Advocacy & Alerts

Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force Co-chair, Mary Neubauer, shared priorities for the state budget with the Joint Committee on Finance at the April 28th Virtual hearing.  You can read the full MHTF testimony here (accessible PDF).

Have you shared your budget priorities with Joint Finance Committee members?  Submit your budget comments via email to committee members at Budget.Comments@legis.wisconsin.gov.

Remember to also share your budget priorities with your own state legislators.  You can look up their contact information on the Wisconsin State Legislature website here, using the “Who Are My Legislators?” function — just enter your home address.

Feel free to use information from the MHTF budget testimony when you submit your comments.

Share your state budget priorities with the Joint Finance Committee (JFC), which is responsible for moving the budget forward.  The JFC has their own website where you may submit comments.  These are downloaded every day.  Several budget hearings have also been scheduled – three in person and one virtual.

• Learn more about the budget hearings and submit comments on the Joint Finance Committee website here.
• Here are links to budget information to help you prepare your comments:
  • View the presentation for the State Budget Training for the Milwaukee Mental Health Task Force here (accessible pdf) (rev. March 9, 2021).
  • View the 2021-2023 Executive Budget in Brief here.
  • View information about mental health and other budget proposals on the WI Department of Health Services website here.
  • View the MHTF State Budget Advocacy Updates presentation here (rev. April 15, 2021).

BACKGROUND

The State Disaster Medical Advisory Committee (SDMAC) Vaccine Subcommittee has developed recommendations for the Wisconsin Department of Health Services to consider regarding which groups should be given priority in the next phase of vaccine distribution, which is referred to as 1b prioritization. The draft of the recommendations are available at this link, Wisconsin Public Meeting Notices and Minutes – Department of Administration.

Click here for an accessible PDF of the SDMAC Vaccine Subcommittee recommendations for 1b Prioritization.

I have listed below some of the groups that the Advisory Committee recommended to be prioritized in the 1b distribution.  If you agree with these recommendations, this is an important time to submit your comments in support.

Some of the groups prioritized by the Advisory Committee include:

• People above 70 years of age.
• IRIS and family Care recipients.
• Facility staff and residents of congregate settings. See the details in the definition. The definition includes housing serving those with age or disability, shelters, transitional housing, and incarcerated individuals, and those in mental health institutes.  (the current language does not specify state and county mental health facilities, but that could be suggested in public comment).
• Public facing essential workers (listed in the document).

 

TAKE ACTION NOW

The recommendations are out now for public comment.

• Submit your comments to DHSSDMAC@dhs.wisconsin.gov.
• Include “vaccine subcommittee” and “Phase 1B” in the email subject line.
• The public comment period will close at 4:00 p.m. on Monday, January 18, 2021.

The Milwaukee County Board of Supervisors held their annual Public Hearing on the County Budget on Friday October 30^th.  Information about the hearing is posted on the Board of Supervisors website pages.  Share this testimony regarding our priorities for the 2021 budget.  Note that the 2021 budget for behavioral health services was approved earlier this year by the Milwaukee County Mental Health Board.

County Executive David Crowley has released his recommended budget for 2021.  You can view the proposed budget here.   The Mental Health Task Force Steering Committee is reviewing the budget and will share our priorities soon. The County budget provides funding for mental health services, transportation, housing, disability services, services for older adults, and for youth and adults in the justice system.

• We encourage you to get involved and share your priorities with your County Supervisor.  You can find your supervisor here: https://www.findyourcountysupervisor.com/
• Attend a Listening Session with Chairwoman Nicholson to share your priorities: https://county.milwaukee.gov/EN/Board-of-Supervisors/Members/Marcelia-Nicholson-5th-District

Here is the Mental Health Task Force September testimony on department budget requests, shared with the County Executive at the September 8^th budget hearing.