Vinfen, Advocates Rally at Statehouse to Restore Funding
February 25th, 2011
NEWS RELEASE
Vinfen Corporation
Communications & Public Affairs Dept.
950 Cambridge Street
Cambridge, MA 02141
617-441-1800
www.vinfen.org
For immediate release: (Click here for the PDF)
February 25, 2011
VINFEN, ADVOCATES RALLY AT STATEHOUSE TO RESTORE FUNDING
$3 million proposed cut to DMH Clubhouses poses serious threat
(CAMBRIDGE, MA) Vinfen Corporation, the region’s leading nonprofit human services organization, along with mental health advocates, plan to rally at the Statehouse and call on legislators to protest a proposed $3 million cut to Clubhouse centers on Tuesday, March 1 at 11 a.m.
There are 33 rehabilitative Clubhouse Centers statewide that help individuals with mental illness live successfully in the community. Clubhouses provide a welcoming place to come to during the day and assistance with job placement, education, housing, peer support, duel recovery support as well as art-based therapy.
“Vinfen’s Webster House offers vital services for people recovering in the community,” said Vinfen CEO Dr. Bruce Bird. “Cutting these services is short-sighted and will be devastating for communities and individuals with mental illness and their families.”
Webster House, located in Brookline, is a leader in the Clubhouse community and provides a dynamic, supportive environment for people with psychiatric disabilities. Webster House ensures members have access to quality in-house art-based therapy and community based work, continuing education, health and wellness support and social/recreational opportunities.
Clubhouse members earned $13.2 million working for local businesses in fiscal year 2009 helping to support a struggling economy while working to rebuild lives, according to a study by the Massachusetts Clubhouse Coalition.
In January Governor Patrick released his spending plan for fiscal year 2012, recommending the $3 million cut in an effort to close a $1.2 billion fiscal short fall. The Governor also plans to eliminate 160 psychiatric in-patient beds while cutting mental health community services. The Department of Mental Health (DMH) is also facing a 3.4 percent cut to its service system which translates into an overall reduction of $21 million from the DMH budget.
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