NAMI report: States cut mental health budgets just as demand goes up

A report released today found that 28 states and the District of Columbia have reduced mental health funding by nearly $1.7 billion since fiscal year 2009.  

The Associated Press: 28 States, DC Cut $1.7B In Mental Health Funding
Modest increases in some states' mental health budgets have done little to erase massive cuts nationwide over the past three years and a reduction in Medicaid funds, according to a report to be released Thursday by the nation's largest mental health advocacy group. All told, the Washington-based National Alliance on Mental Illness found, 28 states and the District of Columbia have cut nearly $1.7 billion from their mental health budgets since the 2009 fiscal year (Sedensky, 11/10).

Kaiser Health News: Capsules: States Cut Mental Health Budgets As Demand Increases
More than half the states have cut their mental health budgets since the recession hit home ... "Mental health treatment in this country is so fragile, so inaccessible and so variable that taking out that much money really staggers it," said NAMI Executive Director Michael Fitzpatrick (Torres, 11/10).

ABC News: Will Budget Cuts Threaten Mental Health In Your State?
California and New York have the largest mental health budgets, but between 2011 and 2012, California cut its funding by $177.4 million and New York by $95.2 million. Those are huge dollar amounts for two of the largest states. However, they weren't the worst. Between 2009 and 2012, South Carolina cut 40 percent of its mental health allocations, and Alabama, Alaska, Illinois and Nevada weren't far behind (Jojic, 11/10).