Thank you! Your voice in support of people living with mental illnesses was heard in Harrisburg. On October 9, 2009, after months of delay, Governor Rendell signed into law the Commonwealth’s July 1, 2009 through June 30, 2010 budget.

The overall final budget includes less total state spending than the Governor asked for and less than last year. However, while earlier versions would have brought significant cuts to mental health funding, the signed budget includes numbers that are closer to the amount the Governor recommended.
Of particular note, the Governor originally requested $56,120,000 for the Behavioral Health Services Initiative (BHSI). The amount in the final budget is $55,331,000, not the devastating figure of $42,594,000, which was included in an earlier version of the budget.

Your advocacy via phone calls, emails, postcards, letters, and legislative visits made a difference. Thank you.