Dear Friends of Wright School (or those who know how important mental health services are)

(Most of this post comes courtesy of Rebecca Viverette: she worded it so well I didn't feel the need to change anything)

It was your support two years ago that has allowed Wright School to continue to serve children, families and communities. Your efforts have not gone unnoticed or unappreciated. The time has come once again to advocate for Wright School so that it remains in the state budget. Though Wright School is currently in Governor Perdue's proposed budget, we have recently learned that a plan to close Wright School was presented to the Joint Appropriations Subcommittee for Health and Human Services. Time is of the essence and your support is of the utmost importance. We have many new legislators that need to be educated about the scarcity of quality resources available to children with severe mental illness and their families in their communities, and about the great work being done by Wright School. You may help by choosing one of the following most effective ways to advocate:

1. Face to face meeting with your legislators
2. Phone call to your legislators
3. Hand written letter
4. Personal email
5. Form letter or email

At the bottom of this post is a sample document, with detailed information about the program. Personalized letters are the most effective, and the two attached documents can be used as sources for talking points or templates for letters. Click on the following link to find the contact information for your legislators: http://www.ncleg.net/GIS/RandR07/Representation.html. Please make contact with members of the House by March 31st, as they will complete their revisions of the budget and pass it to the Senate in April. We would like to hear back from you. It is helpful to know which legislators have been contacted.

You may also send Governor Perdue (governor.office@nc.gov) a note of gratitude for keeping Wright School in her version of the budget. We were not in her proposed budget two years ago, and your letters and support are part of the reason Wright School is in it this year. Thank you again for your continued support!

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Dear (Name of your legislator):

I understand that the task of balancing the State budget is more challenging than ever, and I support your efforts to do so in a way that preserves programs that work. Wright School is a best practice, short term, high quality residential treatment center for children with severe emotional, behavioral and learning difficulties whose needs can't currently be met in their communities. One of the program's foremost goals is to identify, strengthen and form alliances with community resources to support the children and their families when they return to their communities.

I urge you to visit the school and see for yourself! You will find that:

·        Wright School provides best practice treatment that works. 

A research study, conducted by Duke University and published in 2006, shows that Wright School’s treatment program DOES make a positive difference for children with challenging and troubling behaviors. To read more about Wright School’s outcome study, go to   http://www.wrightschool.org/study.htm

·        Wright School serves and strengthens communities across the state that have scarce resources or have exhausted their resources.

·        Wright School serves children and families from all counties in North Carolina whose Local Management Entities (LMEs) approve their application for admission to the program.

·        Wright School’s safety record is exemplary.

·        Wright School is the only non acute care state operated facility that provides residential treatment for school age children with severe behavior problems.

·        Wright School is a highly cost-effective treatment program that serves as an alternative to the medical model of acute inpatient hospitalization for stabilization.

·        Wright School also serves as a training site for the professionals of tomorrow. 

Please support this program. If you can, visit the school and talk to the staff. It is really a stellar example of a program that works.

Thank you for your time and consideration.

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