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Another Provision of Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act Advances in the House

6/2/15

Another Provision of Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act Advances in the House

Bipartisan Murphy-Lujan Grisham-Blumenauer Amendment on Mental Health Courts Passes

For Immediate Release: June 2, 2015
Contact: Gretchen Andersen 202.225.2301

(WASHINGTON, D.C.) – An amendment offered by U.S. Reps Tim Murphy, Michelle Lujan Grisham (NM-01) and Earl Blumenauer (OR-03) to reprogram $2 million from Department of Justice overhead costs to boost funding for the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program passed the House of Representatives this evening by a vote of 417-10.

“The mentally ill are ten times more likely to end up in prison than in psychiatric care. Mental health courts are a meaningful alternative to incarcerating those with serious mental illness and have a proven track record of success across the country,” said Murphy. “With our passage of our amendment, millions of Americans will get on a path to treatment and recovery, not tragedy.”

The bipartisan amendment to the Commerce-Justice-Science Appropriations Bill invests in crisis-intervention training for state and local law enforcement training, mental health and substance abuse treatment, mental health courts and rehabilitation and community re-entry services such as successful Mental Health Courts programs.

“By delivering a pathway to psychiatric care through collaboration between the mental health and criminal justice systems, mental health courts meet public safety and community restitution objectives with better outcomes than the traditional courtroom setting for those with serious mental illness that for too long have cycled in and out of court and jail.”

Congressman Murphy plans to reintroduce his groundbreaking Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act in the following days. The previous version, H.R. 3717, included a reauthorization of the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program. Murphy has just been added as a featured speaker at the Mental Health America annual conference Thursday morning to discuss the new version of his legislation. 

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In his seventh term representing Pennsylvania’s 18th congressional district encompassing suburban Pittsburgh including parts of Allegheny, Washington, Westmoreland and Greene Counties, Rep. Tim Murphy also serves as a Lieutenant Commander in the Navy Reserve Medical Service Corps as a psychologist treating Wounded Warriors with post-traumatic stress and traumatic brain injury.

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    repName Tim Murphy  
    helpWithFedAgencyAddress District Office
    504 Washington Road
    Pittsburgh, PA 15228    		  
    district 18th District of Pennsylvania  
    academyUSCitizenDate July 1, 2012  
    academyAgeDate July 1, 2012  
    academyApplicationDueDate October 20, 2012  
    repStateABBR PA  
    repDistrict 18  
    repState Pennsylvania  
    repDistrictText 18th  
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