Nothing about us without us

 

The Honorable Deval Patrick

Office of the Governor

State House

Boston, MA 02133

July 15, 2009

Dear Governor Patrick,

I am writing you on behalf of M-POWER, a statewide organization run by and for people with lived experience of mental health diagnosis, trauma and/or extreme states.

M-POWER is extremely concerned that during this time of tremendous fiscal crisis the Commonwealth is building a "state of the art" psychiatric hospital in Worcester that will cost the taxpayers $302 million, the costliest construction project since the Big Dig. In addition nearly $50 million has already been spent just preparing the site, including over one million dollars spent just to save an historic clock from the old Worcester State

Hospital.

It is unconscionable that hundreds of millions will be spent on building a state institution when Department of Mental Health funded community programs such as Services for

Employment and Education (SEE), day rehabilitation and case management have been slashed. DMH services were severely cut last fall as part of the 9C cuts. In fact, DMH suffered the highest overall cut of any of the larger EOHHS agencies, resulting in the loss of services for over 2600 people. On top of this $40 million decrease, even after DMH IT consolidation and several other financial and administrative measures, adult community services are facing an additional $13 million cut in the FY’2010 budget.

As you know the Supreme Court’s landmark Olmstead decision requires that services for people with disabilities must be provided in the least restrictive settings. The Common-wealth’s Community First Plan calls for providing housing with supportive services for people with disabilities in the community, not in institutions such as state hospitals and nursing homes.

It is our belief that building the new state hospital is Worcester violates the Olmstead

decision and is in direct contrast to the spirit of the Community First Plan.

We urge you to halt construction of the new Worcester State Hospital. It does not make fiscal sense, neither now, nor in the future when we will be forced to pay back the bonds used in financing the project. We will be paying for the Big Dig for many years. Let’s not add the cost of the new hospital to our debts. Also, it does not make moral sense for peo-ple with serious mental illness. People in need of hospitalization should be provided care

in smaller settings closer to home.

We urge you to uphold the Olmstead decision and divert funds from the new hospital to com-munity-based mental health services which are far less costly and far more effective in advanc-ing individuals’ recovery.

Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

Linda Fountas

President, M-POWER Board of Directors

C.c. EOHHS Secretary JudyAnn Bigby

98 Magazine Street

Roxbury, MA 02119 website: www.m-power.org

blog: m-powerblog.org

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

2008-2009

President Linda Fountas

Clerk Patricia Levi

Treasurer Dede Alley

Metro Boston

Helen Cheltenham Nicki Glasser

Metro-Suburban

Linda Fountas Kerrie Fallon

Northeast

Ruthie Poole

Dede Alley

Southeast

Brenda LaPage

Central

Linda Lolli Patricia Levi

Western Mass

Valerie Ennis

At Large

Phil Kolb

Gail Shamon

Cassie Cramer Florette Willis

98 Magazine Street

Roxbury, MA 02119 website: www.m-power.org

blog: m-powerblog.org

Phone: (617) 442-3301

Toll free: (877) 769-7693

TTY: (617) 442-9042

FAX: (617) 442-4005