Media Advisory

Monday, March 31, 2008

National Contact: Kara Sweeney, karas@thenationalcouncil.org, 301-984-6200 x223

Local Contact: Stephanie Hirst, shirst@mhsacm.org, 508-647-8385 x16   

Senator Frederick E. Berry Receives National Recognition as State Legislator of the Year

    Peabody, Massachusetts – Senator Frederick E. Berry, a leader in the Massachusetts Legislature, has been recognized by the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare as a 2008 Awards of Excellence winner. Nominated by the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts (MHSACM), Senator Berry was selected to receive the State Legislator of the Year Award, acknowledging his long time leadership advocacy for mental health and substance use disorders. Senator Berry is dedicated to supporting the citizens of Massachusetts by making affordable and accessible behavioral healthcare a priority in the Legislature. The Awards Dinner will take place on Friday, May 2, 2008 at the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library in Boston, Massachusetts, during the 2008 National Council Annual Conference.

  “For close to thirty years, Senator Berry has been steadfast in his belief that community-based treatment and services provide the highest quality and most cost-effective care f0r individuals in need of such services,” said Linda Rosenberg, MSW, president and CEO of the National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare. “His leadership and dedication to the needs of this most vulnerable population continues to allow more people to live in recovery, bettering their quality of life, fulfilling their dreams and giving back to their communities.”  

Senator Berry led the fight to close state institutions early in his tenure in the Senate.  At the same time he successfully sponsored legislation to extend coverage under Massachusetts’ anti-discrimination laws to individuals with disabilities.  As the Senate Chairman of the Joint Committee on Housing and Urban Development Berry championed legislation to protect individuals with disabilities from discrimination in housing. 

In this role, he engineered an innovative program to ensure that individuals with mental illness and/or substance abuse issues received the supports they needed to live safely and independently in public housing.   Senator Berry was the original sponsor of legislation that eventually became Massachusetts’ first mental health parity law.  He played a leading role as the bill’s original author and was member of the legislative conference committee that wrote the final bill that became law.   

Senator Berry has been a stalwart advocate for adequate funding for mental health and substance abuse services throughout his career.  He has successfully advocated for more funding in the “good” years and been equally strong in protecting state funding for services in the “lean” years.  Most recently Senator Berry took the lead in ensuring the ongoing existence of the Massachusetts Medicaid behavioral health carve-out.  The carve-out ensures that individuals with the highest levels of acuity receive the behavioral health services they need to live in the community.  

“The provider members of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts are so proud to have one of our own, Senator Fred Berry, be recognized with this prestigious award from the National Council. He has been an invaluable partner to our organization and members as we work to provide better services to individuals living with mental illness and addictions, to create opportunities for long term health and a fuller quality of life. We are very pleased that Senator Berry is receiving the national recognition he so richly deserves,” said Vic DiGravio, president and CEO of MHSACM.  

The National Council Awards of Excellence recognizes leaders in the mental health and addictions treatment field, like Senator Frederick E. Berry, who are implementing innovative and effective programs to serve their communities.  Award winners have demonstrated an ability to measure outcomes, translate research into practice, and service to the most vulnerable populations.   ________________________________________________________________________________   The National Council for Community Behavioral Healthcare is a not-for-profit, 501(c)(3) association of 1,400 behavioral healthcare organizations that provide treatment and rehabilitation for mental illnesses and addictions disorders to nearly six million adults, children and families in communities across the country. The National Council and its members bear testimony to the fact that medical, social, psychological and rehabilitation services offered in community settings help people with mental illnesses and addiction disorders recover and lead productive lives.  

Mental Health and Substance Abuse Corporations of Massachusetts, Inc. (MHSACM) is a statewide trade association whose members are the primary providers of mental health and substance abuse services in Massachusetts.  Our mission is to promote community-based mental health and substance abuse services as the most appropriate clinically effective and cost-sensitive method for providing care to individuals in need. MHSACM is comprised of 100 member organizations.  These organizations serve approximately 117,000 clients/day, have 20,000 staff members, and generate approximately $1.2 billion total revenues per year.  MHSACM is supported entirely by member dues.