Ruth B. Balser is the State Representative for the 12th Middlesex District, which includes roughly the southern half of the City of Newton. She is currently serving her fifth term in the Massachusetts Legislature. Her priorities include mental health and substance abuse, health care, education, the environment, women’s rights, and economic and social justice. She serves as the House Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Newton Alderman

Representative Balser served four terms (1988-1995) on the Newton Board of Aldermen. During her tenure as an Alderman, she chaired the Public Safety and Transportation Committee and was a founding member of the Newton Child Care Commission. She has been a member of the Newton Democratic City Committee and served as Chair of the Ward 8 Democratic Committee.

Psychologist

Professionally, Representative Balser is a clinical psychologist with a career that includes community mental health, private practice, and managed care. A 1969 graduate of the University of Rochester, she earned her Ph.D. in 1980 from New York University. She is the first psychologist to serve in the Massachusetts Legislature.

Representative Balser was first elected to the Massachusetts House of Representatives in 1998. She was a leading proponent for the Massachusetts Mental Health Parity Act, which passed in 2000. Throughout her tenure, she has argued for funding for mental health services even during difficult fiscal times. Additionally, she has advocated policies that would address the needs of people suffering from mental illness and substance abuse who become involved with the criminal justice system.

In 2005, House Speaker Salvatore F. DiMasi recognized Representative Balser’s expertise and commitment to mental health public policy when he appointed her to serve as the first House Chair of the newly created Joint Legislative Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse.

Environmentalist

As a member of the Joint Committee on Local Affairs for three terms, Representative Balser served as Chair of the Open Space Sub-committee, later re-named the Article 97 Sub-committee. She authored two reports (New School Construction and the Loss of Article 97 Land, March, 2000; An Updated Analysis of Article 97 Land Transfers, February, 2005) that examined the loss of constitutionally protected conservation land and led efforts in the Legislature to protect public lands. She has been recognized with awards from the Environmental League of Massachusetts and the Newton Conservators for her work in this area.

Locally, Representative Balser has spearheaded environmental efforts, as well. Representative Balser organized and chaired a Task Force dedicated to the restoration of Hammond Pond. As a result of the efforts of the Task Force, the City of Newton received a federal grant to clean up and protect the pond. Additionally, she helped to secure an agreement from the MWRA to restore the platform under Echo Bridge in Hemlock Gorge, thus providing access to this unique natural resource. She was also successful in including in the Transportation Bond Bill an appropriation to repair and restore the historic Echo Bridge.

Legislative Accomplishments

As a first term legislator, Representative Balser filed several bills that were enacted. These included legislation that ensured the protection of the historic Chestnut Hill Waterworks structures, timely payments of health care claims by insurance companies, and a bill that expanded confidentiality protections for psychologists. In addition, she secured funding for a traffic study of Route 9 and a natural sound buffer along the Massachusetts Turnpike.

During her second term, the Governor signed into law a bill Representative Balser filed that required the state Board of Education and all school committees to develop policies regarding school sponsored overnight travel. This bill was filed in the aftermath of the tragic Newton middle school bus accident. Additional successes were the inclusion in the Transportation Bond Bill mitigation for the City of Newton from Massachusetts Turnpike-induced problems and inclusion in the Environmental Bond Bill an appropriation for the clean up of Hammond Pond.

During her third term, three of the bills she filed were enacted. One requires the establishment of a commission to assess the crisis in the human service workforce. Another allows for the production of a specialty license plate directed at motorist safety regarding bicyclists sharing the road. Additionally, one prohibits an employer from restricting the right of a psychologist to practice in a certain geographic area after the professional relationship ends.

Representative Balser was appointed as the first ever House Chair of the Joint Committee on Mental Health and Substance Abuse during her fourth term. As a result of her efforts (in collaboration with her Senate co-Chair, Senator Steven Tolman) the state budget had the strongest mental health and substance abuse budget in years. Additionally, she has been credited with protecting coverage of mental illness and addictions in Massachusetts' landmark health care reform bill. Additionally during her fourth term, two bills that she filed were signed into law. Both of these bills were ones that she had proposed in response to problems faced by constituents. One closed a loophole in the public health requirements of private schools; the other simplified the means by which neighborhood boundary disputes are settled. In addition, she was successful in including in the state budget appropriations to repair and restore the historic Echo Bridge and to support a study of the re-development of Newton Centre.

Awards

Representative Balser has received the following awards during her tenure in the legislature

• Labor Assistance Professionals of Massachusetts Recognition Award - "In recognition of your outstanding contributions, helping those with substance abuse problems in the community and in organized labor." - 2007
• Massachusetts Mental Health Counselors Association - Outstanding Service Award - 2007
• Hope House - Spirit of Hope Award - 2007
• Massachusetts Family Planning Association - Family Planning Leadership Award - 2007
• Massachusetts Association of Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselors  - "For outstanding legislative actions contributing to treatment of the chemically dependent." - 2006
  
• Riverside Community Care - Leadership Award - 2006
• Massachusetts Behavioral Health Partnership - "In recognition and appreciation of outstanding leadership, advocacy and support on behalf of consumers of behavioral health services." - 2006
• Disability Law Center - Legislative Leadership Award - 2006
• Massachusetts Coalition for Addiction Treatment - Certificate of Appreciation - 2006
• American Psychological Association - State Legislator of the Year - 2006
• The Recovery Homes Collaborative - "For your integrity and your keen sense of responsibility to the community for seeking the value in recovering individuals, and supporting our efforts we thank you." - September 14, 2006
• Massachusetts General Hospital Endowment for the Advancement of Psychotherapy - Leadership Award for the Advancement of Mental Health - 2006
• National Alliance on Mental Illness Greater Boston Consumer Advocacy/Affiliate Network (NAMI GB CAN) - Representative of the Year - 2006
• MassPIRG - The Global Warming Hero Award - June, 2006MassPIRG - Public Interest Champion - 2006.
• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Department of Mental Health - Certificate of Appreciation - 2006
• The Commonwealth of Massachusetts Executive Office of Health and Human Services Department of Mental Health - Distinguished Service Award - 2005
• The ARC of Greater Boston - Outstanding Legislator Award - 2005
• The Massachusetts Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics - Child Advocate of the Year Award - 2005
• The Massachusetts Psychological Association - Ezra Saul Psychological Service Award - 2003
• The Massachusetts Council of Human Service Providers - Legislator of the Year Award - 2003
• The Massachusetts Developmental Disabilities Council and Association for Retarded Citizens Massachusetts - Legislator of the Year Award - 2002
• The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill - Legislator of the Year Award - 2002
• Work, Community, Independence (WCI) - Legislator of the Year Award - 2002
• The Massachusetts Association of Jewish Federations and the Jewish Community Relations Council - Legislative Achievement Award -2002
• The Newton Conservators - Environmentalist of the Year Award - 2001
• Greater Boston Association for Retarded Citizens - Outstanding Legislator Award - 2001
• The Newton Parent Advisory Council for Special Education - Distinguished Service Award - 2000
• The American Psychological Association - Presidential Citation - 2000
• The American Psychological Association - Karl F. Heiser Presidential Award - 2000
• Riverside Community Care Leadership Award - 2000
• The Environmental League of Massachusetts - Environmental Honor Roll Award - 2000