More than 1/4 - 1/3 of Social Security Disability Insurance and Supplemental Security Income (SSDI and SSI, respectively) are people with 'mental' disorders, according to some sources.

The amounts for SSI (this one is disability and NEEDS BASED) to save as assets, as an individual, has not increased by more than $500 in more than 36 years! So, an individual who has more than $2,000 of assets who is receiving SSI or many other programs, including Medical Assistance/Medicaid (NOT to be confused with Medicare) can never, by working, retain health insurance or cash benefits if over assets. (for a couple, the amount is $3,000)

There is NO incentive to work and try to remove self from disability rolls, or partially, given this ASSET RULE.

The system is basically creating dependency; less than 1% of individuals ever leave the disability rolls per year, given this scenario (that and the tying of health care and food and housing together... all dependent on tiny variations that could come from working.. or other life circumstances.) Basically, this system is part of the matrix of causes that have widened the gap over the decades over the 'haves' and 'have nots'. Individuals with mental illness overwhelmingly represent the 'have nots', on a number of levels.

Please SAMHSA, get involved with the reductionist, infantile, and short sighted federal policies that SSI, SSDI and many of these entitlements and needs based benefits are patch-worked with. Poverty, homelessness, and early death ... do we want to treat our most vulnerable this way?

A law has been passed to approve 30 Centers of Excellence for Bipolar and Depression as part of Health Care Reform, but the funding was not approved. The provision calls for 100 million dollars for 5 years for the first 20 Centers then 150 million dollars for the next 10 Centers for 5 years.
July 29, 2010 10 million out of a possible 100 million dollars was funded for this project.

Federal funds are never available for mental health treatment and research. People are not aware of this project so they can write their legislators for the next 5 years in July demanding the maximum amount of funding. The state funding was so badly cut is another reason we desperately need this funding.

I have tried to contact newspapers, radio, TV, blogs, NAMi, DBSA, NARSAD to assist in advertising this provision of Health Care Reform and noone is listening.
We need help from the health care community to get these funds for mental health. It is unprecedented. Do not let this provision go to waste. SAMSHA shame on you that this provision is not discussed in all your blogs and conference calls.

Many provisions are laws and already becoming active or will in the future. This provision still needs help to become a reality with funding.
Without treatment and research we will not move forward in the mental health movement.

I am disgusted with the leaders that this is not discussed and supported.

I would like to see more money available for education/job training. People have to enroll for a certain number of hours to qualify for federal financial aid. Change this so that people can take fewer classes over longer periods of time. It seems to take five or ten years to recover from or cope with mental illness to the extent needed to be employed. If the person takes a class or two consistently through the recovery process, they are close to or have completed a degree and are ready to work. Likewise, if some schools offered trade classes for part of a day instead of for a full day, people with mental illness would be more likely to be successful.

We are chronically underpaid in the current grant structure and cannot make jump off govt aid. Other organizations are succeeding while we earn 800 a month with no ownership or management positions. I have a disabled vet owned small business and am a national advocate with a Masters in Work and an original training of treatment as trauma and I have have less chance of funding then larger foundations that have been funded for years. just looking for a way to create more opportunity for my population of consumers with SMI and having to create our futures and trying to have a family after the hospitals.