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Legislative Advocacy

As one of the nation’s leading not-for-profit providers of behavioral health services, Centerstone strives to offer the latest evidence-based services to our patients, improve care coordination so as to not only improve patient outcomes, but also improve patients’ experiences in receiving care. Centerstone advocates for policy solutions that seek to ensure that patients in need of urgent mental health and addiction care – can obtain the help they need, when they need it. 

Legislative Advocacy for Mental Health and Addiction 

Today, drug overdoses are the leading cause of death for Americans under the age of 50. Continuing to treat addiction differently than other brain disorders or chronic diseases inhibits our nation’s ability to truly address the drug crisis and provide patients with the highest quality treatment. Similar to other chronic diseases, substance abuse and mental health disorders require comprehensive, evidence-based treatment in order to achieve positive outcomes and build toward recovery.

To better address this devastating public health epidemic, we need to break down regulatory barriers to evidence-based, patient-centered care.  To do this, Centerstone is advocating for the following policy solutions:

Advocate for 3-digit Mental Health Crisis Line

The National Suicide Hotline Improvement Act—signed into law Aug. 14, 2018—required the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to look at the potential of designating a three-digit dialing code (referred to as an N11 number) for a national suicide prevention and mental health crisis phone system.

Next step:

The FCC’s deadline to report its recommendations to Congress is Aug. 14, 2019.

Join us in taking Action:

Congress and the FCC could change the way we deliver mental health care in this country. By establishing a national number for mental health and suicide crises, we come closer to a breakthrough to support those who may be in pain and on a journey toward a tragic outcome.

Call Your Elected Official to Support a 3-digit Mental Health Crisis Line:

To contact your Congressional Representative, click here or call the U.S. Capitol switchboard at (202) 224-3121 (a switchboard operator will connect you directly with your lawmaker’s office. You do not need to know his or her names; you can simply provide the switchboard with the county you live in).

Sample statement

Hello, my name is (name, city you live in). I am calling to share my support for the National Suicide Hotline Designation Act. With suicide rates up 33 percent since 1999, a dedicated, easy-to-recall, three-digit hotline for mental health and suicide crises is more urgent than ever.  Establishing a national number for mental health and suicide crises, could be a game changer for those struggling to overcome mental illness. Thank you for your consideration.

(Note: if the staffer says they already have signed on as a co-sponsor of the bill, simply thank them for their leadership!)

Centerstone Advocacy:

Over the past year, Centerstone has met with Congressional offices on this topic, submitted comments to the FCC, and on July 29th met with FCC Chairman Pai to discuss the urgent need for this line.

Currently, we are continuing our work with elected officials, advocating that Congress make the N11 line a reality.

Read more about why we need a mental health 3-digit hotline.

– The Crisis Next Door (from The White House and Office of National Drug Control Policy) Share your story by uploading a video about how you overcame addiction, volunteered at a recovery center, or worked as a family to help a loved one get on the path to recovery.

News and Opinion

As news stories and opinion pieces are made available, and when appropriate, Centerstone policy staff will share them to help keep you fully informed as to what is going on in our nation’s capital regarding all behavioral health topics.

Lauren Conaboy, Vice President of National Policy