I'm writing to express my interest in apply for the Association for Community Living (ACL) Legislative Organizer position. I am confident that my skills are well-aligned with the role, and that I would be an excellent fit for this position. My education, which includes a Master's degree in Social Policy, an Advanced Certificate in Community Advocacy, and a Bachelor's degree in Social Work, and my extensive background in Human Services make me a qualified candidate. Through both my professional and volunteer experience, I have gained the knowledge and abilities to be able to perform the duties and responsibilities of the Legislative Organizer. My current position as a mental health and substance abuse apartment counselor at Transitional Services …show more content…
This included organizing, educating and transporting a busload of consumers and professional to participate in the Mental Health Association New York (MHANY) Mental Health Matters Lobby Day in Albany. In preparation for this event, I assisted in developing the SCCCMH legislative agenda, and educated attendees in lobbying and advocacy skills. For the past three years, I have co-coordinator the SCCCMH annual Mental Health Matters Benefit. I have also coordinated and organized SCCCMH community educational events such as the recent screening of the important and informative film, “Resilience: The Biology of Stress & The Science of Hope.” In addition to my role as a mental health and substance abuse apartment counselor at TSA, I serve on both the Grants Committee and the Communications Committee. Through my participation in these committees I've gained experience and knowledge that would assist me in carrying out the responsibilities of the Legislative Organizer. As a member of the Communications Committee, I co-manage TSA's social media accounts and update the agency's website by developing and publishing content that reflects the agency's mission to assist individuals to attain their highest level of independence, self-sufficiency, and satisfaction with life, as well as supporting our community
Pollack, Harold. "What Happened to U.S. Mental Health Care after Deinstitutionalization." Washingtonpost.com. N.p., 12 June 2013. Web. 13 Nov. 2013.
Tell us about yourself and why you decided you wanted to pursue a legislative aide position.
Chief Legislator is supposed to be the highest position in the United States. Otherwise known as the President of the United States of America, Barack Obama currently holds that position; however, there is a lot of conflict between Obama and congress which is putting a damper on future plans to help improve the country. The government is setup so there is equality within the system, Congress and the President go hand and hand even though sometimes it might not work out the way it was planned. Sometimes the outcome can all depend on the views of the President and Congress. Like for instance now, Obama is a democrat and Congress is mainly Republicans so they have trouble meeting eye to eye.
This paper focuses on the current initiatives and electronic/ paper resources created to further the claims of the Consumer/Survivors movement. The search of my data included searches including, C/S/X, mental health consumers movement, MAD pride, anti-psychiatry, mental health movements. I chose articles and websites based on their relevance to the Consumer/ Survivor movement which included information provided by consumers themselves and their allies (organizations and/ or individual/ groups that were pro C/S/X movement.)
Kessler, R. C. (2008). Disruption of Existing Mental Health Treatments and Failure to Initiate New Treatment After Hurricane Katrina. American Journal Of Psychiatry, 165(1), 34-41. doi:10.1176/appi.ajp.2007.07030502
...ed individuals to pay for services, perhaps as an extension of the Medicare program. Those survivors, who have suffered a high level of mental or physical trauma, and those who suffer from preexisting conditions, should be identified and considered for expedited care. (2, 425) Mobile health care unity could be utilized in semi-permanent housing developments, such as the trailer parks created in the wake of the Katrina disaster. (2, 425) Legislative barriers to obtaining mental health services need to be removed. Addressing the mental health needs of the survivors is increasingly being recognized as an integral part of emergency management worldwide. Failing to properly address these needs may compromise the recovery of the affected populations, and these individuals are likely to become dependent on state and federal aid. (2, 246)
U.S. Public Health Service.(1999). The Surgeon General’s Report on Mental Health. Retrieved June,5,2000, from http://www.surgeongeneral.gov/library/mentalhealth/home.html
...a and Mental Illness • Social Justice Solutions." Socialjusticesolutions.org, 2012. Web. 13 Jan 2014. .
States obtain many services that fall under mental health care, and that treat the mentally ill population. These range from acute and long-term hospital treatment, to supportive housing. Other effective services utilized include crisis intervention teams, case management, Assertive Community Treatment programs, clinic services, and access to psychiatric medications (Honberg at al. 6). These services support the growing population of people living in the...
Research and Analysis of Mental Health Patients Before a healthcare policy is developed, policymaker has to provide research and analysis on the topic. Like all policies, the Murphy’s Bill was part of a process call policy agenda and agenda setting. Moreover, this process represents the “the issues targeted for policy consideration” (Shi, 2013, p.36). The Murphy’s Bill is an ambitious attempt to transform the United States’ mental health system. Some of its primary goals are: 1.
In 1984 Congress began to appropriate funding to aid in the children’s mental health initiative. The present initiative that is in place is guided by the Substance Abuse and Mental Services Administration’s Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS). The need for reform and interventi...
Horton, R. (2007). Launching a new movement for mental health. The Lancet Global Health 370(9590), 806.
The legislative Branch is a powerful part of our governmental system. One of the strengths of it is that it has powers that no other branch has. The legislative branch, including both the House of Representatives and the Senate, is given extensive powers by the Constitution. The legislative branch is the only branch that can create laws or change existing laws. In addition to creating and changing laws, the legislative branch has an array of powers such as: the power to declare war, confirm or reject many Presidential appointments, impeach a federal official, to include the president or a justice of the Supreme Court, create annual federal budgets and direct how federal monies are spent, and extensive investigative powers. Essentially, one of the legislatives branches’ greater powers to creating and changing laws do not yield there; additionally, if the President vetoes a bill, they may override his veto by passing a bill again in each chamber as long as the chambers can get at least a two-third voting in favor of the bill. An example would if the President wants to create a program and/or a system, he will have to go through Congress for approval of the
The purpose of this would be to help raise awareness for mental health, education on how to deal with mental illnesses both interpersonally and intrapersonally, and to remove the stigmatization around mental illnesses. Throughout history mental illnesses has received a negative connotation closely tied to violence and currently this stigma is still relevant.
Government’s policies on mental health care have not materialized nor helped those with mental illnesses the way they were intended. Insurance companies continue to cheat the mentally ill of affordable treatment; mental hospitals are persistent on not releasing patients for years, robbing others of medical care; sick and unable to hold steady jobs, homelessness becomes the only option for many; irrational decisions become rational and crime becomes viable. With a rebuilding of the mental health care system, stricter rules on parity insurance, and reduced stigmas, crime would lower, the homeless would dissipate, and more Americans would lead normal, healthy lives.