Menu
ncarol.com
  • Home
  • Business
  • Health
  • Real Estate
  • Non-profit
  • Arts
  • Technology
  • Books
  • Entertainment
ncarol.com

Grassroots Advocacy Group Urges Biden Administration to Appoint a Doctoral Level Mental Health Professional to Lead SAMHSA
ncarol.com/10096209

Trending...
  • The Naturist World Just Shifted — NaturismRE Ignites a Global Resurgence
  • Community-Based Marriage Enrichment Support
  • Lore Link is Here to Help Organize Your Game
National Shattering Silence Coalition
The National Shattering Silence Coalition calls on the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to endorse a medical model based on science with an emphasis on addressing the needs of the most severely ill.

SHAPLEIGH, Maine - ncarol.com -- The National Shattering Silence Coalition (NSSC)—a grassroots, nonpartisan group that advocates for the needs of people with serious brain disorders such as schizophrenia and bipolar disorder—urges the Biden Administration to appoint a person with a doctoral degree in medicine, osteopathic medicine, or psychology as the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use. This person must have clinical and research experience regarding mental health and substance use disorders and an understanding of biological, psychosocial, and pharmaceutical treatments of mental illness and substance use disorders.

We also urge them to prioritize care for the most severely mentally ill. As head of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), this political appointee must be supportive of the scientific evidence that serious brain illnesses such as schizophrenia are disorders of the brain that require sophisticated treatment from well-trained medical professionals.

We strongly oppose appointing a person based on their "lived experience." Having a mental illness does not qualify one for a leadership position any more than having COVID-19 would qualify one to lead a White House COVID-19 Task Force. When someone is in congestive heart failure we send them to a cardiologist, not a person who has survived a heart attack. The brain is an organ of the body that can malfunction, and this malfunctioning organ needs to be examined in its complexity by well-trained medical professionals. The head of SAMHSA needs to understand this to ensure coveted federal funds are directed toward the most evidence-based practices that benefit individuals whose lives are at risk.

Homelessness and incarceration of individuals with mental illness is the humanitarian crisis of our times. SAMHSA is uniquely poised to correct errors that have led to a system that discards people in their darkest hours of need--often in the name of "civil rights"--because leaders in the past have dangerously misunderstood the nature of mental illness and how it impacts a person's ability to self-manage.

More on ncarol.com
  • O2 Fitness Opens New Signature Location in Pittsboro, NC
  • Cynthia Pinot Among Artists Selected for Renowned London Art Biennale 2025
  • Real Estate Experts Highlight Jersey Shore as a Smart Buy in 2025
  • Lamaze International and Plumtree Baby Launch New Childbirth Education Materials
  • $18 Price Target Issued in New Research Report After $34 Million Revenue Forecast from Acquisition; $101.5 Million Net Revenue in 2025; NAS DAQ: IQST

We advocate for policies that align with the medical model of care, based on science. The alternative "recovery model" emphasizes a person-directed approach without acknowledging that individuals with the most severe brain illnesses often are so impaired that they are incapable of coordinating their own care. Many family caregivers at NSSC have watched loved ones "die with their rights on" because of this dangerous misunderstanding.

People with brain disorders have a right to medical treatment, especially when they are too ill to recognize they need medical care. When we ignore their right to treatment in the name of civil rights, too many of our most vulnerable citizens suffer needlessly and end up homeless, incarcerated, or dead. As family members, professionals in the trenches, and individuals who suffer from these brain diseases, we have experienced firsthand the tragedy of untreated serious mental illness.

"Our loved ones have been denied needed medical care, cycled through the revolving doors of hospitals without adequate treatment, been discriminated against, mistreated, criminalized, and left to die in our streets," said Jeanne Gore, Coordinator of NSSC. "All the while, we have been shut out of communications with health care providers in the name of patient privacy. Our goal is to make sure people with brain disorders receive the compassionate care and treatment they have been denied for far too long."

NSSC supports a medical-based system of a non-discriminatory, high-quality, comprehensive, coordinated continuum of care. NSSC supports the following priorities:

End the IMD Exclusion

We must eliminate the IMD Exclusion, a discriminatory law that prevents Medicaid payments for care provided in "institutions for mental disease" (IMDs), which are psychiatric hospitals or other residential treatment facilities with more than sixteen beds that mainly provide services to people with mental illnesses. This law is why we have psychiatric bed shortages, resulting in a lack of access to care for people with serious brain disorders. Many leading advocacy groups, including NAMI and the Treatment Advocacy Center, agree that the IMD Exclusion should be eliminated.

People with serious mental illness need access to a full continuum of treatment, including inpatient hospitalization. We offer this care continuum for all other illnesses, so it is discriminatory to exclude people who need psychiatric treatment.

More on ncarol.com
  • West Dentistry Welcomes New Oral Surgeon to Enhance Patient Care
  • Walnut Hills Launches Off-Grid Hempcrete Homes and Eco-Retreat in Western NC
  • The AML Shop Launches New Financial Investigations Unit, Appoints Director to Lead the Initiative
  • Raidium révolutionne le diagnostic de la Sclérose en Plaques en partenariat avec l'Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild
  • New Podcast "Spreading the Good BUZZ" Hosted by Josh and Heidi Case Launches July 7th with Explosive Global Reach and a Mission to Transform Lives

Create and implement a Federally Mandated Model of Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT)

Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) is an evidence-based practice that has been shown to reduce hospitalization, criminal justice system involvement, homelessness, victimization, and violent acts associated with mental illness, including suicide and violence against others.

AOT is both compassionate and effective. It provides community-based mental health treatment under civil court commitment as a means of:
  • motivating an adult with mental illness who struggles with voluntary treatment adherence to engage fully with their treatment plan,
  • focusing the attention of treatment providers on the need to work diligently to keep the person engaged in effective treatment.

Reform HIPAA

We must reform the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) to encourage greater involvement of family members and natural supports in the care of individuals with serious brain illnesses. Currently, many health care providers are unwilling to discuss treatment with family members due to concerns about violating HIPAA privacy laws, despite solid evidence that the involvement of long-term supporters in care planning dramatically improves outcomes. One of the roles SAMHSA must fulfill is to provide clarity about HIPAA requirements and proper training so that providers do not misuse HIPAA to avoid the critical work of family engagement.

Individuals with brain disorders who lack insight into their illness are unable to make medical decisions in their best interest. Without HIPAA reform, family members will remain excluded from participating in the care of a person with serious mental illness. In the U.S., we allow family members of people with all other brain disorders, such as Alzheimer's, to participate in care decisions. To treat people with mental illness differently is discriminatory.

Reform PAIMI

We must reform the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) program to return to its original mission, focused on abuse and neglect, instead of lobbying to prevent medically needed inpatient and outpatient treatment. SAMHSA must not allow Protection and Advocacy organizations to continue using critical federal resources to impede access to medically necessary treatment in the name of civil rights.

ABOUT THE NATIONAL SHATTERING SILENCE COALITION

NSSC is a nonpartisan alliance of family members, individuals suffering from serious brain disorders (SBD), professionals in the trenches, and people who care. We have united to ensure that brain illness and criminal justice systems count those with SBD, and their families, in all federal, state, and local policy reforms. We are voices for the 11.2 million adults and 7 million children living with and dying too young from serious brain illness. Learn more at www.nationalshatteringsilencecoalition.org.

Media Contact
Jeanne Gore
coordinator@nationalshatteringsilencecoalition.org


Source: National Shattering Silence Coalition
Filed Under: Health

Show All News | Report Violation

0 Comments
1000 characters max.

Latest on ncarol.com
  • Bang Bang Burgers and Orrman's Cheese Shop Unleash The Mac Daddy for National Mac & Cheese Day
  • Top Dentist Concord CA, Smile Makers Dental Care, Celebrates 500 5-Star Reviews
  • Bio-Inspired Technology-Dynamic and Adaptable for unknown real-world environments
  • Community-Based Marriage Enrichment Support
  • Michael Reafsnyder opens solo exhibition at Scott Richards Contemporary Art in San Francisco
  • Valley Sleep Therapy Expands to Prescott with New Location at Crossings Road
  • $17.4 Million Total Revenue for First Half of 2025 (up 31.8% YOY) for Global Wet Trades Services Provider with High Value Bitcoin Investments
  • $12.8 Million Net Revenue for 2024 for Cloud-Based Crowdsourcing Recruitment and SaaS-Enabled HR Solutions Provider: Baiya International Group Inc
  • Scott Burton Releases Chaos: The Weight of a Memory, a Poetic Journey Through What Still Lingers
  • The Business Hyve Opens Waitlist for Groundbreaking Community Built for Small Business Success
  • Hire Virtue Announces Executive Sponsorship Opportunity for Houston Hiring Blitz & Job Fair on August 6, 2025
  • Inked & Maxim Model Teisha Mechetti Turns Heads—And Builds Community Impact
  • Plan to Launch Silo Technologies' Cybersecurity Pilot Program for Ultimate Nationwide Deployment via Exclusive Partnership: Stock Symbol: BULT
  • Robert Michael & Co. Real Estate Team Celebrates Industry Recognition and Showcases Premier Central Florida Listings
  • AI-Based Neurotoxin Countermeasure Initiative Launched to Address Emerging National Security Needs: Renovaro, Inc. (N A S D A Q: RENB)
  • The Naturist World Just Shifted — NaturismRE Ignites a Global Resurgence
  • $796,000 in Q2 Revenue Marks Highest Earnings to Date on 3 Trailing Quarters of Profitability in Multi-Billion Homebuilding Sector: Stock Symbol: IVDN
  • Cybersecurity is THE Hot Market Sector; Revenues, Earnings & Profit matter; Only 33 Million Shares + a Huge Short Position Equal an Undervalued Stock
  • Despite Global Calls for a Ban, US Child Psychiatry Pushes Electroshock for Kids
  • Franco Polished Plaster Celebrates 35 Years of Bringing Walls to Life in the UK
_catLbl0 _catLbl1

Popular on ncarol.com

  • Experience Trembling Firsthand with the New AgeMan® Tremor Simulator - 112
  • Let's Talk Series: At the Crossroads: Immigration Today
  • csky.ai & DuoKey Launch Secure AI Transcription Solution for Microsoft 365
  • Mauro Schnaidman named as Managing Director in Miami, Florida
  • Continued Streak of Recognitions with Multiple Chambers and Partners Rankings
  • Innovative EDM Music Project, "Terms of War," Depicts an A.I. Takeover of Earth
  • LIB Continuous Innovation: Custom Rain Test Chambers & IP Labs
  • Beyond the Template: Why Custom Web Design is a Power Move for Small Businesses
  • DumpEmDumpsterRentals.com Launches in Charlotte, Offering 10% Off 3-Day Rentals
  • Local Clinic Fills the Gaps Politicians Don't Want to Talk About

Similar on ncarol.com

  • Why Regular Visits to a Dentist in Kernersville Protect More Than Just Your Smile
  • West Dentistry Welcomes New Oral Surgeon to Enhance Patient Care
  • Raidium révolutionne le diagnostic de la Sclérose en Plaques en partenariat avec l'Hôpital Fondation Adolphe de Rothschild
  • New Podcast "Spreading the Good BUZZ" Hosted by Josh and Heidi Case Launches July 7th with Explosive Global Reach and a Mission to Transform Lives
  • Infinite Health Introduces Cutting-Edge Regenerative Medicine for Wound Care with Trip Goolsby, MD
  • Top Dentist Concord CA, Smile Makers Dental Care, Celebrates 500 5-Star Reviews
  • Valley Sleep Therapy Expands to Prescott with New Location at Crossings Road
  • Despite Global Calls for a Ban, US Child Psychiatry Pushes Electroshock for Kids
  • Preliminary.online Introduces Short-Term Job-Readiness Courses with Employer-Verified Certifications
  • $328 Million Global Stroke Rehab Market Opportunity Awaits AI Telehealth Leader Following Selection for NIH Funded Phase 3 Clinical Study: VSee Health
Copyright © 2025 ncarol.com | Contact Us | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service | Contribute