Thanks to Sponsors, Attendees of Making Parity Real Final Conference
The Community Advocates Public Policy Institute would like to thank the sponsors, panelists and attendees of the Making Parity Real Final Conference, held Aug. 10 in Madison.
Watch the Making Parirty Real Final Conference Online at WisconsinEye |
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Former Dane County Executive Kathleen Falk, a longtime supporter of programs that help families overcome drug and alcohol problems, kicked off a day-long planning session on the future of mental health and substance use disorder treatment in Wisconsin.
She was joined by a panel of state experts to develop public policy strategies for increasing access to treatment:
- Barbara Beckert, Director, Disability Rights Wisconsin, Milwaukee Office
- Shel Gross, Director of Public Policy, Mental Health America-Wisconsin
- Walter Laux, Assistant Administrator, Milwaukee County Adult Community Mental Health and AODA Services
- Jennifer Lowenberg, Advocacy and Training Specialist, National Alliance on MentalIllness-Wisconsin
- Marilyn Walczak, Community Justice Project Coordinator, Community Advocates Public Policy Institute
- Mary Neubauer, Certified Peer Specialist, Community Advocates
During the Final Conference, expert panelists and attendees:
- Discussed data and recommendations obtained from local experts -- including providers, advocates, consumers, law enforcement officials and the recovery community -- during the nine-city Making Parity Real series of symposia, held November 2009 to February 2011.
- Voted on which recommendations should be given the highest priority. Voting results are available here.
- Developed policy statements, and discuss short-term and long-term feasibility for each recommendation.
- Identified potential partnerships for pursuing policy change.
Discussion was organized around the major treatment-related themes identified by experts and symposia attendees:
- Stigma: How stigma prevents successful treatment and recovery efforts.
- Access to Care: How authorization issues, geographic and transportation challenges, lack of providers (especially in urban centers and rural areas), lack of cultural competence and cumbersome insurance coverage impede access to care.
- Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder System Redesign: The benefits and challenges of redesigning treatment systems to incorporate more holistic approaches and include best practices.
- Criminal Justice System: The intersections among the criminal justice, mental health and substance use disorder treatment systems, including care during and after incarceration; early intervention and diversion to treatment; and reforming Chapters 51 and 55 of state statute.
- Workforce Development: Increasing peer support and cultural competence, reforming licensure and credentialing processes, and incentivizing service in behavioral health.
The Making Parity Real Final Conference was presented in conjunction with Community Health Connections and the University of Wisconsin Institute for Clinical and Translational Research.
Making Parity Real was presented by:
Learn more:
Milwaukee Addiction Treatment Initiative | Mental Health Policy Initiative
