WASHINGTON, July 31 (AScribe Newswire) -- The Whole Health Campaign (WHC), an unprecedented collaborative of more than 70 mental illness and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery organizations, is urging the presidential candidates and political parties to make mental illness and addiction issues a policy priority.
"Now is the time for us to adopt health policy reform that will save tens of thousands of lives and billions of dollars, and strengthen America's families and communities," said Eric Goplerud, Ph.D, President of the American College of Mental Health Administration.
The WHC is working on behalf of more than 84 million Americans with a mental health or addiction disorder to ensure that all public and private health plans provide adequate mental health and addiction treatment coverage. The campaign will support policies that promote mental health and addiction recovery as integral to overall health and endorse research, prevention, early intervention and treatment as an investment in America's future.
"For the first time in American history, mental illness and addiction groups are uniting as one voice," said Ron Manderscheid, Ph.D., Director of Mental Health and Substance Use Programs at Global Health Sector, SRA International, Inc. "It's time for mental health and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery to be an integral part of America's health care system."
As part of this effort, WHC is calling on the both political parties and their presidential candidates to include prevention and treatment of mental illness and addiction in their platforms.
On July 22, the WHC held a platform meeting as part of the Democratic National Committee platform development process. Members of the WHC testified about the principles of the WHC and the mental illness and addiction issues that affect millions of Americans.
These important principles and recommendations for action will be submitted to the Democratic National Committee. WHC will also submit materials through the Republican National Committee platform online process.
The WHC has also developed an online petition and has collected more than 5,300 signatures supporting the inclusion of mental illness and addiction issues in health care policy reform. The petition, which can be viewed online at http://www.jointogether.org/wholehealthcampaign , will be delivered to the presidential candidates and political parties prior to the national conventions.
"We hope these initiatives will alert the candidates that effective health care must address mental illness and addiction prevention, treatment and recovery," said Bill Emmet, Director of the Campaign for Mental Health Reform.
The Facts About Mental Illness and Addiction in America:
- More than 84 million Americans suffer from a mental health or addiction disorder.
- Mental Health and addiction disorders are the leading cause of death and disability for women and the second leading cause for men.
- Mental illness and addiction annually cost the US $171 billion in lost productivity.
- More than 32,000 Americans die by suicide each year and 90 percent of adult suicides have a mental health or addiction disorder.
- Mental health and addiction disorders account for the third highest loss of workplace productivity among chronic diseases.
- More than half of all prison and jail inmates have a mental health problem or addiction disorder.
- 50 percent of students with mental disorders drop out of school, the highest rate of any disability group.
- Americans with serious mental illnesses die - on average - 25 years earlier than the general population, mainly due to untreated health conditions.
About the Whole Health Campaign
The Whole Health Campaign calls on Presidential candidates and political parties to adopt three principles: Ensure equitable and adequate mental health and addiction treatment coverage in all public and private health care plans; Support policies that promote individual and family recovery from mental illness and addictions as integral to overall health; Commit to investing in America's future through prevention, early intervention and research on mental illness and addictions. The campaign is comprised of more than 70 mental health and addiction organizations. For more information about the campaign, visit http://wholehealthcampaign.org/
PARTNER & ENDORSING ORGANIZATIONS
Addiction Resource Council
Alcohol & Addictions Resource Center
Alcoholism Council of New York
The Alliance for Children and Families
American Academy of Addiction Psychiatry
American Academy of Child and Adolescent Psychiatry
American Association for Geriatric Psychiatry
American College of Mental Health Administration
American Occupational Therapy Association
American Psychiatric Association
American Psychiatric Nurses Association
American Psychological Association
American Public Health Association Mental Health Section
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Arizona Recovery Newspaper and The Art of Recovery Expo
ARP/Phoenix
Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness
Association for Medical Education and Research in Substance Abuse
Association of Oregon Community Mental Health Programs
ATM Counseling and Medical Services Inc.
American Society of Addiction Medicine
Betty Ford Center
Boston Alcohol and Substance Abuse programs, Inc.
Bucks County Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Inc.
Burke Council on Alcoholism & Chemical Dependency, Inc.
Campaign for Mental Health Reform
Capitol Decisions
Caron Treatment Centers
Carter Center
Centro de Amistad, Inc
CHADD - Children and Adults with Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
Choice & Consequence
Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America
Council On Alcoholism and Drug Abuse of Northwest Louisiana
Councils on Addiction of New York State (CANYS)
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
Drug Policy Foundation
Eating Disorders Coalition
Employee & Family Resources, Inc. (Iowa NCADD Affiliate)
EMQ Children and Family Services
Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, GWUMC
Erie County Council for the Prevention of Alcohol and Substance Abuse
Faces and Voices of Recovery
First 5 Santa Clara County
Friends of SAMHSA
Hazelden Foundation
Institute for Behavioral Healthcare Improvement
Judge David L. Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
K Jurkowich, Inc.
Legal Action Center
Long Island Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependency Inc.
Maine Alliance to Prevent Substance Abuse
The Mental Health Association in Wilson County
Mountain Council on Alcohol and Drug Dependence
NASADAD
NASMHPD
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI)
National Association of Addiction Treatment Providers
National Association of County Behavioral Health and Developmental Disability Directors
National Association for Children of Alcoholics
National Association of State Mental Health Program Directors
National Coalition of Mental Health Consumer/Survivor Organizations
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - Bay Area
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, San Fernando Valley, CA
National Council on Alcoholism & Drug Dependence of the South Bay
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence Tulare Co. Inc., CA
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependency
National Council on Alcoholism/Lansing Regional Area, Inc
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Greater Kansas City
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence / Minnesota
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence, Phoenix
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence of Northwest Florida
National Council on Alcoholism and Drug Dependence - Rochester Area
NCADD of Long Beach, Inc.
NCADD of Middlesex County, Inc.
Oh Say Can You See Outreach Ministries, Los Angeles, CA
Open Society
Partnership for Workplace Mental Health
Physicians and Lawyers for National Drug Policy
Professionals Drugs Abuse Counselor College of Puerto Rico
Science and Management of Addictions Foundation
State Associations of Addiction Services
Substance Abuse and Addiction Recovery Alliance (SAARA) of Virginia
Suicide Prevention Action Network USA
Treatment Research Institute
United States Psychiatric Rehabilitation Association
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CONTACT: David R. Anderson, Communications Director,
Ensuring Solutions to Alcohol Problems, 202-530-2321,
danderso@gwu.edu
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