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We are all NAMI!  
NAMI is each one of us speaking together with one powerful voice.  Our message is heard when you take action.  Each year legislation and issues that affect you and your family on matters of mental health will be heard at the National, State, and local levels of government.  NAMI San Fernando Valley, NAMI National and NAMI California need your support in advocating for positions that reflect our perspectives on matters concerning persons facing the challenges of serious mental illness and their families.

Below you will find a link to the position papers of the NAMI California Government Affairs Committee and Calls to Action on issues important to NAMI SFV.

http://namicalifornia.org/legislation-agenda.aspx?tabb=agenda&lang=ENG

Call to Action - August 09, 2010

TAKE ACTION TODAY TO PROTECT
MEDI-CAL FUNDING

California Needs Federal MediCaid funds!

Tell your U.S. Representative to approve the Senate version of HR 1586 (Federal matching funds for Medi-Cal) or to increase the funding beyond what the Senate has approved. Urge your U.S. Representative in Congress not to allow enhanced FMAP funds to expire on December 31, 2010.

The bill, HR 1586 as amended, heads to the US House of Representatives this week. The US House of Representatives will be returning briefly from its summer recess, to approve the bill, either on Monday or Tuesday.

FACTS

The bill’s includes $16.1 billion for extending into 2011 for six months, the temporary increase in Medicaid matching funds to the states – though on a “phased down” approach that gives far less money to the states

Legislation Is “Phased Down” Approach To Extending Temporary Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California) Funding Increase

· The federal legislation would allocate $16.1 billion to partially extend the temporary increase in Medicaid matching funding to the states including California that are experiencing enormous state budget shortfalls.

· The bill passed in the US Senate is a dramatically scaled back version – referred to as a “phased down” approach - of several previous unsuccessful attempts by US Senate Democrats to pass a 6 month extension of the full amount of the temporary increase in Medicaid funding to the states.

· In an effort to gain the votes of moderate US Senate Democrats and Republicans, the amendments offered by US Senate Democratic leaders to HR 1586 (which previously was a bill dealing with the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act) would provide for a significantly scaled back the extension of the temporary Medicaid funding increase.

· Under HR 1586, as amended, the states (including California) would receive from January 1 to March 31, 2011 (the second quarter of the 2010-2011 federal budget year that begins October 1), a 3.2% increase (instead of an extension of the full 6.2% increase), that would drop further, beginning April 1st through June 30, 2011, to a 1.2% temporary increase in the Medicaid funding (the third quarter of the federal budget year).

It is not known yet what California’s share would be under the new scaled back formula. California’s original share of a full extension of the temporary increase at 6.2% would have been about $1.8 billion – and it would be far less under the scaled back version.

TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY

Click here and then put in your zip code. Hit “go” and you will be sent to a page that shows your U.S. Representative. Click on your Representative’s name and then the “contact” tab. Click on the words “Web Form”. NAMI has put up a list of issues you can choose from.

Choose “Extend the increase in MediCaid funding.” That short message will be e-mailed to your Representative.

OR…use the phone numbers on your Representative’s contact page and call the District and/or Federal office of your Representative—of course, that’s the more effective action.

Legislation Update:
Pending Legislation and Intiatives:
Housing
The Federal Government has reduced Section 8 housing funds. Write your United States Congressman and request that these funds be restored.

Current Calls to Action
Pick up the Phone ( make a call )
Pick up a Pen ( write a letter )

Mental Health Parity
It's the legislative season and there is an especially important vote coming up that will help us in California get much closer to true parity for mental health insurance coverage. There still is a significant difference between what's covered for other health issues and for mental health. It's important that we do what we can to make this huge change. It's important for ourselves and for all the families that will come after us who will be beset by mental illness.

Click here for a sample letter.

Advocacy Contacts:
The following lists the names, phone numbers, and addresses of elected officials in our area.
Scroll down to access the NAMI-SFV list or click here to enter your zip code

Please,
When you are asked to call your representatives, pick up the phone!
When you are asked to write your representatives, pick up a pen and write,
then mail or fax your opinions!
We need your support!
Stand up and be counted! It makes a difference!

 

Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

500 W Temple St
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2726

• Gloria Molina - 213-974-4111
• Mark Ridley-Thomas - 213-974-2222
• Zev Yaroslavsky - 213-974-3333
• Don Knabe - 213-974-4444
• Michael Antonovich - 213-974-5555

 

Governor

Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger
State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814
213-897-0322
(when writing to the Governor, always Cc: to
Jennifer Kent, Legislative Deputy
State Capitol Building, First Floor Sacramento, CA  95814 )

 

State Assembly Members: (*San Fernando Valley districts)

Capital Building, Sacramento, CA 95814

• Bob Blumenfield - (818) 904-3840
• Paul Krekorian - (818) 558-3043
• Felipe Fuentes - 818-838-3939
• Mike Feuer - (310) 285-5490
• Cameron Smyth - 661-286-1565

 

State Senators: (*San Fernando Valley districts)

Capital Building, Sacramento, CA 95814

• Alex Padilla - 818-901-5588
• George Runner - (661) 286-1471
  
• Fran Pavley - 310-314-5214
• Tony Strickland - (805) 494-8808
• Carol Liu - (818) 409-0400

 

U.S. Representatives: (*San Fernando Valley districts)

U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.20515

• Tom McClintock - (202) 225-2511
• Xavier Becerra - 213-483-1425
• Howard Berman - 818-891-0543
• Adam Schiff - 626-304-2727
• Brad Sherman - 818-999-1990
• Henry Waxman - 323-651-1040

 

U.S. Senators

U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510

• Barbara Boxer - 415-403-0100
• Dianne Feinstein - 415-393-0707

 

Los Angeles City Council: (* San Fernando Valley districts)

District 1-Ed Reyes (213) 473-7001
District 2- (213) 473-7002
*District 3-Dennis P. Zine (213) 473-7003 / (818) 756-8848
District 4-Tom LaBonge (213) 473-7004
*District 5-Paul Koretz  (213) 473-7005 / (818) 971-3088
*District 6-Tony Cardenas (213) 473-7006 / (818) 778-4999
*District 7-Richard Alarcon  (213) 473-7007 / 818. 756.9115
District 8-Bernard Parks  (213) 473-7008
District 9-Jan Perry (213) 473-7009
District 10-Herb J. Wesson, Jr. (213) 473-7010
District 11-Bill Rosendahl(213) 473-7011
*District 12-Greig Smith  (213) 473-7012 / (818) 701-5253 / (818) 756-8501
District 13-Eric Garcetti  (213) 473-7013
District 14-Jose Huizar (213) 473-7014
District 15-Janice Hahn  (213) 473-7015

 

Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles City Hall 213-978-0600
San Fernando Valley District offices 818-778-4990

 

Los Angeles City Services
311

 

Los Angeles emergency response
911 (for life threatening emergencies only)

 

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