness
ARLINGTON, Va., May 12, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released a statement expressing alarm following the newly released congressional proposal to significantly cut Medicaid, which would cause significant harm to people with mental illness and our nation's mental health infrastructure. The proposal would cause millions of people to lose their health care coverage, including 8.6 million people from Medicaid alone. NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. said: "Medicaid is a lifeline to tens of millions of Americans who rely on this coverage to access mental health services. When people lose access to health care coverage, lives are at risk. We've come too far and made too much progress in addressing mental health care in this country to throw that progress away. NAMI is deeply opposed to the proposed cuts and changes to Medicaid, and we urge members of Congress to reject this proposal." Last night, the House Energy & Commerce Committee released text for their portion of a larger budget bill, cutting at least $715 billion in federal funding within their jurisdiction as part of the budget reconciliation process. Due to these cuts and changes, like the addition of work reporting requirements, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimates that the full House reconciliation package would result in 13.7 million more people who are uninsured, with 8.6 million impacted by the Medicaid proposals alone. As the largest payer of mental health and substance use services, these cuts to Medicaid would be devastating to people affected by mental health conditions who rely on Medicaid coverage to get well and stay well. In addition to changes to Medicaid, the House Ways & Means Committee is also looking at additional policies that would impact tax credits that help people afford coverage on the health insurance marketplace. These changes would result in an additional five million people who will become uninsured – on top of the 8.6 million impacted by the Energy & Commerce proposal. Gillison continued: "Unfortunately, nothing in these proposals would help address the mental health crisis facing our country. But we know that access to Medicaid – and health care coverage in general – allows people to get well and go back to work or school, to take care of their families, and to engage in the community in a meaningful way. These proposals are alarming and will hurt too many Americans. Congress must swiftly reject these changes and keep Americans connected to the mental health care they need and deserve." NAMI's grassroots advocates have sent more than 107,000 letters to Capitol Hill this year calling on Congress to reject any cuts or drastic changes to Medicaid as part of NAMI's "Protect Medicaid. Protect Mental Health." campaign. Visit to learn more. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Statement from NAMI Raises Concerns About Administration's Proposed HHS Overhaul
ARLINGTON, Va., March 27, 2025 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) released the following statement in response to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) plan to reorganize the agency and make major staff and structural changes that would impact our national efforts to address America's mental health, suicide, and substance use crises. NAMI CEO Daniel H. Gillison, Jr. said: "NAMI is deeply concerned by the proposed plans that would change the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as we know it and reduce our nation's capacity to improve care for people with mental illness. Having an agency focused on mental health and substance use conditions has elevated the national conversation and reduced stigma around these conditions. We fear that the changes proposed, along with cuts to other critically important HHS agencies, like the National Institutes of Health (NIH), could have disastrous implications for the tens of millions of Americans affected by mental illness." On Thursday, March 27, HHS announced plans to reduce the workforce by about 10,000 full-time employees which, when combined with the 10,000 staff who have already departed HHS this year, would reduce the total agency workforce by roughly 25%. This would include roughly 1,200 positions at NIH and an unknown number of positions within SAMHSA. It is the primary agency responsible for supporting state efforts in providing mental health and substance use treatment services, including education and training for the behavioral health workforce, prevention and early intervention programs, and the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline. The proposed plan would reorganize functions, including moving SAMHSA under the umbrella of a new Administration for a Healthy America (AHA). SAMHSA staff oversee nearly $7 billion in grants that help states meet the needs of people with mental illness. Such drastic changes to its structure and staffing threaten to disrupt the availability of these lifesaving resources. NAMI's Chief Advocacy Officer Hannah Wesolowski said: "The work of the staff at SAMHSA saves lives. We welcome thoughtful exploration into ways to enhance SAMHSA's operations based on data that shows how changes will improve outcomes for people with mental illness. However, we cannot diminish the capacity or significance of SAMHSA and risk the progress we've made as a country in addressing our mental health crisis – a crisis that impacts nearly every family in every corner of our country." About 84.5 million adults have a mental health and/or substance use condition, with the U.S. continuing to navigate a well-documented mental health, overdose, and suicide crisis. Tragically, more than 49,000 people died by suicide in 2023. SAMHSA — the only federal agency dedicated to supporting people with mental health and substance use conditions — has contributed to the great progress we've made in recent years to address these statistics, including a 24% decrease in overdose deaths last year and the successful launch and growth of the 988 Lifeline. The NAMI community knows too well that few families are untouched by either an overdose death, a loss to suicide, or someone struggling with their mental health. NAMI urges our nation's leaders to continue the bipartisan progress we've made in addressing our country's mental health and substance use crises and ensure that HHS and SAMHSA staff can continue their critical work during a time when it is desperately needed. View original content to download multimedia: SOURCE National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Sign in to access your portfolio
