Advocacy Update: Weather Stall and Social Work Month

By: Kay Castillo, Director of Advocacy, Policy, and Legislation
National Association of Social Workers, NC Chapter

Happy Social Work Month! The Governor signed our Social Work Month Proclamation to officially declare March as Social Work Month in NC! We hope you are enjoying the chance to celebrate in various activities across the state.

The past few weeks have been slow in Raleigh due to weather so legislators picked up the pace this past week- introducing bills, holding committee meetings, and thumbing through the Governor’s budget.

The Governor’s budget, while not perfect, is very friendly to mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse services and child welfare. He has actually proposed to increase the budget for Health and Human Services. Below are some highlights from his budget:

• 
invests in community mental health initiatives: $7.8M in 2015-2016 and $15.6M in 2016-2017 (pg 123)
• increases funds for foster care based on caseloads: 13.9% in 2015-2016 and 23.3% in 2016-2017 (pg 139)
• provides funding to implement Medicaid Reform via Accountable Care Organizations (pg 143)
• provides funds to open the new Broughton Hospital- but with a catch- “should the sale of Dix property be successful, proceeds will be returned to the General Fund to cover this cost” (pg 153)
• provides funding to expand Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities (TASC) that integrates community mental health and substance abuse services and the criminal justice systems (pg 154)
• provides funding to invest in community-based mental health services in the form of crisis bed registry to effectively communicate the availability of crisis beds in real time (pg 154)
• provides funding to improve mental health services for inmates: establishes behavioral health treatment units at eight high security prisons (4 phased in during 2015-2016 and 4 phased in during 2016-2017), enhances screenings done at intake, and increases resources for treatment at various facilities (pg 175)
• provides funds to fully staff mental health beds at central prison. 35 positions will be hired in 2015-2016 and 31 during 2016-2017 (pg 175)

To view the Governor’s budget: http://osbm.nc.gov/thebudget 
To see an overview of HHS: http://governor.nc.gov/sites/default/files/Lifting%20Up%20the%20Disadvantaged.pdf 


Introduced Bills of Interest

• SB 96 Deadline to Complete Alzheimer’s State Plan: requires HHS to create a state plan for Alzheimer’s disease by December 1, 2015
• HB 97 2015 Appropriations Act: place holder for state budget
• HB 98 Appropriations 2015: place holder for state budget
• HB 101 Appropriations 2015: place holder for state budget
• SB 125/HB 158 Jim Fulghum Teen Skin Cancer Prevention Act: would prohibit anyone under the age of 18 from using a tanning bed.
• SB 126 Create Veterans Task Force/PED Report: would create a Veterans Task Force with defined members to track, coordinate, and improve services for veterans, service members, and their families.
• SB 147/ HB 166 Equal Rights Amendment: This bill is a resolution to ratify the equal rights amendment to the US Constitution.
• SB 154 Clarifying the Good Samaritans Law: This bill clarifies immunity from prosecution as defined under the Good Samaritans Law passed in 2013.
• SB 164 Assist Inmate Reentry/Waived Fees: This bill would waive fees for inmates being released from state prison for such things as drivers licenses, driving permits, birth certificates, etc. and would require that inmates receive these documents prior to their release.
• SB 198 Persons Under 18 in Confinement Facilities: This legislation would prevent minors from being housed in confinement facilities with adults unless certain barriers such as sound and sight proofing were established.

Upcoming Advocacy Days

• March 17th: Rescheduled Advocacy Day for Seniors and Those With Disabilities. Meet us at 9:30 in quadrant 1000 at the Legislative Building. Contact Kay Castillo, advocacy@naswnc.org for more details.
• March 24th: Medicaid Expansion Lobby Day: Sign up online!
• March 25th: Social Work Advocacy Day