Governor Kemp, the Office and Planning and Budget, and department Commissioners have formulated a budget which will be considered by the Georgia legislature that includes 11% cuts to departments across the board. The cuts they are proposing to behavioral health (mental health and substance use/addiction recovery) services are much higher. Every community will be impacted.

Georgia’s public safety net is at risk. Let our leaders know that we want and need accessible behavioral health services and supports for our families, our neighbors, and our communities.

Georgia spent less on its citizens per capita than most any other state even before COVID-19. And now, in the middle of the pandemic, when so many Georgians are losing their jobs, and experiencing levels of depression and anxiety at twice the level before COVID-19, our legislature must not eliminate decades of effort that built the successful peer-based services, trainings, and supports that are the cornerstone of Georgia’s behavioral health system.

Please sign this petition today to let our leaders know that Georgia needs to make SMART behavioral health investments that will lead to SMART behavioral health outcomes. This includes:
- Restoring peer recovery support services and training. 
- Restoring children and family behavioral health services.
- Restoring community behavioral health services and supports such as outpatient services, crisis stabilization units, counseling, and medications.

The governor is required by law to sign a budget by the end of this month, so please sign this petition and reach out to your legislators today. You can see a full list of what is being cut at the Senate website: http://www.senate.ga.gov/sbeo/Documents/AppropriationsDocuments/FY2021/General/FY21G_Agency_HumanDevelopment.pdf

#SMARTforBH #GARecovers #RecoveryIsReal #Act4MentalHealth

This petition is sponsored by:

Georgia Council on Substance Abuse: https://www.gasubstanceabuse.org/
Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network: https://www.gmhcn.org/advocacy
Georgia Parent Support Network: http://gpsn.org
Mental Health America of Georgia: https://www.mhageorgia.org/
National Alliance on Mental Illness – Georgia: https://www.namiga.org/