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NAMI Minnesota Legislative Update June 14, 20202020 Legislature Continues its Work In Special SessionGovernor Walz called a special session starting on Friday, June 12. Unlike the typical special session, the agenda has not been negotiated in advance and there is still a great deal of uncertainty about what will be accomplished and how long it will last. This was likely a necessary step given the uncertainty around COVID-19, distributing Federal funding through the CARES Act, the need for a bonding bill, and the new focus on police reform following the murder of George Floyd. One thing to note is that bills from the last session do not carry over to the special session. Thus, all the bills NAMI was following have to be reintroduced. On Friday, the Senate voted to end the public health emergency. However, the House voted against this resolution thereby allowing for Governor Walz to continue the public health emergency through the end of June. NAMI was very pleased to see the passage of HF 11 by the House on Friday. This is the Health and Human Services Omnibus Bill and it includes NAMI language rewriting the entire civil commitment chapter, as well as other priorities for the mental health community on Psychiatric Residential Treatment Facilities (PRTFs), children's crisis teams, Youth ACT teams, Foster Care, and in other key areas. HF 11 was amended and removed the article authorizing the temporary waivers made by DHS. These waivers have been developed to support health care providers to continue offering services during the COVID-19 Pandemic. This language will be travelling separately. With the passage of HF 11 in the House, the next step will be for the passage of the bill in the Senate hopefully early next week.The bill for these waivers is going to be heard on Monday afternoon in the House HHS Committee. The bill should be posted soon. Despite a busy Friday, there is still a lot of work left to be done including the passage of a robust bonding bill with significant resources for affordable housing. The COVID-19 pandemic has created a lot of new challenges, but more than anything this pandemic is exposing longstanding failures in our social safety net like the scarcity of safe and affordable housing. Anything less than $200 million for affordable housing will be a failure and little more than treading water during a crisis.The House Education Policy Committee meets on Tuesday to hear HF 33 which is new education policy bill - the bill that includes the language NAMI supports around teacher training on mental illnesses and suicide prevention. Majority Leader Gazelka has indicated that the Senate will meet for a week and then adjourn sine die. This means that there may be very little time for leaders to reach global agreements on key issues like a bonding bill. However, even if the Senate adjourns next week, they would be forced to come back if Governor Walz decides to extend his emergency authority for another month.In either case, mental health will only be on the legislature's radar if you contact your State Senator and State Representative. All you have to do is say your name, where you're from, briefly share your story about mental illness, and then ask for the passage of an education policy omnibus bill and a bonding bill with funding for housing. Movement on the health and human services bill was partly due to people contacting their legislators last week. Thank you for your advocacy - it makes a difference!Criminal Justice Reform Moves Forward During Special SessionOn Saturday, the House Public Safety and Criminal Justice Reform Finance and Policy Committee met for nine hours and heard a series of bills making up a comprehensive police accountability package. The package has been introduced in three acts, HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Reclaiming Community Oversight, HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Reforming Accountability, and HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Reimagining Public Safety.The third act around public safety includes a HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" NAMI bill to increase the standards and evaluations of mental illness crisis training that police officers receive. This bill was introduced during the regular session, but NAMI has since drafted stronger language following the murder of George Floyd. Our HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" new language dedicates eight hours over the previous four in the old bill, requires a mental health professional or practitioner to be a course instructor, requires scenario-based instruction and adds pre-service training. Rep. Richardson introduced the bill in the special session and advocated strongly for it during the hearing, “Black men with mental illness are at the highest risk of being killed by police. We need to acknowledge the systemic racism in our system.” Language in our bill referencing Autism is being taken out since there is an entire new section requiring police officers to have training on Autism. Alongside dozens of community members and organizations, NAMI Minnesota’s Executive Director, Sue Abderholden, testified in favor of the package. In addition to the police training bill, NAMI is advocating to require 911 dispatchers to send out crisis teams, and to fund existing crisis teams as alternatives to calling the police. “We want to make sure we’re building on what we have, and that we’re building on the mental health system, and not the criminal justice system” said Abderholden.There was little opposition to the package on Saturday. Republican members of the House Public Safety committee have also signaled cooperation in the works. Rep. Marion O’Neil said on Saturday, “The Senate is listening. I am absolutely committed to moving forward legislation that actually is impactful, that actually makes some systematic changes and that both sides of the aisle and both bodies can agree to.” We are very grateful to Rep. O’Neil for her support in passing important legislation like the Civil Commitment bill and her kind words about NAMI’s advocacy, “When Ms. Abderholden spoke, I think that her words were incredibly impactful and I think we need to listen very carefully about how we craft some of this legislation moving forward. So, I’m really interested to see what she has put forward. She worked really hard on some other components that we dealt with yesterday on the House floor. I voted for that bill primarily because it had some of her work in it and it was very, very well done.” Rep. Heather Edelson has also been very supportive of our work and is communicating regularly to be sure she understands NAMI's positions. The total police accountability package includes 19 bills with numerous reforms. These are some of the major reforms and ones that may impact people with mental illnesses the most:·??????Create a 15-member Police-Community Relations Council board to make recommendations to the POST Board. NAMI Minnesota is listed as a required member.·??????Strengthen the use of force standard and require considerations if a person has a mental illness or disability.·??????Create an Office of Community-Led Public Safety Coordination through the Department of Public Safety and award grants for community healing, restorative justice, and crisis response.·??????Create Critical Incident Review teams to investigate use of force incidents and determine corrective actions·??????Collect more data so the POST Board can intervene when officers have excessive misconduct or use of force incidents. ·??????Increase local citizen oversight and citizen representation on the POST Board.·??????Repeal the statute of limitations so that citizens can seek damages caused by police at any time.·??????Prohibit “warrior” training that teaches police to view every civilian interaction as a threat.·??????Reform law enforcement arbitration practices.·??????Allow Minneapolis and St. Paul to require new officers to live in the city where they serve.·??????Create an independent investigative unit within the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension (BCA) and require the Office of the Attorney General to handle use of force charges.NAMI has submitted HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" amendments to include mental health professionals on Critical Incident Review teams, fund existing crisis teams through Community-Led Public Safety grants, and require 911 call centers to collbarate with and send out crisis teams. Amendments are set to be voted on in the House Public Safety Committee on Monday. The package is also set to be heard in the House Judiciary committee and the Government Operations committee on Monday. You can watch Saturday’s hearing with NAMI’s testimony HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here.Leading up to the special session Senate Republican leaders indicated they would not move quickly on criminal justice reform, however, there now seems to be an appetite for change across the aisle. Senate Majority Leader Paul Gazellka HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" posted on social media about pursuing reforms, including funding for crisis training, a choke-hold ban, eliminating binding arbitration for public employees, putting the Bureau of Criminal Apprehension in charge of investigating use-of-force cases, and making it a duty of officers to intervene and report unauthorized use of force. This is a shift from an earlier statement that any criminal justice reform will not be possible during a special session, but this remains far less ambitious than what Governor Walz and the House are proposing. NAMI hopes that the Senate will pass these changes and be open to a more ambitious package as the House legislation moves through the process.Find out who represents you HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Click hereNews from the State LevelNAMI Minnesota is Committed to Fighting Structural RacismNAMI?Minnesota grieves the murder of George Floyd. We extend our sympathy to his family, friends and community.?We know that more must be done to address the structural racism in our communities, state and country.?As an organization dedicated to improving the mental health of Minnesotans, addressing racism?and racial violence?must be part of our work.It’s constant. Big and small. Big acts of racism such as police killing Black?people, and small acts of microaggressions such as a White woman clutching her purse when a Black man walks by. All of these acts lead to “weathering” the breaking down of one’s spirit, the erosion of one’s mental health.George Floyd’s death has had a profound impact on the mental health of African Americans in particular and of all?indigenous people?and?people of color in our state and our country. An alleged fake $20 bill brought not two, but four police officers.?Four officers trying to take someone allegedly committing a nonviolent crime to the jail during a pandemic. A time when law enforcement was trying to avoid bringing people to jail for nonviolent crimes.After standing for?8 minutes and 46 seconds?during his funeral, we all knew it wasn’t any underlying conditions that killed him. It was the knee on his neck.This fact has left people of color in grief, traumatized again by the indifference to their lives.What every mental health organization – provider or advocate – needs to acknowledge is that?racism impacts people’s mental health. And structural racism has resulted in redlining which has led to poverty, inadequate schools, food deserts, neighborhoods bordering polluted land,?blockages to home ownership?and more. This has impacted people’s health and mental health.The solution is not just to increase the number of culturally specific mental health professionals, or culturally informed mental health professionals. The solution is not to simply require more training of police on implicit bias and dealing with a mental health crisis. The solution is not just to provide more training on trauma informed care.While all of those solutions are important, the real solution is to address structural racism and racism in all its forms – the very thing that leads to weathering that negatively impacts?indigenous people?and?people of color’s mental health. Racism is a public health issue and flitting around the edges won’t lead to the permanent?solutions we need.NAMI?Minnesota is committed to listening, learning, and examining our work to address racism.?Right now, due to Mr. Floyd’s murder and COVID-19, our collective mental health is suffering – whether its individuals experiencing trauma, providers experiencing secondary trauma, people with mental illnesses experiencing increased symptoms, or children and adults experiencing high stress due to stay at home orders.?NAMI?Minnesota commits to promoting and supporting the emotional well-being for all members of our community as we move forward. Please see our website for a list of? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" culturally responsive resources.DHS Issues Guidance for PCA Agencies, Other Agencies Providing In-Home Support During COVID-19 PandemicOn June 9, the Department of Human Services (DHS) issued guidance to support Personal Care Assistant (PCA) agencies and other agencies that provide services and support at home. DHS recommends that staff review this training and to ensure that both workers and people receiving services:Practice diligent hand washingAvoid touching their eyes, nose, and mouthCover coughs and sneezes with tissues and throw the tissues awayClean and disenfect frequently used surfacesWear a facemask to protect others from transmission of the virusDHS also advises people who get services at home to:If possible, limit visitors to their homeStay home as much as possibleStay at least six feet way from other people when in publicAvoid Contact with people who are sickThere are other precautions that PCA and other agencies should utilize if they have access to these resources. These recommendations include:Perform hand hygiene with alcohol-based hand sanitizer with greater than 60% ethanol or 70% isopropanolPut on PPE outside the home or soon as entering the home, and put on face protection firstEnsure six feet of distance from others in the home, both when putting PPE on and when providing servicesIdeally, remove PPE outside the home and discard it in an external trash canRemove face protection lastPerform hand hygiene between steps if hands become contaminated and immediately after discarding PPE.Interested parties can read the HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" full recommendations here, as well as HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" these recommendations from the Department of Health for health care workers.News from Federal LevelNew Legislation Introduced on Mental Health Crisis ServicesRepresentative Bustos and Rep. Wild have introduced legislation that would require the states to set aside at least 5% of the Mental Health Block Grant for mental health crisis programs, including mobile crisis units, call centers, and crisis stabilization programs. Greater investments in mental health crisis services can help engage people in the community, instead of relying on more costly interventions in a hospital emergency room or an encounter with law enforcement. In a statement in support of this legislation, Chuck Ingoglia of the National Council for Behavioral Health stated "we can and must do a better job of supporting people that are experiencing a mental health crisis. We know what effective crisis care looks like and Rep. Bustos and Rep. Wild's important legislation will provide an important incentive for states to make comprehensive care available across the country. THis move will save money and save lives." NAMI Minnesota will keep members up to date should this legislation get traction in Congress. (National Council)Mental Health WorkforceMental Health Groups Urge Supporting Mental Health Workforce in COVID-19 Relief Bill.?The Mental Health Liaison Group, of which NAMI is a founding member,? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" sent letters?to various Congressional leaders urging the inclusion of the Mental Health Access Improvement Act (S. 286/H.R. 945) in the next COVID-19 relief package. The bill would allow licensed mental health counselors and marriage and family therapists to bill Medicare for medically necessary behavioral health services, increasing the capacity of the behavioral health workforce to address the nation’s mental health and addiction crises. These two types of mental health professionals are vital to the delivery of mental health treatment in rural MN and cultural communities. Please encourage your US House member to support this bill. HHS Launches Portal for Medicaid Providers to Access COVID-19 Relief FundsHHS Provider Relief Funds are now accessible to Medicaid providers?who did not receive COVID-related relief funding from HHS yet.?HHS has stated that via the Medicare or the Medicaid Provider Relief Funds, a provider should expect to receive the equivalent payment of about 2% revenue.Medicaid Providers?who did not bill Medicare?in 2018-2019:Providers who billed Medicaid FFS or a managed care plan between Jan 2018 and June 2020 (and who did not bill Medicare) should go to the? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" HHS Medicaid and CHIP Provider Relief portal?to submit provider information including revenue.?HHS states that providers can expect total payments from the Medicaid fund to equal at least 2% of gross revenue from patient care.?Terms and conditions for the Medicaid Fund are? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" here HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" . Note: Providers must still submit their information to HHS via the portal, even if they previously submitted their information to the National Council.Providers who billed Medicare in 2018-2019 (regardless of total Medicare revenue):Providers who were eligible for and received the first automatic Medicare payment, and who submitted their revenue information to HHS via? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" the General Distribution Portal?on or before June 3, are likely waiting to receive a second payment.Important to note: HHS stated?that provider must have taken action by June 3, 2020?in order to be considered for future access to Provider Relief Fund payments. This action is the de facto application to access the second round of Provider Relief Funds if your organization had not yet received a second payment based on total revenue (after April 24, 2020), and for future funding via this stream. Providers can check the portal for the status of their information and application. HHS states that providers can expect total payments to equal ~2% of revenues.You may want to check your status and information submission on the? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Medicare General Distribution Portal.For more information, please see the? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Provider Relief Fund FAQ?(updated June 10) and the General Distribution Portal section of the? HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" HHS Provider Relief Fund website. (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. 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.NAMI Minnesota | 1919 University Avenue West, Suite 400, St. Paul, MN 55104 HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Unsubscribe staff@ HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" Update Profile | HYPERLINK "" \t "_blank" About Constant Contact Sent by HYPERLINK "mailto:sabderholden@" \t "_blank" sabderholden@ ................
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