Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act

Rep. Tim Murphy, PhD

More than 11 million Americans have severe schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, and major depression yet millions are going without treatment and families struggle to find care for loved ones.

The federal government’s approach to mental health has been a chaotic patchwork of antiquated programs and ineffective policies across numerous agencies. Sadly, patients end up in the criminal justice system or on the streets because services are not available.  

The Helping Families In Mental Health Crisis Act fixes the nation’s broken mental health system by focusing programs and resources on psychiatric care for patients & families most in need of services.

To read the full Energy and Commerce Committee report on its investigation of federal programs addressing serious mental illness, please click here.

Bill Information

Congressman Murphy's Interviews and Floor Speeches

For more videos, please click here. 

Rep. Murphy introduces H.R. 3717 on the House Floor (December 12, 2013)

Floor Speech-Rep. Murphy discusses the need for evidence-based mental health treatment options (February 5, 2014)

Energy and Commerce Committee Hearings:

In The News

CONGRESSMAN MURPHY'S OP-EDS:

Housing is No Substitute for Mental Health Treatment, by Rep. Tim Murphy, Pittsburgh Post Gazette (September 21, 2014)

Reforming the Mental Health System, by Rep. Tim Murphy, Sarasota Herald-Tribune (September 18, 2014)

Suicide is a National Epidemic, by Rep. Tim Murphy, Huffington Post (September 17, 2014)

Remove Barriers to Getting Care for the Mentally Ill, by Rep. Tim Murphy, San Francisco Chronicle (September 10, 2014)

OP-ED: Mental Illness is a Medical Emergency, by Rep. Tim Murphy,Times Union (Albany, NY) (June 30, 2014)

OP-ED: Dear Washington: take serious mental illness seriously. It's a matter of life and death, by Rep. Tim Murphy, The Guardian (UK) (May 27, 2014)

The Fight to Rebuild Our Broken Mental Health System, by Rep. Tim Murphy, The Ripon Forum (February 27, 2014)

OP-ED: Overhaul of mental health care long overdue, by Rep. Tim Murphy, Philadelphia Inquirer (January 26, 2014)

BOARD EDITORIALS:

A Mental Health Overhaul, The Wall Street Journal (December 25, 2013)

The Definition of Insanity, The Wall Street Journal (March 31, 2014)

Worthy of Support: Murphy's Mental Health Bill Faces the Critics, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (April 6, 2014)

Mental Healthcare in the U.S. Needs a Check-Up, Editorial Board of the Washington Post (April 16, 2014)

Efforts Underway to Prevent All-Too-Often Tragic Results of Untreated, Severe Mental Illness, The Sacramento Bee (May 20, 2014)

Time for San Francisco to Support Laura's Law, San Francisco Chronicle (May 22, 2014)

San Francisco Casts Vote for Compassion for People with Severe Mental Illness, The Sacremento Bee (July 9, 2014)

Bill in Congress a Solid Overhaul of America's Broken Mental Health System, Bradenton Herald (August 21, 2014)

EDITORIALS

Viewpoint: What to Do About Our Mental Health Problems, Mark Hurt, The Herald Bulletin (Central Indiana) (September 20, 2014)

Mental-Health Bill Would Help Families Before Crisis Strikes, Dottie Pacharis, Guest Columnist for The Orlando Sentinel (September 14, 2014)

Better Care for the Mentally Ill is Crucial for Our Society, Dr. Cyril Wecht, M.D., J.D. for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (April 13, 2014)

We need to take a proactive approach with mental illness, Guest Opinion by Liza Long (author of "I Am Adam Lanza's Mother") in the Idaho Statesman (January 13, 2014)

A Law to Fix Mental Health Care, Dr. Sally Satel for Bloomberg (December 22, 2013)

All in the Family: Mental Illness and Caregiving Across the Generations, Rachel Pruchno, Ph.D. for Psychology Today (January 15, 2014)

New Bill Decreases Mental Health Funding, Increases Mental Illness Funding, DJ Jaffe for Huffington Post (December 18, 2013)

Murphy’s bill a step toward mental health reform, Observer-Reporter (Washington, PA), (December 21, 2013)

San Fran should take up Laura’s Law again, Amy Yanello, San Francisco Chronicle (December 20, 2013)

Rep. Murphy’s Bill Would Shift Focus: Make Major Changes In Mental Health Care, Pete Earley, journalist and father of a son with a serious mental illness

Sound Off: Mental Health Reform Needed to Aid Patients, Dottie Pacharis for The News-Press (Fort Myers, FL)

HEADLINES

Mental Health Overhaul Draws Heated Discussion, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette (April 3, 2014)

Congressman: When It Comes to Mental Health, U.S. is 'acting like a third world country', Jake Tapper with CNN (January 27, 2014)

Family of grandson in fatal stabbing speaks out in support of Murphy MH Reform Bill, KDKA-TV, Pittsburgh (VIDEO)

Mental health pushed in Congress before Newtown anniversary, CNN (December 12, 2013)

New Bill Reduces and Improves LEO Interaction with Mentally Ill, Mental Illness Policy Org for Law Enforcement Today (December 14, 2013)

Letters of Support

(Click on thumbnail to view Letter of Support)

College of Psychiatric & Neurologic Pharmacists

Developmental Disabilities Area Board 10 Los Angeles

University of Pittsburgh, Department of Psychiatry

New York State Association of Chiefs of Police, Inc.

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Ohio

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of New York State

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of Los Angeles County

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) of San Francisco

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Westside Los Angeles

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Kentucky

National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Contra Costa County (CA)

National Council for Behavioral Health

Washington Psychiatric Society

American College of Emergency Physicians

Mental Illness FACTS

Mental Health Association of Essex County, Inc.

No Health Without Mental Health

Sheppard Pratt Hospital

Saint Paulus Lutheran Church (San Francisco)