Kentucky’s community mental health centers (CMHC’s) – that provide therapy and recovery services for people struggling with mental illness and substance abuse, as well as those with developmental and intellectual disabilities – have not received a state funding increase since the 1990’s. Investing in a stronger Commonwealth means investing in public and mental health and those with disabilities. Hundreds of those affected by those budget cuts and lack of funding took to the Capitol Rotunda to make that case. According to the National Alliance on Mental Illness’s most recent report card, Kentucky was one of six states to receive an “F” for its poor funding of behavioral health services, and Kaiser Family Foundation ranked Kentucky 45th in per capita mental health service expenditures. Even so, there are further proposed cuts to these vital services, which threaten the future of mental health services in Kentucky and our ability provide the necessary services that Kentucky families rely on to live healthier, more productive lives.