TACID activities, meetings, and events are available here for viewing and for printing. These include peer support groups, workshops, activities, classes, and events. Contact (253)565-9000 X10 or barbara@tacid.org for more information or to schedule a meeting space.
EDUCATE |
ADVOCATE |
|
DON'T HESITATE |
City of Tacoma 1/10 1% Sales Tax will Reduce Community Costs of Mental Illness
Dear Tacoma City Council Members:
Pierce County is the only county on the Puget Sound I-5 Corridor that has not adopted the 1/10 of 1% sales tax to help fund mental health services. The first year that King County adopted this measure the funding represented millions of dollars coming into a system that had been pulled apart for years at the state level.
The Pierce County Council, even though Councilman Tim Farrell made attempts, did not support this tax. The State Legislature wisely recognized that if the County would not exercise leadership that cities must have the flexibility to do so. The Legislature does not require this to go to the people for a vote either. Even Grays Harbor County has adopted this tax. I urge you to adopt this measure directly through a council resolution. It will represent significant dollars impact into mental health supports.
Why is this important? Here are some facts that I have pulled together from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, World Health Organization, US Department of Human Services, The National Alliance of Mental Illness, and other research in the record.
- One in four people experience some form of mental health challenge in their life.
- The World Health Organization reports that 40% of the top ten disabilities world-wide are mental illness disabilities.
- In addition, studies have reported that upwards of 65% or more of people with sensory and physical disabilities also face mental health major depressive disorders.
- Mental illness disability also represents the largest segment of Social Security Disability Insurance pay outs on an annual basis.
- The US Department of Health and Human Services reports more than $79 billion annually (2009) in indirect costs of mental illness (NAMI estimates the cost at $100 billion in 2011). These costs include those for hospitalization, incarceration, institutionalization, homelessness, loss in taxes from wages, etc. Extrapolated to the Pierce County level that is a cost to the community of $20 million annually.
- In Tacoma that means $50 million in indirect costs/loss of productivity annually based on population estimate of 3%.
- Estimates from the Surgeon General, SAMHSA, and NAMI hold that the unemployment rate for people with mental health disabilities can be between 65% and 90% depending on the disorder. Studies also show that between 35% and 65% of homeless people are living with mental illness. Roughly half of the people with mental illness have co-occurring substance abuse issues as well.
- Contrast that with the fact that 90% of people with mental illness can be effectively treated through a combination of medications, therapy, and peer supports.
- In addition Veteran suicide as a result of mental illness (PTSD, major depressive disorder) annually outstrips the total number killed in action in both the Iraq and Afghanistan wars to date. The majority of those suicides are people in their 20s. We know the importance and size of JBLM in our community.
- Finally, the majority of people with mental illness disabilities would rather work and earn their way than receive entitlements. Research shows that the barrier to employment is not a person’s ability or capability, but stigma and a failure to be willing to provide accommodations.
Addressing these issues is two pronged. First, the community must be educated about mental illness, its impacts, and its treatments – reducing stigma. Second, individuals living with mental illness must have the supports necessary for them to believe that they can achieve their goals and the tools to develop and implement a road map to accomplish their goals. TACID works on both sides of this coin. We serve more than 1,200 people living with mental illness each year.
We are lucky to have Optum running Pierce County’s Regional Support Network for mental health – through the leadership of Cheri Dolezal they have made great strides in improving the system and elevating the role of the consumer of services in their own care and direction. However, to address serious community issues and impacts of mental illness it will take more than Optum and its partnership with providers in the community. Tacoma needs more – if you adopt this you will be making a significant statement about the value and inclusion of people with disabilities. Even more, you will be making a significant impact in Tacoma’s long term economic future by reducing the pressure on human services.
Again, I urge you to support the 1/10 1% sales tax resolution.
Sincerely,
Ken Gibson, Executive Director
Tacoma Area Coalition of Individuals with Disabilities
Disability Rights & Public Policy
People living with disabilities should be afforded the rights and protections that any member of our community should expect. Local, State, and Federal laws protect the rights of people living with disabillities to assure that they have equal access and are free from discrimination. However, not all public policy has the effect of leveling the playing field for people with disabilities. In these difficult financial times, people with disabilities must be treated both fairly and compassionately - we as a society cannot allow public policies, regulation, and budgets to be adopted that have the effect of turning people with disabilities out onto the streets to end up in emergency rooms, jails, homeless, or worse. Stand up and tell your legislators and elected officials not to cut services and funding for programs and facilities that serve people with disabilities.
As a coalition of individuals with disabilities, TACID is a voice for advocacy in the communities of Pierce County.
Contact Information
DSHS Secretary Susan Dreyfus - Not Available
State Legislator Contact Information
| 2nd |
House Jim McCune House J.T. Wilcox Senate Randi Becker |
| 25th |
House Bruce Dammeier House Hans Zeigler Senate Jim Kastama |
| 26th |
House Jan Angel House Larry Seaquist Senate Derek Kilmer |
| 27th |
House Laurie Jinkins House Jeannie Darneille Senate Debbie Regala |
| 28th |
House Troy Kelley House Tami Green Senate Mike Carrell |
| 29th |
House Connie Ladenburg House Steve Kirby Senate Steve Conway |
| 31st |
House Cathy Dahlquist House Christopher Hurst Senate Pam Roach |
US Senate
US House of Representatives
Rep. Jay Inslee
Rep. Rick Larsen
Rep. Jamie Herrera Buetler
Rep. Doc Hastings
Rep. Cathy McMorris Rodgers
Rep. Norman Dicks
Rep. Jim McDermott
Rep. David Reichert
Rep. Adam Smith