ATLANTA – State Representative Jay Neal (R-LaFayette) has been appointed by the Georgia Behavioral Health Legislative Caucus (GBHLC) as their new Co-Chairman and House Legislative Host. In these roles, Rep. Neal will assist the GBHLC in their efforts to educate state and local officials about issues concerning Georgians who live with behavioral health disabilities.
“I’m humbled that the Georgia Behavioral Health Legislative Caucus would choose to appoint me to such esteemed positions within their organization,” said Representative Neal. “Since first being elected to the state House, I have worked to make my fellow state legislators more aware of the behavioral health issues affecting our state. These new leadership positions within the Georgia Behavioral Health Legislative Caucus will enable me to further these efforts and bring even greater attention to these issues.”
The GBHLC is made up of more than 50 different member organizations, including the Georgia Supportive Housing Association, Georgia Physicians and Psychiatric Association (GPPA), and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). Through the GBHLC, these member organizations work together to help state and local officials find solutions to the problems facing Georgians with behavioral health disabilities.
“Representative Jay Neal was appointed to these caucus leadership roles because he is a respected up and coming leader in state politics. He has the vision to shift resources into the community so that those with serious mental illness, substance abuse and co-occurring disorders can recover close to home and become contributing members of their own community,” said Nora Haynes, Public Policy Director for NAMI Georgia.
Over the next year, Rep. Neal and State Senator Johnny Grant will work together as Co-Chairmen of the GBHLC. Together, they will host a series of behavioral health caucus meetings, the first of which will be held on August 19, 2010.
“Representative Jay Neal and Senator Johnny Grant are great choices to co-chair the Georgia Behavioral Health Legislative Caucus,” said Paul Bolster, Executive Director of the Georgia Supportive Housing Association. “Jay is committed to finding ways to integrate systems to solve the state’s problem of fragmentation of services for those who have a behavioral health diagnosis.”
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Representative Jay Neal represents the citizens of District 1, which includes portions of Catoosa and Walker Counties. He was elected into the House of Representatives in 2004, and is currently the Vice-Chairman of the Insurance Committee. He also serves on the Appropriations, Economic Development and Tourism, and Public Safety and Homeland Security Committees.