Rally to restore Romney's cuts to Human Services

On Wednesday, December 6th, 2006 at 11am, several thousand consumers of mental health services, advocates, human service providers and family members rallied on the steps of  the Statehouse in Boston to protest Governor Romney’s cuts to human services and mental health funding.  Despite two recent restorations for homeless services and mental health, there remains $400 million dollars in cuts that will drastically hurt children and adults with mental illness and families at the coldest time of the year, according to DMH consumers and advocates. The Human Services community is also unified in asking for a restoration of salary increases for some of the lowest paid workers in the state who work in human services.

John Fitzpatrick, a member of Options Clubhouse in Marlborough attended the rally with the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition and members and staff of their 32 Clubhouse rehabilitation and recovery centers funded by the Department of Mental that serve over 8,000 adults who have mental illness each year.  On this cold morning, John left his house at 7am, changed 2-3 buses and got home cold and tired at 3 pm, all this to rally for salary increases for Clubhouse Staff, restoration of all funding for the Department of Mental Health and restoration of rental vouchers for those who are at risk of homelessness and need housing support in order to live in the community successfully.

“I found employment and housing through the help of the clubhouse. The staff were helpful and prompt. I have had a lot of ups and downs in my life but at the Clubhouse I finally feel right in place, and like I belong in this community. Clubhouse services are very essential and funding needs to be restored for MCC Clubhouses and DMH so many like me have hope. Clubhouse saved my life and I come here today and ask for you to restore this necessary funding. Our Clubhouse staff, along with all human service workers, stands to lose the pay raises that the legislature passed in their budget.  These raises, though slight, are very important to the stability of our Clubhouses.  In Clubhouse we rely on the relationships we have developed, members and staff, members and members.  Staff turnover is high because our staff are not paid enough to afford to live in our community.  Please restore this needed funding for staff salaries and for DMH”. 

Included in the DMH funding that has not been restored is funding for emergency service, funding for rental vouchers for clients of DMH, funding for forensic mental health, DMH Child and Adolescent services and addiction services in DMH and DPH.

A coalition of over 60 human services organizations have united quickly in response to the significant cuts in hopes that the Governor will change his mind about the cuts and if not that the legislature and Governor elect Deval Patrick will reverse the cuts to the budget that the legislature passed in July, 2006.

Below is a list of the organizations that will are sponsoring the rally on Wednesday, December 6h.:  National Alliance on Mental Illness of Mass, Mass Clubhouse Coalition, Work Inc, North Suffolk Mental Health Association, Vinfen, NAMI GB CAN , MDDA-Boston,  Disability Law Center, Advocates, South Shore Mental Health, Riverside, CASCAP,  Arbor Associates, Health Care for All, NASW- MA, Neighbor to Neighbor Massachusetts, Mass Council of Human Service Providers, M-POWER, Parent/Professional Advocacy League (PAL), Renaissance Club, SEIU 509, Community Counseling of Bristol County, Pine Street, ARC of Mass, Boston Center for Independent Living, Homes for Families, Jewish Community Relations Council, Lynn Health Task Force,  Stavros Center for Independent Living , E Team Machinist Training Program, North Shore Labor Council, 1199 SEIU, AFSCME Council 93, Boston Center for Independent Living, Central Mass. Housing Alliance, Children's League of Massachusetts, Coalition for Social Justice, Community Partners, Inc, Criminal Justice Policy Coalition, Delta Projects, Inc., Disability Policy Consortium, Family Economic Initiative, Gay Men's Domestic Violence Project; Greater Boston Legal Services., Jane Doe, Inc, League of Women's Voters, Lynn Health Task Force, MACDC, Massachusetts Association for the Education of Young Children, Mass Association of Older Americans, Inc,   Mass Communities Action Network,, Massachusetts Public Health Association, Massachusetts Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Mass Teachers Association, Mass. Coalition for the Homeless, Mass. Senior Action Council, NARAL Pro-Choice Massachusetts, Project R.I.G.H.T., Incorporated, Public Policy Institute, Stonewall Communities, UAW MA State CAP Council, United Teen Equality Center, Inc.

Employment Options, Inc. is a non-profit agency, serving adults with mental illness and other challenged populations in the Metro West region. Options believes in an individual's right to independent and dignified living, and provides meaningful services ranging from employment, education, housing, deaf and family services to social needs. For further information or to announce positions at your company visit our website at www.employmentoptions.org or call (508) 485-5051.

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