 Another
Chance for the United States:
Congress Extends Mental Health Parity Act, Then Adjourns
Congress has passed a one year extension of the Mental Health Parity Act
of 1996, giving parity proponents another chance in the new Congress to make
the case for ending the discrimination against those who suffer from mental
or substance use disorders.
This extension to December 31, 2007 was included in the massive “Tax
Relief and Health Care Act of 2006” as Section 115. It was not
controversial.
The EDC and other organizations are working to reauthorize the 1996 law
that was originally scheduled to expire in 2001. It has been extended six
times.
While we were not successful in bringing the proposed full parity
legislation to a vote in Congress we are optimistic that we can build on the
greater understanding of the issue achieved over this two-year period.
Accomplishments:
● Representatives Patrick Kennedy (D-RI), Jim Ramstad (R-MN) and 229
others were on the record as cosponsors of HR 1402, the Paul Wellstone
Mental Health Equitable Treatment Act. Of the total, 38 were Republicans.
● The EDC and over 350 organizations nationally supported HR 1402 as a
critical step in relief from insurance discrimination.
● Senators Pete Domenici (R-NM) and Edward Kennedy (D-MA) made progress
in long discussions with traditional opponents of parity. We look forward to
learning more about their potential path to a bill that may win passage when
the 110th Congress begins in January.
“Patient Power” with
Andrew Schorr Highlights Eating Disorders
EDC Board Member
Cynthia Bulik,
Ph.D., talked with Andrew Schorr about eating disorders during a live radio
interview on December 10.
The
replay is now posted at
www.patientpower.info
Bulik is the former president of the Academy for Eating Disorders and is
director of the eating disorders program at the
University
of North Carolina at
Chapel Hill. The
interview focused on warning signs and symptoms, treatments that are
working, and on new research.
EDC Board Elects New Officers for
2007-2008
The EDC Board of Directors recently elected three new officers for the
2007-2008 term.
 The
board elected Kitty Westin as president for 2007-2008. Kitty Westin is a
licensed psychologist. She is also president of the Anna Westin Foundation,
established by the Westin family after their 21-year-old daughter died from
anorexia on February 17, 2000. The Anna Westin Foundation is a founding
member of the Eating Disorders Coalition.
Westin was instrumental in the formation of
the EDC's Family & Friends Action Council and has served on the EDC board
for six years. She works with the National Eating Disorders Association and
the Academy for Eating Disorders, and is a co-author of the “Worldwide
Charter for Action on Eating Disorders.” Kitty has spoken to thousands of
people about the risks associated with eating disorders and her message has
reached millions through her work with the media. She is the recipient of
numerous honors including the Eating Disorders Coalition Action Award, Park
Nicollet Community Service Award, and Redbook Magazine’s Mothers and Shakers
Award.
 The
board elected Cynthia Bulik, Ph.D., as vice president. Dr. Cynthia
Bulik is the William R. and Jeanne H. Jordan Distinguished Professor of
Eating Disorders at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She is
also professor of nutrition and the director of the UNC Eating Disorders
Program. A clinical psychologist by training, Dr. Bulik has been conducting
research and treating individuals with eating disorders for the past 24
years. She developed outpatient, partial hospitalization, and inpatient
services for eating disorders both in New Zealand and in the United States.
She has active research collaborations throughout U.S. and abroad, and has
written over 280 scientific papers and chapters on eating disorders and is
author of the books Eating Disorders. She is a recipient of the Eating
Disorders Coalition Research Award, the Hulka Innovators Award, the Academy
for Eating Disorders Leadership Award for Research, and the Carolina Women’s
Center Women’s Advocacy Award. She is past president of the Academy for
Eating Disorders and is currently an associate editor of the International
Journal of Eating Disorders. Dr. Bulik holds the first endowed professorship
in eating disorders in the United States.
 The
board elected Gail Schoenbach as treasurer. Since joining the EDC board in
2005, she has raised funds for the coalition's programs, served as chair of
the EDC Awards Dinner, and spoken publicly at the U.S. Capitol during lobby
days and briefings.
Following her own recovery from a longtime
battle with bulimia, she founded the
Gail R. Schoenbach / FREED Foundation. The foundation raises thousands
annually for treatment and public awareness.
Coalition
Welcomes Two New Member Organizations
The EDC board of directors recently welcomed
the coalition's newest members, Laureate Psychiatric Clinic and Hospital
(Tulsa, Oklahoma) and Eating Disorder Hope (Fort Worth, Texas). Visit them
online at
http://eatingdisorders.laureate.com/ and
www.eatingdisorderhope.com.
Woman Wants to Fight Anorexia
with Activism
Darlene
Rockey of Palm Springs has had quite a year. She has appeared on Dr. Phil
and sought treatment at a nationally recognized eating disorder program. In
yesterday's edition of The Desert Sun, Rockey said she is now working to pass
the Eating Disorders Dream Bill.
Read the story at The Desert Sun
NIMH: Benefits to Employers
Outweigh Enhanced Depression-Care Costs
It may be in society's and employers' best interests to offer programs
that actively seek out and treat depression in the workforce, suggests an
analysis funded by the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). A
simulation based on dozens of studies revealed that providing a minimal
level of enhanced care for employees' depression would result in a
cumulative savings to employers of $2,898 per 1,000 workers over 5 years.
Even though the intervention would initially increase use of mental health
services, it ultimately would save employers money, by reducing absenteeism
and employee turnover costs, according to a study published in the December
2006 issue of the Archives of General Psychiatry. See press release:
http://www.nimh.nih.gov/press/cost-benefitsimulation.cfm
 SAMHSA and Ad Council Unveil
National Mental Health Campaign
The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA),
in partnership with the Ad Council, launched a national awareness public
service advertising (PSA) campaign designed to decrease the negative
attitudes that surround mental illness and encourage young adults to support
their friends who are living with mental health problems. The PSA campaign
aims to reach 18- to 25-year-old adults who have friends living with mental
illnesses. It highlights the importance of their providing support and
illustrates how friendship is the key to recovery. The campaign also
includes print and interactive advertising that directs audiences to visit a
new comprehensive Web site, www.whatadifference.samsha.gov to learn more
about mental health and what they can do to play a role in their friend's
recovery.
http://www.samhsa.gov/Newsroom/whatadifference.aspx
Mark Your Calendar for the next
EDC Lobby Day
The next EDC Lobby Day is tentatively scheduled May 1, 2007. The focus
of the day will be the new Eating Disorders Dream Bill. New in 2007:
A full day of appointments, morning and afternoon.
A lunchtime presentation at the Capitol.
Smaller teams.
Plus, check the
EDC
Events Calendar for happenings throughout the year. EDC member
organizations are encouraged to list their events on this calendar.
EDC Wish List
People & Organizations
Goods
Services
Financial Support
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December
22, 2006 - Governor George E. Pataki is scheduled today to sign into law a
statewide bill to allow greater access to care for people for people with
mental illness. He will sign "Timothy's Law."