4/15/08 In February, AMTA Government Relations sent out a call to action in support of the H.R. 1424: Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addiction Equity Act of 2007; a bill introduced by Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI) and Jim Ramstad (R-MN) on March 9th, 2007. As one organization among many in support of the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, AMTA sought the assistance of its membership in contacting their respective state representatives to convey the need for parity. With enough support, efforts would help amend preexisting legislation to eliminate discrimination in regard to provisions (potentially relating to quality music therapy services) for accessible care for Americans with mental health disorders and addiction issues. A credit to all those who participated in this call to action, it was on March 5th 2008 that H.R. 1424 was passed by the House of Representatives with a vote of 268-148. Now that the bill has passed the House, the Senate and House must agree on the terms of one bill. There is still plenty of work to be done to as the Administration is not in support of H.R. 1424 but rather, the weaker version of the bill proposed by the Senate. The official statement released by the Executive Office of the President can be found at whitehouse.gov. http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/legislative/sap/110-2/saphr1424-h.pdf

To track the progress of the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007, you can visit govtrack.us and search by bill number or keyword. If you’re just catching up, you can read more about the legislation and the ensuing discussion thereof by simply keyword searching H.R. 1424 using your preferred search engine.

Questions? Comments? Interested in how you can help support the efforts of NER-AMTA Government Relations? Email: このメールアドレスはスパムボットから保護されています。観覧するにはJavaScriptを有効にして下さい

Respectfully,
Stephanie L. Clark, MT-BC, CCLS

It is my objective to identify Music Therapists within NER working to advocate for the profession with the ultimate goal of developing a regional Government Relations Task Force. Nicole Peraullt continues to network and address Government Relations issues in her home state of Rhode Island. In addition, Shannon Laine, a Music Therapist working primarily with children diagnosed under the spectrum of Autism, has been active in advocating in the state of New Hampshire for the benefits of music therapy with this specific population. Shannon has been provided with wonderful sponsorship through the Community Music School in Manchester, NH and will be featured in an interview to be aired on NPR on February 2nd. The interview will also be available online at nhpr.com. Currently, funding for Special Education Music Therapy services in New Hampshire is determined at the local level on a case-by-case basis. It is our hope that the interview, which highlights the success of an individual client, will help to raise awareness of Music Therapy in the state and ultimately aid in making connections with New Hampshire Government Officials and the Department of Education. Thank you to all the Music Therapists in the region striving to build Government Relations.

Interested in increasing awareness of/access to Music Therapy services in your community? Please contact me via email at このメールアドレスはスパムボットから保護されています。観覧するにはJavaScriptを有効にして下さい You don’t have to go it alone!