[NYAPRS Enews] Bazelon Update on President's Budget and Appropriations

Mon Feb 28 08:57:16 EST 2011

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INFORMATION ALERT:
President's Budget and Appropriations   

"Cuts, Freezes, & Program Consolidations Trump Scarce, Modest Increases"

February 25, 2011- Congress adjourned for a week- long President's Day
recess leaving much work to be done on budget and appropriations.  The
federal government is currently operating on a continuing resolution
passed last Congress that is set to expire on March 4.  The current
continuing resolution largely holds funding for most federal programs at
fiscal year 2010 funding levels.  With seven months remaining in fiscal
year 2011, the Republican- led House passed an appropriations bill (HR
1) that would fund the government through the end of the fiscal year.
However, the bill eliminates $61 billion in spending for many vital
programs, including mental health, education, and homeless programs, in
addition to prohibiting funding to implement various provisions in the
health reform law, the Affordable Care Act.  The bill passed in the
House roughly on a party line vote (235-189), and received a veto threat
by President Obama.

When lawmakers return next week, a short term continuing resolution will
likely need to be passed in order to avoid a government shutdown, and to
allow additional time for party leaders to reach a compromise. House
Democratic leaders introduced a temporary continuing resolution (to
extend through the end of March) which freezes spending at current
levels; however, Speaker of the House John Boehner (R-OH) warned that a
proposal without cuts below current levels is unacceptable.  Senate
Majority Leader Harry Reid (D-NV) is preparing to bring a 30 day
temporary continuing resolution to the floor next week that also freezes
funding at current levels, or may offer a 7 month CR to fund the
government below current spending levels (making some cuts similar to
those proposed in the Administration's FY 2012 budget plan). The
challenge now rests with whether a compromise acceptable to their
caucuses can be reached by Majority Leader Reid and Speaker Boehner
prior to the expiration of the current continuing resolution on March 4.

It is imperative that advocates contact lawmakers in both chambers to
urge against a final fiscal year 2011 spending bill that makes further
cuts to vital programs below current levels.

The Administration's Budget Plan for Fiscal Year 2012

On February 14, President Obama released a $3.7 trillion budget proposal
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=iri69ddab&et=1104652301246&s=12018&e=001o
54a0u4eXB0qeB1LlcBSlY6UUPuLmaMcUuSw8hS1Qgy9kDFRiUxEi2HqmAder66cZBK5wcx0u
9aJxos-laucRqqMz6aTfEj92OGHdytPZxv-3G-1xIYVJoQpWS0aS8mAmLIHL7sPB6E=>
for fiscal year 2012 that seeks to reduce the deficit by $1.1 trillion
over the next decade. In order to achieve such deficit reduction, the
President's proposal includes a five year spending freeze on
non-security discretionary programs, and by introducing a range of
program cuts, consolidations, eliminations and freezes.  Any modest
increases to federal programs are overshadowed by these cuts.  However,
funding for mandatory programs (such as Medicaid, Medicare and Social
Security) is not subject to any reductions.  The President's budget plan
is based on an assumption of an extension of the current continuing
resolution and level funding of most programs.

Mental Health Services

The total proposed budget for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health
Services Administration (SAMHSA) is $44 million less than fiscal year
2010, and was developed around SAMHSA's eight strategic initiatives
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=iri69ddab&et=1104652301246&s=12018&e=001o
54a0u4eXB3VEfQbf0diCDO8mOW-KkFjq_rLxWam4J1k_0vMTHIN_-gel2OreDf1utsDqQ77d
yk9lOHqUkUyKywtfeMeIQV-66Y-1SwBj1AsyFPaxedUZVc4EddfyQw0ZlNDCm3xZhY=>  .
The budget includes a restructuring/consolidation of the existing
Programs of National and Regional Significance (the discretionary budget
authority for the three Centers within SAMHSA: Center for Mental Health
Services, Center for Substance Abuse Treatment, and Center for Substance
Abuse Prevention) into  "Innovations and Emerging Issues."
Additionally, a new line item ("State, Tribal and Community Prevention
Grants") is proposed that includes substance abuse state prevention
grants, mental health state prevention grants and behavioral health
tribal prevention grants.

Existing line items for the mental health block grant, substance abuse
block grant, children's mental health services program, PATH Homeless
grants remain, with proposed funding changes of:

*	An increase of $13.9 million over FY 2010 for the mental health
block grant; 
*	An increase of $39.6 million for the substance abuse block
grant;
*	Level funding for the children's mental health services program
($121 million);
*	Level funding for the PATH program ($65 million); and
*	Level funding for the Protection and Advocacy System ($36
million).  

Proposed funding for the grants for primary and behavioral health care
for people with serious mental illnesses in the public mental health
system is $34 million (with a $14 million level funded contribution from
Innovations and Emerging Issues- Mental Health and $20 million level
funded from the Affordable Care Act's Prevention fund). 

The Innovations and Emerging Issues- Mental Health- continues level
funding ($6.7 million) for criminal and juvenile justice programs; youth
violence prevention ($94million); consumer support TA centers ($1.9
million); the Community Resilience and Recovery program; and the Garrett
Lee Smith suicide prevention programs. However, the $4.8 million older
adult program that provides mental health services to seniors is
eliminated.

Education

The President's budget blueprint continues to seek a consolidation of
some of the Department of Education programs that provide services for
students with mental health disorders. The new consolidated program,
called Successful, Safe and Healthy Students, would receive $365 million
and would eliminate several independent programs including:

*	The Elementary and Secondary School Counseling program ($55
million in fiscal year 2010); 
*	The Mental Health Integration in Schools program ($5.9 million
in fiscal year 2010); the Safe and Drug-Free Schools and Communities
National program ($191.3 million in fiscal year 2010); 
*	The Foundations for Learning grant program ($1 million in fiscal
year 2010); and
*	The Physical Education Program ($79 million in fiscal year 2010)
and Alcohol Abuse Reduction ($32.7 million in fiscal year 2010).  

The Department of Education reports that the consolidated program seeks
to increase the capacity of states, districts and schools to create
safe, healthy and drug-free environments in a comprehensive manner, so
students are able to focus on learning and teachers on teaching. The
program would also give states and local educational agencies more
flexibility to develop strategies that best meet the needs of students
and communities, including programs to (1) improve school climate by
reducing drug use, violence or harassment, or by improving school
safety; (2) improve students' physical health and well-being through the
use of or access to comprehensive services that improve student
nutrition, physical activity and fitness; and (3) improve student's
mental health and well-being through the use of or access to
comprehensive services, such as counseling, health and mental health
services, and social services.

Special education funding for Part B IDEA grants to states
(3-21-year-olds) would receive a modest $200 million increase; however
the Part C infant and families (birth to 2 years) program would receive
a $50 million increase over fiscal year 2010 (and 2011 continuing
resolution) for a total of $489.4 million. Preschool services (for 3 to
5 year olds) would remain level funded at $374.1 million.  

Additionally, the Department of Education proposes $30 million for a new
grant (PROMISE: Promoting Readiness of Minors in SSI) that would fund
pilot demonstration programs in selected states to improve the
coordination of and increase the use of existing services (such as
through Medicaid, Vocational Rehabilitation, IDEA, Head Start, Workforce
Investment and Job Corps) for children receiving Supplemental Security
Income (SSI) and their families. The goal of the program is to improve
outcomes for children who receive SSI, including their physical and
emotional health and educational attainment and employment, as well as
to provide improved services and supports for the families of SSI
recipients, such as education and job training for parents.   

Criminal and Juvenile Justice

The President's FY 2012 budget again seeks to consolidate the Mentally
Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction (MIOTCRA) grant in a proposed
$57 million program for drug, mental health and problem-solving courts.
MIOTCRA is now funded at $12 million and provides a range of strategies
for communities to implement, including law enforcement training,
diversion and transitional services. The proposal includes re-entry
investments in the Second Chance Act at proposed $100 million for fiscal
year 2012. The Second Chance Act is targeted at reducing recidivism by
offenders re-entering their communities from incarceration through
access to job training, mental health counseling and other services and
supports.

Additionally, juvenile justice programs continue to face funding cuts in
the fiscal year 2012 budget plan which would negatively impact
prevention services and funding for states compliance requirements
(core protections) under the Juvenile Justice Delinquency and Prevention
Act.

2011 & 2012 Housing Budget Proposals

Continuing Resolution - Fiscal Year 2011

The House Appropriations Committee released its funding proposal for
housing programs for the remainder of FY 2011 on February 11.  The House
proposal would fund McKinney-Vento Homeless Programs at 2010 levels,
which is $335M less than the HUD funding bill that passed the House
before the recent election.  The House also proposes other reductions:

*	Decreased funding for Runaway and Homeless Youth Act Programs; 
*	10,000 fewer HUD-VASH (Veterans' Affairs Supportive Housing)
vouchers;
*	$0 funding for the Housing and Services for Homeless persons
Demonstration; and 
*	Less than a quarter of the FY 2010 appropriation for the
Community Development Block Grant Program.   

On February 19th, the House expanded the cuts proposed by the
Appropriations Committee.  In the 811 program alone, the House proposal
would cause as many as 10,000 of the 14,000+ households of individuals
with disabilities to lose their housing assistance in 2011. Tenants in
almost all HUD assisted affordable housing programs will be affected by
the House proposal.  For more details on the House budget proposals see
NAMI
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=iri69ddab&et=1104652301246&s=12018&e=001o
54a0u4eXB3YrxbVu1zXfOmRjkJDfb6yvu-Cj30bZQJ4tQk1ufdOrAYhYeDBRkQXGIQSsnnW-
WAhfzfF5eM6Uib9cowZIidmlqoB1dffTk8=>  and the National Low Income
Housing Coalition
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=iri69ddab&et=1104652301246&s=12018&e=001o
54a0u4eXB320zEIsAFJ6-ibG6Hbjb9tVe2aN4X4D2CzDel2zGHy3v4oHrIngii1pyRyjIdJz
2rcT7RLLtyCuYzv3zPoDWXPG7bRn8_NaR1jBDYpFCt7IfksYzmZelh-VWvCwSHVU1k=> .

HUD Fiscal Year 2012 Budget

The Department of Housing and Urban Development's proposed FY 2012
budget maintains fiscal year 2010 funding levels for several programs
that are critical for low income individuals with disabilities. They
include the Housing Choice Voucher Program, for both tenant-based rental
assistance and project-based rental subsidies, the 7,745 vouchers
created since 2009 specifically for non- elderly renters with
disabilities, including those transitioning out of institutions, and
approximately 1,000 additional vouchers associated with wrap-around
services. These vouchers reflect the recent HUD and HHS efforts to
address the housing and services needs of extremely low income
individuals collaboratively. HUD will also maintain level funding for
Housing for Persons with AIDS (HOPWA).

The Obama Administration proposes increased funding for the
McKinney-Vento Homeless Assistance Grants and funding for 10,000 new
VASH (HUD-Veterans Affairs Supportive Housing) rental vouchers and
services.  HUD would also increase funding for the Section 811 programto
which revisions were made through The Frank Melville Permanent
Supportive Housing Investment Act at the end of the 110th Congress. The
changes made by the Melville Act will, if funded, generate more
apartments in mixed income buildings than was possible under the
original program.  HUD also proposes increased funding to pay for 7,500
new vouchers as part of its collaboration with HHS to supply integrated
housing and services to homeless families and chronically homeless
individuals.  To pay for these programs, HUD proposes decreasing
Community Development Block Grant funding, Section 202 Elderly Housing,
and various public housing programs.   

We do not yet have final numbers for the FY 2011 or FY 2012 budget.

Worst Case Housing Needs Report

On February 1, HUD published its annual  Worst Case Housing Needs
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=iri69ddab&et=1104652301246&s=12018&e=001o
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WT11HvB8FEnhw0eT-faPOccB7-r4cB3-kICaK6l-Ui-EML5Sz_YJ9a2grZIFGNSZ2pB6Aqf3
_OIBK2fUBwhdM_aQJeFPRVbOPbSqlv8w9NOQmGQatiUB2MIFaHIgeCi04C7PDFkTOa5btxU7
NWn9nNqr3HOfELS8Nk=> .  The report reflects the inadequacy of our
federal housing assistance programs, the minimal, but important, impact
that funding increases will have, and the resulting increases in
homelessness and institutionalization that will result from funding
cuts.  Worst Case Housing Needs measures the numbers of households that
do not receive any rental assistance and who pay more than 50% of their
income for housing or live in severely substandard housing in 2009 or
both. HUD findings include:

*	Worst case housing needs were 7.10 million in 2009 (41 percent
of very low-income renters), up from 5.91 million (37 percent). This
represents more than a 20 percent increase from the number of worst case
needs in 2007.
*	Only 36 of every 100 extremely low-income renters have
affordable units available to them.
*	Worst case needs among renters with disabilities increased from
37.5 percent to 40.7 percent (of all very low-income renters with
disabilities).

"Worst case needs" households increased 20% since 2008.  Of these, more
than 38 percent, or 990,000 households, included nonelderly people with
disabilities.  41% of families with children that included individuals
with disabilities faced "worst case housing needs." HUD will issue a
supplemental report in 2011, analyzing the disability data. 

As serious as these numbers are, HUD reported
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=iri69ddab&et=1104652301246&s=12018&e=001o
54a0u4eXB0k_gQsFuTsykJp1OgcEVuuimjEeHdBrNR-emldVhCFlkrhGY_9lior6WeYl7H7T
luU7zdphDIi5Nj89l2tGneY4SySlO9CgHTpymlfUJ0IqY9OcMJq2DrVsI6CCwydXNtB0oPBM
nYVQoavyB3PYA0XoVSlFK7dxAU=> for the first time that it had been
undercounting the numbers of households with disabled family members by
40 - 60%.  The Department will issue a more accurate report in 2012.

Whether any budget proposal for the fiscal year 2012 will maintain, much
less increase mental health, education, justice or housing funding,
remains to be seen. Advocates must remain vigilant throughout the budget
and appropriations process and take action by contacting lawmakers
against cuts to vital programs and services benefiting children and
adults with mental disabilities.

The Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law
<http://r20.rs6.net/tn.jsp?llr=iri69ddab&et=1104652301246&s=12018&e=001o
54a0u4eXB37j3mKsRti40Om1W6ZW1wZ4std6MJ-dzuQAFxtOLoGx9o77uu1JOzCajMXUtU9N
4hxG1hZz5yiJOrJRYeH1WhIaxYj2Q7K3jg=>  is the leading national
legal-advocacy organization representing people with mental
disabilities. It promotes laws and policies that can enable people with
psychiatric or developmental disabilities to exercise their life choices
and access the resources they need to participate fully in their
communities.

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