Safer Consumption Services  

NAMI-NYC supports the Safer Consumption Services Act (S.603/A.224) to expand safe injection sites in the state. This will help prevent overdose deaths by having medical professionals on site. It also will minimize improperly discarded syringes through syringe exchange and disposal. We hope to see an increase in comprehensive overdose prevention centers. These sites increase access to treatment for substance use and mental health, along with connections to resources to care for individuals’ other basic needs and social services supports.  

Parity for Mental Health & Substance Use Disorders 

We support stronger enforcement of the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 to ensure equitable health insurance coverage for individuals needing coverage for mental health conditions/substance use disorder. 

The Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (MHPAEA) is a federal law that aims to prevent health insurance companies from reducing coverage or imposing less favorable benefit limitations for individuals needing coverage for mental health conditions/substance use disorder. While this effort to stop discrimination against those who have mental health parity has been a law for well over a decade, there have been issues of noncompliance. We support stronger enforcement of the act to ensure equitable coverage.