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NAMI Minnesota Legislative Update November 1, 2020General Election is This TuesdayThere are only two more days for you to cast your ballot in the General Election if you have not already done so. The good news is that you still have plenty of time to make a plan and get to the polls and make sure that your voice is heard. You still have the option to vote early on Monday, or to go to your local polling location on election day to cast your ballot. If you chose to vote by mail, you can HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" click here and make sure that your mailed ballot has been counted.However, if you have not mailed your ballot yet, we strongly encourage you to drop off your absentee ballot at your HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" county election office no later than 3 PM on election day. A few days ago, Republican state Rep. Eric Lucero and GOP activist James Carson, (who both would participate in the Electoral College if President Donald Trump carries Minnesota), took the case to federal court (backed by the conservative-leaning Honest Elections Project) and submitted a HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" legal challenge calling for mail-in ballots to only be counted if they arrive by election day. While a final ruling has not been made, there is currently a court order to separate all ballots that arrive after election day and there is a chance these votes will not be counted. Despite this legal challenge, there is no evidence of systemic voter fraud in Minnesota.If you have requested and received your absentee ballot - but have still not mailed it - you have plenty of options to make sure your vote will be counted. Here are the recommendations from the Secretary of State:Voters who have already put their ballot in the mail can? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" track their ballot online. If their ballot hasn't yet been received, voters can cast their ballot in person either by absentee, or at their polling place on Election Day.Voters can deliver their ballots to their county election office by hand (or have someone they trust hand-deliver it for them). Voters can? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" find their county election office here.Voters can cast their vote? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" in person?with an absentee ballot at their local election office until offices close Monday.Voters can cast their votes in person on Election Day. Voters can use the Secretary of State Office's? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" polling place finder tool?to find out where to vote.If you're planning to vote in person, then you can vote early at your local election office on Monday until 5 PM. You can even register to vote at the same time that you vote early. Your other option will be to vote at your precinct on election day between 7 AM and 8 PM. So long as you get in line by 8 PM you will have a chance to cast a ballot. The first step you need to take when voting in-person is to HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" check your registration. You'll need to register again if you've moved, although if you have moved within your precinct you can register at the polls.If you haven't yet registered to vote at your current address, you still have the option to register at the polls on election day. Here are all the different ways you can register to vote at the polls on election day:State Issued ID with your current addressState Issued ID (can be expired) and a document that can confirm your address (can be shown electronically on your phone). Acceptable documents include a bill dated within 30 days of the election that shows your address like a water bill, a lease agreement, or a student fee statementA registered voter from your precinct who can vouch for youCollege ID when you are on the housing listValid registration in the same district. This means if you moved but are still in the same precinct, then you can just update your addressThe staff-person from a residential facility can vouch for you even if the staff-person does not live in the precinct. Here is? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" more information?on this way of registering to vote.Thank you so much for being a mental health voter. NAMI Minnesota does not endorse candidates or political parties, but we think it is so important for all of our members to make their voice heard and cast a ballot!Find out who represents you HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Click hereNews from the State LevelNAMI Seeking Input on Children's Residential TreatmentNAMI Minnesota wants to hear from parents whose children (age 21 and under) were voluntarily placed in residential treatment due to the child's mental illness. We want to learn about your experience, your opinion on the current process and your opinion on changes that are being proposed to the current law.Changes made under the Families First Legislation will have a significant impact on how children with mental illnesses obtain residential mental health treatment. While the primary focus of the Families First Bill was to keep families together when a child enters the child protection system, there will be big changes for those who voluntarily seek residential mental health treatment. NAMI Minnesota and the mental health community is especially concerned that all children voluntarily seeking residential mental health treatment will have to undergo a relative search.We want to hear from family members about problems with this change, as well as their current experience with obtaining residential treatment. If you or your family has experience with children's residential treatment, please take the time to HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" complete this short survey. The Impact If the ACA Goes AwayWith the hearing before the US Supreme Court scheduled for November 10, NAMI and other mental health organizations are very worried about the impact a negative decision would have on access to mental health services, especially Medicaid expansion which allowed people to qualify for Medicaid based on their income instead of disability status - greatly benefiting people with mental illnesses. The Kaiser Family Foundation wrote:Overturning the ACA would eliminate a Medicaid coverage pathway and federal Medicaid financing for millions of people. As of June 2019, 15 million people were enrolled in the ACA Medicaid expansion group and about 12 million of them were newly eligible under the ACA (the remainder were adults covered with waivers prior to the ACA and then moved to the ACA expansion group). This number could be even greater as enrollment has been increasing since February due to the pandemic and its related economic effects.?If the ACA is overturned, these individuals lose their federal entitlement to coverage and states cannot claim 90% federal matching dollars for their Medicaid costs. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the federal government is expected to pay $82 billion in FY 2020 for coverage for adults made eligible by the ACA.?It is most likely that states would not continue to finance coverage for these individuals with the regular Medicaid match or with state only funds, and most would likely become uninsured.NAMI Minnesota's executive director was interviewed on Almanac on Friday about the impact if the ACA is overturned. Watch it HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here, it's about 30 minutes into the program. NAMI will be watching this issue closely. Como Site is Closing This summer when the state operated services was faced with a large budget deficit - $27M - they looked at how to balance the budget. NAMI preferred cutting programs that could be run by community providers rather than cutting the occupancy of all the programs. This meant "saving" the Community Behavioral Hospitals and looking for others to take over the state run IRTS programs. The legislature did fund part of the deficit but not all. We recently learned that the Como IRTS will be closed this month. They served between 5-10 people. Register for 2020 NAMI Minnesota State ConferenceJoin us on Saturday, November 14, 9:00 AM – 4:00 PM CST for the (virtual) HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" 2020 NAMI Minnesota State Conference: Mental Health in Challenging Times.This year’s keynote speakers are:Dr. Patrice Harris, past President of the American Medical AssociationCollaborative Leadership: The Path Forward for an Equitable Mental Health SystemDr. Tom Insel, former Director of the National Institute of Mental HealthRecovery: Give 3P’s A ChanceSusan Bartlett Foote, Professor Emerita, Division of Health Policy and Management at the U of M School of Public Health Minnesota’s Crusade for Forgotten Souls: The Roots of Minnesota’s Pathbreaking Mental Health AdvocacyThe conference will also feature a total of 9 breakout sessions and here are some you might be interested in:“Understanding the New Medicaid Housing Support Benefit” will be from 1:00-2:00 pm. Medical Assistance now covers housing supports. Learn more with our panelists Bekah Kaufenberg-Satre, Jensina Rosen, and Mark Caldwell, Ph.D. about this benefit and how it can help people with mental illnesses live in the community and address homelessness.The session on “Understanding the New Civil Commitment Law” will be from 2:00-3:00 pm. Major changes were made to the Civil Commitment Statute during the 2020 Legislative Session. Join our panelists Sue Abderholden, MPH, Sam Smith, and Kelli Lassig to learn about the changes and what you can do at the local level to promote understanding and implementation.“Telehealth: Is it Transforming Our Mental Health System?” is from 2:00-3:00 pm.?COVID-19 forced mental health providers to shift treatment to telehealth. There have been benefits to doing this, but also barriers. Join our panelists Kirsten Anderson, Jinny?Palen, and Trisha Stark, PhD, MPA, MJ to learn about what we’ve found works and doesn’t work and changes that will be advocated for during the next legislative session.Join our Criminal Justice panel discussion from 1:00-2:00 PM with psychiatrist Dr. Dionne Hart; Minnesota Ombuds for Corrections Mark Haase; Executive Director of the Board of Peace Officer Standards and Training Erik Misselt; and NAMI Minnesota’s Criminal Justice Coordinator Elliot Butay to learn what is happening around the state to increase diversion and improve mental health care for justice-involved people, and what work remains to be done in the 2021 legislative session and beyond.Registration is $40 for a CEU ticket, $20 for a non-member General Admission ticket, or $10 for a member General Admission ticket. Limited scholarships are available - contact Patrick Chilton at HYPERLINK "mailto:publicawareness@" \t "_blank" publicawareness@ for more information.The conference is sponsored in part by Johnson & Johnson, People Incorporated, Janssen Pharmaceuticals Inc, Northwood Children's Services, Integrity Living Options Inc, Radias Health, Vail Place, Prairie Care, Lou & Allan Burdick, Northstar Problem Gambling Alliance, and ReEntry House.Visit our HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" event page here to register and learn more about the conference’s program.Criminal Justice UpdateInvestigations into Minnesota Jails ContinueKARE 11 is continuing to report on the deaths that have occurred in Minnesota jails since 2015. Their latest story reports that over the last five years 60% of deaths in Minnesota jails were by suicide, twice the national average. The Department of Corrections (DOC) licenses jails in the state and gained attention this summer when the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension and the FBI opened investigations in the 2018 death of a man in the Beltrami County jail. Further investigations have discovered numerous settlements costing counties over $10 million over the last five years. These lawsuits have revealed a pattern of violating well check policies and even ignoring other medical professional’s referrals for mental health treatment.NAMI will be strongly advocating this year for legislative changes to ensure people in jail receive follow up care when they show symptoms, and that jails follow best practices for suicide prevention including ongoing training for staff. We also will advocate for partnerships between community providers and jails to provide a continuity of care. In 2019, NAMI helped pass legislation to reopen the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Office of Ombuds for Corrections. That office opened last month and is now accepting complaints about any DOC facilities including jails.NAMI has since learned that the DOC and Office of Ombuds have an interagency agreement that the DOC’s Office of Inspection and Enforcement (I&E) will take the majority of jail complaints and the Ombuds will take complaints about prisons. You can file a complaint with the I&E office on their HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" website here and contact the acting director, Lisa Becking, at HYPERLINK "mailto:lisa.cain.becking@state.mn.us" \t "_blank" lisa.cain.becking@state.mn.us or 507-382-9791. If you have any issues with the I&E process you may still file a complaint with the Ombuds for Corrections and let them know of your existing complaint with the DOC. You can watch and read the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" KARE 11 report here. Please note the video report shows some suicidal behavior that may be upsetting.NAMI Ramsey County Holds Police Listening SessionOn Wednesday, the board of the NAMI Ramsey County affiliate hosted a virtual listening session on police encounters with people in a mental health crisis. Thank you to everyone who shared! If you missed the live session and have a story from Ramsey County, NAMI Ramsey is still collecting stories until Wednesday November 4th. You can submit yours by email to? HYPERLINK "mailto:namiramseycounty@" \t "_blank" namiramseycounty@?or by calling Katy Jo Turner at 651-645-2948 extension 126 and leaving a voicemail. (Please record your story in the voicemail versus requesting a call back.) When you share your story please:Identify yourself however you wish (our summary will be anonymous).Share which police department you worked with.Describe the situation that led you to call 911 or the police for help.Share the day of the week and the time of day it occurred.Share if there was there a firearm involved.Share what went well and what didn’t; what do you wish were done differently?All stories will be summarized and shared with?Ramsey?County lawmakers, county law enforcement, mental health professionals, and thought leaders, as well as the NAMI Ramsey County newsletter and website. Thanks to the NAMI Ramsey affiliate for your advocacy and for organizing this event!News from Federal LevelNIMH Awards Funding for Firearms Injury and Mortality Prevention ResearchIn 2018, of the 48,000 people in the U.S. who died by suicide, 24,000 used a firearm. To help address the critical need for more research on preventing and reducing firearm injury and mortality, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is supporting three grants issued under the NIH-wide research funding opportunity, Firearm Injury and Mortality Prevention Research (PAR-20-143).The three studies address different topics of importance to advance the science of suicide prevention.? Mechanisms Underlying the Association of Firearm Availability and Vulnerability to Suicide? Family Safety Net: Developing an Upstream Suicide Prevention Approach to Encourage Safe Firearm Storage in Rural and Remote Alaskan Homes? Online Storage Maps to Facilitate Voluntary Firearm Storage: Mixed Methods EvaluationAlthough much is left to be done in order to bend the curve in U.S. suicide rates, these studies are one way NIMH is addressing the role firearms play in contributing to suicide.OIG Cites MN for Not Billing for RebatesIn a report issued in October, the US Department of Health and Human Services found that the MN Department of Human Services did not bill for or collect manufacturers' rebates that they calculated to be $6.1 M for the federal share. They are asking that MN bill and collect the rebates for prescription drugs and and once they receive them to refund the federal share. Read the full report HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here.One Week Left to Apply for Provider Relief FundsApplications for Phase 3 of the General Distribution of the Provider Relief Fund are due Friday, November 6 – one week from today. HHS recently HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" released updated reporting requirements to provide for the full applicability of Provider Relief Fund payments to lost revenues. We urge you to review the post-payment reporting requirements update closely and encourage you to apply to Phase 3 before November 6. HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Start your application today HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" . HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Download instructions, HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" review an FAQ and check out our updated HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" "Rules of the Road" infographic to help guide you through the application process. (National Council)NAMI National and National Council Submit Letter to DEAThis week, over 80 organizations, including the National Council, HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" sent a letter to the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA), calling on the agency to finalize a special registration process that would allow providers to prescribe certain controlled substances via telemedicine. The directive from Congress was passed in the 2018 HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" and was aimed at combatting the opioid crisis by increasing access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT). The DEA was given until October 2019 to create and release the final regulation that would initiate this special registration process. Given the increasing impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on behavioral health, this important rulemaking would provide needed increased access to care for people living with addiction. (National Council)Updates from NAMI MinnesotaNAMI Legislative CommitteeMeetings are held on the second Tuesday of every month at 6 PM. To be added to the email list, contact HYPERLINK "mailto:ssmith@" \t "_blank" Sam Smith. If you missed the complete summary of the 2020 Legislative Session, click HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" . NAMI Minnesota | 1919 University Ave. W., Ste. 400 | St. Paul, MN 55104 HYPERLINK "mailto:namihelps@" \t "_blank" namihelps@ | HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" htttp:// 651-645-2948 | 1-888-NAMI-HELPS HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" ABOUT NAMI HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" GET INVOLVED HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" EDUCATION HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" SUPPORT HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" CONTACT USCopyright ? 2020. All Rights Reserved. ................
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