Home

What's Inside:
NMHA Responds to Hurricane Ravaged Gulf Coast

Medicaid Cuts Still in Doubt As Advocates Say "No!"

First Person: Teen's Cutting Experience Leads to Opportunities to Educate

Kid's Corner: Legislators' Opposition To Screening Misplaced

New York Mental Health Associations Help Pass Geriatric Mental Health Act

NMHA Medicare Enrollment Campaign Gets Off to a Strong Start

Research Notes

As a leader in the national effort to ensure that the new Medicare prescription drug benefit meets the needs of beneficiaries who have mental illnesses, NMHA has launched its new “Get Educated, Get Enrolled” campaign. Our goal is to get at least 1 million people who have mental illnesses and are eligible for the benefit enrolled by May 15, 2006.

NMHA has organized a series of trainings for MHA community leaders from nearly 40 states to give them the skills and tools they need to educate organizations and communities about the benefit and enrollment process.

Cohosted by the MHA of Greater St. Louis in July and the NMHA in Georgia in August, the events have so far targeted 17 states—with more events planned for Mental Health Planning Councils and other groups. In addition to the training itself, participants use the meetings to brainstorm about creative community enrollment activities and events that will resonate with people in need.

As a result of the events held so far, MHAs are heading up one-of-a-kind initiatives across the country that educate mental health consumers and providers. They are also partnering with Medicaid agencies, State Health Insurance Assistance Programs and other organizations responsible for enrollment to get the word out.

To help consumers and advocates stay up-to-date with related news as the drug benefit enrollment period nears, NMHA publishes regular e-mail bulletins that will cover updates on community activities, new resources and the latest news on the “Get Educated, Get Enrolled” campaign. To subscribe to the bulletin, or if you have questions about the new Medicare drug benefit, send an email to shcrinfo@nmha.org.

NMHA has published “Get Educated, Get Enrolled: AWorkbook for Mental Health Consumers,” a guide to give people the information they need to negotiate their way through the Medicare prescription drug program. Its also a great resource advocates can use to educate their communities. Download a copy of the workbook free of charge at www.nmha.org, or order a printed copy by calling 800-969-NMHA.