Minnesota Legislative Session

May 17, 2022

This Mental Health Awareness Month, we have talked a lot about the importance of not just being aware of mental health, but also advocating for those living and working with the mental health community.  Now is the time to put that information to use!  This is the last week of the legislative session with two main Health and Human Services bills in the Senate:  SF 4410 and SF 3249, along with the House Omnibus bill, that include the following, critical needs to better serve Guild clients and support Guild staff.  These bills are in danger of not passing – so we are asking you to reach out to your State Representatives 

WHAT IS ADDRESSED IN THE BILLS?  

  • Reducing Barriers for mental health practitioners to qualify as case managers:  At a time where hiring case managers is exceedingly difficult, this would increase the total pool of applicants, and open case manager roles to more people who work in other areas at Guild.
  • Address Behavioral Health Homes rate structure:  This would simplify the rate tracking and the House omnibus bill would provide for higher rates which would allow this program to be sustainable and for more providers to provide the services to more Minnesotans.
  • Workforce Development:  Guild CEO Julie Bluhm has spoken openly about the challenges in hiring and retaining top professionals in the mental health industry.  These bills would accomplish the following:
    • Include Mental Health providers in the workforce incentive grants to make it easier for Mental Health professionals to provide supervision under the loan forgiveness program.
    • Allow clinical supervision to be provided via audio and visual communication, rather than in person.
    • Additional funding to train more peer specialists and family peer specialists.
    • Workforce retention funding in the Mental Health System.
  • Increasing funding for crisis services:  Providing more support to Minnesotans at a time in their life when they need it most.   

Below is a list of key leaders to email about these priorities. Please email each of them to ask them to fund the above priorities, stating you are a supporter of Guild and have a stake in our ability to do our work.  If one of the following people is your legislator, make sure to state that you are their constituent in the subject line.

Thank you for supporting Guild and Minnesota’s mental health community.