Recovery Learning Communities head to State House to protest proposed budget cut

by LaMara HunterKelly | Apr 7, 2015 | In The News

Supporters of the Recovery Learning Community are in Boston today to rally and advocate at the State House against a proposed 50 percent cut to the community’s $3.4 million budget. It has been funded since 2007, through the Department of Mental Health, and the reduction is part of Gov. Charlie Baker’s proposed state budgetfor the new fiscal year.

There are six Recovery Learning Communities in the state, and they were created by the DMH to offer peer-to-peer support to individuals who have experienced a psychiatric illness, substance abuse problem or a related challenge. Each RLC operates through its own area partners to offer a variety of resources.

Advocates say their value is in the fact they offer immediate assistance without the need for a referral or intake process.

Baker’s proposed budget is said to increase, by 1.7 percent, funding for the DMH whose budget would be $12.4 million. The proposed budget is also said to include $17. 8 million, an increase of 5.1 percent, in funding to adult mental health and support services. This amount includes……

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Advocates for Western Mass. mental health program protest proposed budget cuts

by LaMara HunterKelly | Apr 7, 2015 | In The News

BOSTON – The head of a network of peer-supported mental health centers in Western Massachusetts is warning that some of the centers are at risk of closing due to a budget cut proposed by Gov. Charlie Baker.

“If we got cut by 50 percent, we’d have to close centers,” said Sera Davidow, director of the Western Massachusetts Recovery Learning Community. “We’re really not sure how we’d survive it.”

Advocates for Recovery Learning Communities around the state rallied at the Statehouse on Wednesday against a provision in Baker’s proposed fiscal year 2016 budget that would cut $1.7 million, or half of the total state funding………

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