E-News From Congressman Murphy

Press Release

Murphy Special Guest at Community Mental Health Forums

This week Congress Murphy joined Rep. Bob Dold (IL-10) and Carlos Curbelo (FL-26) in their congressional districts as part of his ongoing investigation into our nation's mental health system. The highlight of both visits was the momentum and support shown for the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (H.R. 2646), which recently passed the House by a vote of 422-2.
With Congressman Bob Dold moderating the panel,
Congressman Murphy speaks about H.R. 2646
crisis mental health reforms.

In Illinois, Murphy and Dold hosted a summit at the Lake County Health Department and toured Compass Health Center in Northbrook to discuss with local advocates the bill and efforts to get similar mental health reforms through the Senate. H.R. 2646 drives reform where they are most needed: fostering evidence-based care, fixing the shortage of psychiatric hospital beds, empowering patients and caregivers, and helping patients get treatment before a crisis.

"This effort we are undertaking is like tearing down the Berlin Wall of stigma in mental health -- it's going to take some time," Murphy said. "But it has cracks in it, and this bill is our sledgehammer." Murphy emphasized that to remove the stigma associated with mental illness, greater focus must be put on the scientific basis of mental health and the medical nature of treatment and recovery.

The Murphy bill increases access to inpatient psychiatric hospital beds by reforming a Medicaid billing policy that currently prohibits federal payments for the care of mentally ill persons at facilities with more than 16 psychiatric beds. Florida has a severe shortage of inpatient treatment options with just 12.1 psychiatric beds for every 100,000 residents. It is recommended for states to have at least 50 beds for every 100,000 persons.

The next day, Murphy took part in a stakeholder meeting at a Florida VA Outpatient clinic in with law enforcement personnel, mental health providers, family members, and local Congressman Carlos Curbelo to discuss how the community needs in Florida are at the same time both similar and unique to those across the country. The group discussed how state and federal laws prevent them from taking a more active role in getting individuals in to treatment and police and parents alike criticized the state's Baker Act, which will only guide a person with severe and chronic mental illness into treatment if they are imminently homicidal or suicidal. As well, the issue of homelessness of the persistent and chronically medically ill present ongoing strain on community resources.

Murphy will be continuing to conducting fact finding events as part of his mental health reform effort throughout the summer and continuing to put pressure on the Senate to act on comprehensive mental health reform legislation like the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act.

To share your thoughts on the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, please click here.

Helping Families in Addiction Crisis

The United States is currently in the midst of a rampant prescription drug abuse and opioid epidemic. Since 2002, the number of overdose deaths in Westmoreland County has increased by approximately 290% and both prescription and illegal drugs have become a leading cause of both accidental and intentional overdose deaths. In the last year alone, the number of both heroin and opioid related deaths have spiked by more than a third in most of Western Pennsylvania. In 2015, fatal overdoses increased in Allegheny County by 37% and in Westmoreland County by 43%.
Dr. Rivero Becerra discusses his
vision and plan for the Vital Pain Center

This past Thursday, Congressman Murphy was invited to speak at the grand opening of the Vital Pain Center in Scott Township. Led by Dr. Jorge Rivero Becerra, the clinic focuses on treating patients for pain management and opioid addiction while ensuring a high quality of life. Following the ribbon cutting and tour of the facility, Congressman Murphy spoke in depth to Dr. Rivero Becerra to discuss the center's mission and approach to treating patients suffering from opioid addiction. Both Murphy and Dr. Rivero Becerra emphasized the need for collaboration and a team approach to recovery that will in turn yield the best results for patients.

Congressman Murphy has long voiced his concern over the use of opioids and Dr. Rivero Becerra shared many of Murphy's concerns. Those admitted to the Vital Pain Center will undergo counseling, urinalysis exams, pill counts, and background searches to see if the patient is getting opioid treatment therapy in other locations.

In 2015, the Energy and Commerce Committee's Oversight and Investigations Subcommittee, chaired by Congressman Murphy, convened 5 hearings on the drug abuse crisis and compiled a series of findings to identify how Congress can best respond. Murphy's leadership and tireless efforts during Committee proceedings translated to legitimate comprehensive reform being taken up in the House of Representatives. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) passed through the House in May by a near unanimous vote of 400-5, and just last week the Senate adopted the CARA conference report giving final approval to legislation that addresses the addiction crisis unfolding throughout the country through new programs to prevent and treat addiction, and support those in recovery.

"For decades Congress has failed to address the issue of drug abuse, treating it as a crime, rewarding doctors who overprescribe opioids, prohibiting the integration of substance abuse records with physical health records, and looking the other way when facts about the adverse effects of bad policy become clear," said Murphy. "We cannot allow that to continue and we need to advance policies that provide a path to full recovery that heals patients, not a dead end road that leaves people addicted to opioids and the federal government."

Professional organizations such as the National Council on Behavioral Health, Community Anti-Drug Coalitions of America, Major County Sheriffs, Faces and Voices of Recovery, among many others have voiced their support for this bill. This legislation is aimed at incentivizing evidence-based best practices and promoting collaboration, the final conference report has garnered the support of approximately 250 organizations.

To share your thoughts on the CARA Act, please click here.

Protecting Those Who Protect and Serve

According to a recent report targeted attacks against police officers have risen 44% within the last year. In response Congressman Murphy joined several of his Congressional colleagues in cosponsoring the Back the Blue Act, which has been endorse by every major police associations in the nation.
Murphy speaks at the Allegheny County Police Memorial

The bill would increase penalties against violent criminals who intentionally target law enforcement officers, provide new tools to help law enforcement protect themselves, and open up grant funding to strengthen relationships between law enforcement and their communities.

"Each day police officers across the country work as the peace makers in our communities, they are the ones willing -- day in and day out -- to take on the responsibility of protecting our neighborhoods. But, tragically they have become targets for criminals and terrorists. It is now incumbent upon our society to protect those who have for so long protected and served use" said Murphy about the bill.

Congressman Murphy's own bill, The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act, also includes a provision that would help better protect law enforcement officers. In Murphy's bill, officers would receive funding for crisis intervention training, which would better equip them to handle scenarios involving a person with a severe mental illness. CIT trained officers are 25 percent more likely to transport a person to community treatment, emergency evaluation, and mental health facilities than police without special training.

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