Contact Governor Wolf, your State Senator and State Representative to Make Sure CHIPPS Funding is in State Budget.

Friends,

The 2016 Office of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services Olmstead Plan for PA’s Mental Health System states that the Department of Human Services will request funding for at least 90 Community Hospital Integrations Projects Program (CHIPP) discharges each fiscal year.  This funding is to ensure that the individuals who are ready and recommended for discharge obtain the necessary services and supports to live successfully in their home communities

Unfortunately for the first time in many years, the Governor’s proposed budget fails to include funding for 90 CHIPP discharges.

Why? The reason provided is that counties need time to “catch-up” implementing past CHIPP funding and while that may be applicable for counties connected to the Norristown State Hospital civil unit closure, it is not true for many other counties. In fact, fiscal year 2014-2015 was the last year that CHIPP funding was made available throughout the state.

Click here to contact Governor Wolf, your State Senator, and State Representative!

Urge them to include funding for 90 CHIPP discharges in the final budget for fiscal year 2018-2019. In the 2016 Olmstead Plan, a commitment to request funding for 90 CHIPPs was made and we are asking the administration to honor that commitment.

Tell them:

·      Many counties have not had access to CHIPP funding since fiscal year 2014-2015

·      There are individuals who are ready for discharge and with the right services and supports could live successfully in their home communities

·      It is unacceptable for people to spend one more day, month or year unnecessarily institutionalized

·      Unnecessary institutionalization is considered discrimination under the Americans with Disabilities Act

The State Budget is being finalized and will be passed in the next two weeks. It is critical that the Governor and the members of the General Assembly hear from you NOW to make this funding a priority in those discussions.

Thank you.