Nick Reisman is reporting for State of Politics a coalition of mental health and addiction advocates are criticizing the U.S. Senate's proposed coronavirus stimulus legislation for not including money to aid state and local governments nationwide. Member groups are facing steep cuts in aid if New York does not receive direct support from the federal government to offset the billions of dollars in lost tax revenue. "Millions of children are missing their routines, activities and education," the coalition said. "Taken nationally, countless Americans are facing foreclosures, bankruptcies, broken families, serious depression and ever rising rates of suicide and fatal drug overdose—all while the COVID virus continues to spread." The list of groups signing onto a critique of the Senate plan includes the Association for Community Living, the Coalition for Behavioral Health, the Mental Health Association in New York State, and the New York Association of Psychiatric Rehabilitation Services. Local and state governments across the country have lost billions of dollars amid the coronavirus pandemic while unemployment rates have escalated at the same time. And advocates worry the conditions are leading to increased problems for those with mental health needs and addiction. "The Senate’s proposal fails to address growing hunger and housing insecurity, unemployment and loss of healthcare coverage, especially for hard hit African American, Latinx and immigrant households," the coalition said. It is still unclear when the Senate version of the stimulus proposal will be reconciled with the House version. Read the full story at nystateofpolitics [dot] com.