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Author Archive
SSI and SSDI Beneficiaries Living with Mental Illness (Webinar)
19. May 2012 by admin.
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Save the Date: Learn How You Can Help SSI and SSDI Beneficiaries Living with Mental Illness (Webinar)
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When: Friday, June 15 at 2:00 p.m. ET
Where: http://www.socialsecurity.gov/webinars/HelpFindGoodRepPayees/
A Representative Payee is an individual or organization designated to receive SSI or SSDI benefits for individuals who cannot manage or direct someone else to manage their money. This service is essential to helping the most vulnerable beneficiaries manage basic necessities such as the daily and weekly costs of rent, food and clothing. In many parts of the country, there are serious shortages in the availability of qualified individuals and organizations to serve as Representative Payees.
NAMI is working with the SSA to help address this crisis and find more individuals and non-profits willing to serve as Representative Payees on behalf of SSI and SSDI beneficiaries living with serious mental illnesses. As part of this effort, the SSA is hosting a free webinar on Friday, June 15 at 2:00 p.m. eastern time for NAMI leaders and others in the mental health community s to learn about what they can do in their local communities to assist in finding individuals and non-profits willing to perform this vital service.
NAMI grassroots leaders and advocates are encouraged to participate. We would also appreciate anything you can do to reach out to others in your communities about this important webinar.
Visit the webinar page for more information and to register.
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I’m Blogging About Bloggers Who Blogged Today For Mental Health And the APA Blog Party
17. May 2012 by admin.
First I would like to thank the American Psychological Association hosting another awesome blog party! Getting bloggers in the blogosphere blogging with a focus on recovery and how to reduce discrimination. This event is without a doubt one of my personal highlights of mental health awareness month.
It’s not over yet you still have time to get your blog posts included in the blog party Roundup. Just write a post about stigma and how you feel it can be reduced and how others can be educated by learning more about mental illness. Then TWEET it (@APAHelpCenter & #mhblogday).
I am so amazed of the multitude of bloggers and the high quality of posts that are being written this year. I want to thank each one of you bloggers and advocate… I’ve been reading every post I possibly can get to… Below is a list of the blogs better than posted so far as of 7 PM.
Mental Health Month Blog Party 2012 – Round Up
Today’s APA Blog PARTY posts
Positions Available: Certified Peer Specialist
8. May 2012 by admin.
 MENTAL HEALTH RESOURCE CENTER
FACT Programs
MHRC is currently recruiting for Peer Specialists to join our Tampa, Clearwater, and Naples FACT teams.
The FACT program is a multidisciplinary mental health team that serves persons with severe and persistent mental illness. In order to be eligible for this position, a person must have personal, practical knowledge and experiences in being a recipient of mental health services and be willing to share these experiences for the benefit of the FACT team and the persons served by the team.
This position is responsible for providing needed treatment, rehabilitation, and support services to individuals served by the FACT Program in order to reduce or eliminate the need for hospitalization and to enhance their independence, autonomy and quality of life. A minimum of 75% of services are provided in the person’s home and/or community environment.
Please contact the following individuals, if you are interested, or know of someone who may be interested, and would like additional information.
Tampa position: Clarice Roberts – (813) 874-4400
Clearwater position: Roberta Clark – (727) 449-8331
Naples position: Peter Schleh – (239) 961-6019
The Able Trust announces the open nomination period for the 2012 Ability Awards!
7. May 2012 by admin.
The Able Trust announces the open nomination period for the 2012 Ability Awards!
Nominations are due this Wednesday May 9th for the following categories:
1.) Beverly Chapman Award for Outstanding Employment Placement Program
Beverly Chapman was named the 1989 Disabled American of the Year and the Floridian of the Year and is remembered for her advocacy for employment and independence for persons with disabilities. The Beverly Chapman Award provides recognition and high visibility for outstanding job placement programs for persons with disabilities in Florida. This award is presented to a Florida nonprofit disability organization.
2.) Dr. George L. Spelios Leadership Award
Dr. George Spelios was a founding director and past Chair of The Able Trust who touched the lives of many through his passion and commitment to serve people with disabilities. As a tribute to his years of dedication and service, this award recognizes the outstanding leadership and advocacy efforts of an executive director or president of a Florida nonprofit disability organization.
3.) Media Representative Award
Media plays a vital role in the public’s perception of individuals, products and services, especially for the disability community. This award honors an individual member of the media or a media organization for excellence in presenting and/or reporting about people with disabilities.
4.) Employer of the Year Award
Because employers offer valuable resources to Florida’s citizens with disabilities, this award recognizes a small (1-49), medium (50-99) or large (100+) business with an exceptional record of disability friendly practices, including hiring persons with disabilities, making reasonable accommodations and demonstrating efforts beyond simple compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act as amended.
5.) Adult Leadership Award
This award will be presented to an adult over age 21 with a disability. This individual exhibits statewide, community and nonprofit leadership, is employed full time or part time and serves in a volunteer leadership position with a local organization. (e.g. nonprofit board member, community committee member, commission council, etc.)
Awards will be presented during a luncheon on Friday June 15, 2012, at the Golden Eagle Golf and Country Club in Tallahassee, Florida.
Please visit www.abletrust.org for nomination information and nomination forms, or
Nami PBC will be co-hosting this event along with Nami Florida
4. May 2012 by admin.
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WHAT’S NEW
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Patriots for parity
Parity champions Patrick Kennedy and Jim Ramstad are hosting a series of public field hearings across the country to hear about the implementation and enforcement of federal parity.
If you’d like to be speak up on how persons living with mental illness are experiencing parity in health insurance, email info@parityispersonal.org.
Plan on attending a hearing to learn more about what people in your state are saying about parity.
June 26 in D.C. Metro
July 17 in Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 6 in Chicago, IL
Sept. 17 in Los Angeles, CA
Sept. 24 in New York City
Oct. 9 in Delray Beach, FL
For details on times and locations, visit Parity Field Hearings.
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2012 visual art programs-see below for information on how to apply!
3. May 2012 by admin.
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Here is an excellent opportunity for children and young adults from the ages of 5 to 25 to enter a visual arts program and share their artistic creativity with the world.
It’s an opportunity for youths and young adults… I’m only 42 and there is no drawing contests for me. I hope you take this information and share it with and have you kids enter it.
VSA now accepting entries for its 2012 visual art programs-see below for information on how to apply!
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Sustaining / Creating
A National Juried Exhibition for Emerging Artists with Disabilities, ages 16-25
Deadline: July 8, 2012
Sustaining / Creating asks emerging artists to showcase work that illuminates innovative viewpoints on sustainability and contemporary creativity. Beyond its scientific definition, sustainability references notions of responsibility and stewardship of our natural world in all facets of human interaction-from the environmental to the cultural. Sustainability indicates the capacity to endure. Fifteen artists will be selected for an exhibition at the Smithsonian and will share $60,000 in cash awards. Entry deadline is July 8. Enter today!
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Yo Soy…Je Suis…I am…
International Art Program for Children with Disabilities, ages 5-18
Deadline: July 15, 2012
This program presents a unique opportunity for student-artists with disabilities from around the world to display their artwork side-by-side in an online exhibition. A selection of artwork from the online entries will be chosen for a live exhibition at the United States Department of Education in Washington D.C. Children with disabilities, ages 5-18, are encouraged to create a self-portrait that illustrates who they are and who they will be. Self-portraits allow artistic freedom for children with disabilities to celebrate the unique qualities they have to share with the world. Entry deadline is July 15, 2012. Enter today!
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Sustaining/Creating is sponsored by Volkswagen Group of America.
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2012 Annual Conference& Justice Institute
2. May 2012 by admin.
SAVE THE DATE . July 12-13, 2012
2012 Annual Conference
& Justice Institute
in Partnership with the Florida Association of Drug Court Professionals
Confirmed national speakers:
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 Sharon D. Wise, M.H.S., CPS
The House of Sharon Trauma
Resolution Center for the Arts
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 Fred Osher, M.D.
Director
Health Systems and Health Services
Policy, Council of State Governments
Justice Center
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National, state and local experts will present the latest developments in criminal justice, mental health and substance abuse programs including effective diversion and re-entry programs, mental health and drug courts, employment opportunities, peer specialists, housing, veterans’ issues and more.
The Conference Registration is $125.00
“Behavioral Health” to “Stigma and Discrimination” in NAMI’s Public Policy Platform
28. April 2012 by admin.
Report on Council Feedback
Addition of statement on “behavioral health” to “Stigma and Discrimination” in NAMI’s Public Policy Platform
Final Report – April 25, 2012
Fifty-three individuals responded with feedback.
- 17 percent are state presidents,
- 28.3 percent are executive directors,
- 13.2 percent are Consumer Council members,
- 15.1 percent are Veterans and Military Council members and
- 26.4 percent are not affiliated with any of the four councils.
Leaders were given three options to describe their opinion of the proposed changes: “Support“, “Support with reservations” and “Do not support“.
- 83 percent (44 individuals) said they support the changes,
- 11 percent (6 individuals) said they “support with reservations” and
- 6 percent (3 individuals) did not support the changes.
Comments:
- Reviewed by our Board. Looks good to us.
~ Gay H, executive director, NAMI Pinellas (Fla.)
- Everything in the revisions represent every activity that NAMI is involved with, which is all improving the lives of all people with mental illness.
~Anonymous Consumer Council member
- I wholeheartedly agree with the proposed revisions. Unfortunately, the military forces need to do so much more to help our active duty members before they become veterans.
~Char C, Veterans and Military Council member
- I am glad the board is going to put this through. I think it should have been done years ago. Good Job!!!!
~Tom S
- Strongly support NAMI stance on excluding the words “behavioral” when referring to individuals with mental disorders.
~Anonymous
- I wholeheartedly agree with the statement on behavioral health!
~Barbara C
- I do have a small issue with the choice verbiage. I know a lot of behaviors and actions are hard to control but I also don’t think we can say that not taking personal responsibility from their actions is correct either. As a consumer I can’t always control my actions but in some cases I can and there are consequences for my actions. On the issue of serving in the military I do think you have to take someone’s mental health situation into consideration. Factors that can cause a person to obtain standing effects from war, or already having a pre-existing condition can be a major factor. I think it can more detrimental to a person serving than not continuing in the military.
~Anonymous Consumer Council member
- I agree 100% with the statements in the policy and the rationale behind it, specifically that the term “behavioral health” is stigmatizing. Virginia is moving towards the term “behavioral health” and it concerns me for the very reasons expressed in the proposed policy revision.
~Mira S, executive director, NAMI Virginia
- I agree 100%.
~Linda W
- Although there is a large segment of those who have mental health conditions who can tie them to biological factors, this excludes many who – develop mental health issues as a result of their environment and trauma. In addition, this focus on biology has been proven to have a more stigmatizing effect on some in that it puts things, in the “medical model” framework. Meaning, there is a “disorder” (another stigmatizing term) that is permanent, leaving an individual “damaged.” The statement can be improved by including positive alternatives. It starts out by stating what they condemn, but what is missing is what they would praise or want to see. (For example, condemning the linkage with violence is appropriate – but there is a need to follow that up with the need for more positive portrayals showing people living well, and living successful lives.) The term “behavioral health” – does not move the conversation forward because it does not offer a more positive alternative. Overall our feeling of the statement is that it sounds overbearing, rather than positive – which is really where we need to go here. My hope for the completion of the statement is that, moving forward, peers would be driving its language and purpose.
~Anonymous executive director
- I think it is time to move beyond the word stigma. Stigma is a very much misunderstood word, and historically a stigma is owned by the person who is different.. the reality of mental illness is much of our community is at best ignorant at worst discriminatory. Lets call it what it is. and not use language that most folks don’t understand, whether intentional or not.
~Greg G, executive director, NAMI Lee County (Fla.)
- I agree with the proposed revisions and the reasoning for making them.
~Sherry C
- Behavioral Health does not describe the situation at all. If a person is mentally ill they are mentally ill.
~Jerry F
- I have always been uncomfortable with the term “Behavioral Health.” Thank you for clarifying why that term is not acceptable.
~Deb N, executive director, NAMI Central Iowa
- I fully agree with the NAMI statement; the term, “behavioral health”, implies that mental illnesses are only behavioral and can be overcome.
~Jackie S
- re: Behavioral Health - Change may hurt more than helps. The meaning that emerged through the years does not indicate that mental illness behavior is willful. Term behavioral health refers to health maintenance and prevention of illness.
~Carole J, executive director, NAMI Lake County (Ohio)
- This is a great and much needed addition to our Public Policy. The term “Behavioral Health” is very stigmatizing and says nothing about mental illness being about moods, thoughts, perceptions etc. We could take it one step further and support the development of another term that more aptly describes these disorders.
~Carol C, executive director, NAMI Montgomery County (Pa.)
- Yeah! We hate the term “behavioral health” and are working on getting all our hospitals to stop using it.
~Anonymous executive director
- Comment from board member: If NAMI is going to condemn the use of Behavioral Health they are obligated to come up with what terms are acceptable.
~Anonymous executive director
- This belief statement is too one-sided identifying only the brain/body perspective of mental illnesses. perhaps a more balanced statement, or softer wording could be used to leave open the fact that diagnosed individuals are responsible to work on recovery and be planful in attending to early warning symptoms to avoid destructive behaviors that we have demonstrated in the past and continue to be responsible for today.
~Catherine R, Consumer Council member
- If this is something that is adopted as a NAMI position, I think that would be wonderful. I would hope that you will notify all NAMI orgs and affiliates so that we can use this policy as a guide for our work. I wonder if this position is adopted, how that will effect the information that NAMI publicizes and the collaborations that NAMI makes with other orgs? Behavioral Health is used currently so widely by other groups. If this is NAMI’s position, will we still promote and support initiatives, trainings, resources, etc that use the BH term? Thanks.
~Anonymous executive director
- Yes!!! Finally! Finally someone speaking out against the term “behavioral health”! Your thoughts on this issue express my thoughts exactly! The use of that term is very stigmatizing and connotes that we consumers “behave” bad.(P.S.- I am a member of Nami and also of Nami Connections, though am not on any council. )
~Marsha A
- Looks good to me.
~Anonymous Consumer Council member
- I support the position. Would be helpful if we had a proposal for those who improperly portray and discriminate against those with mental illness on how they could address the mental illness issue without stigma or discrimination. I must admit that I do not have the words for the proposal, but would be eager to either see what others have proposed or work to create a sound and well considered proposal.
~Mike S
- Behavioral Health for State of Louisiana is still at such a stalemate as for as Stigma. Meaning, treatment by with and for workers not wanting to be involved in Co-Occurring treatment. Federal dollars are and have been discriminating across disabilities, with mental health organizations creating Stigma over said dollars.
~Denver N, Consumer Council member
- We deal with the behavioral stigma with our state legislators. It is time that they, and the general public, learn that mental illness is a disease, not a behavior.
- ~Margaret Ballard
- I never liked the term “behavior health.”
~Tom W
- I agree with the statement, but I don’t think this is a battle worth fighting when so many other things are more important and when we can’t do anything to people who continue to use the term, some of whom are our friends.
~Anonymous state president
- The term behavioral health has bothered me ever since it became the new in terminology. Thank you for addressing this and hopefully leading the charge to get rid of it.
~Kim S, president, NAMI Oregon
- Excellent!
~Patti Jo S, president, NAMI Wisconsin
- Stigma, which family members endure, was brought up at one of our recent meetings. Should a statement be made concerning the stigma that family members face?
~Anonymous state president
- NAMI further believes that mental illness is a medical condition, biological in nature, which involves psychological processes such as cognition, emotion, temperament and motivation and which disrupts a person’s thinking, feeling, mood, ability to relate to others and capacity for coping with the ordinary demands of life. NAMI does not favor using the inaccurate term “behavioral health”, as the very term obscures and hinders effective treatment and can add to the stigma and discrimination endured by people living with a mental illness and co-occurring disorders.
~Silvia A, executive director, NAMI Puerto Rico
- Very well done; thank you. I do, however, have two comments: 1) Some times mental illness is used; other times the term mental illnessES is used. Perhaps, the terms should be consistent throughout the document. 2) It is said that NAMI “believes…”. I would respectfully suggest using a stronger word such as CONVINCED.
~Sherry G, president, NAMI New York State
- The stigma and nonsense must stop; lives are being lost because of it….mine almost several times. I am a former missionary to Guatemala for twenty years and showed no signs of Bipolar until an MA at University of Penn. I finished the MA and returned to the field. I ended up in Wi by accident but have become “manic” (fine) in my advocacy.
~Julie S, chair, Wisconsin Consumer Council
- This is well put together and seems like a lot of time and effort was put into this to get the wording just right. It’s clear concise and should make sense to any one that is reading this.
~ James B, Veterans and Military Council member
- I do not think that ‘primarily biological’ is correct; rather it be worded ‘primarily biological and environmental’.
~Kyle L, Veterans and Military Council member
Peer Scholarship deadline extended to May 4th!
22. April 2012 by admin.
www.namiflorida.org The NAMI Florida Consumer Counci
Good morning all,
Please see the email below from the Peer Conference Chair, Dana Foglesong. The scholarship deadline has been extended to May 4th! Please share this with your members and community partners. There are still plenty of scholarships available. If you have any questions please feel free to call our office or email to jevans (at) namiflorida.org.
CEU’s available…………
From: danabirdsongfl (at) gmail.comSent: 4/22/2012 10:25:01 A.M. Eastern Daylight Time
Subj: Peer Scholarship deadline extended to May 4th!
The scholarship deadline for peers who need financial assistance to attend the 3rd Annual Peer Conference has been extended to May 4th! Please note, there are still about 100 scholarships still available so PLEASE FORWARD.
Attached is the scholarship application as well as the general registration form.
Thank you!
Dana Foglesong
Chair, 3rd Annual Peer Conference
Congressional Staff Briefed on Law Enforcement Responses to People with Mental Illnesses
27. March 2012 by admin.
via and e-mail:
fyi: Judge Steve Leifman briefs Congressional staff on MIOTCRA.
Congressional Staff Briefed on Law Enforcement Responses to People with Mental Illnesses
Washington, D.C. — Law enforcement officials, judicial leaders, and behavioral health experts came together on March 6 to brief Congressional staff on the Mentally Ill Offender Treatment and Crime Reduction Act (MIOTCRA) and the collaborative criminal justice-mental health programs that it supports. Dr. Fred Osherof the Council of State Governments Justice Center, Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County (MD) Department of Police, Inspector Bryan Schafer of the Minneapolis (MN) Police Department, and Judge Steven Leifman of Miami-Dade County Court spoke to key stakeholders and staff from numerous congressional offices, representing members of both parties.As some of the nation’s foremost experts on implementing collaborative criminal justice-mental health programs, the panelists each shared their perspectives and/or experiences. Their testimonies underscored the fact that programs supported by MIOTCRA and similar grant initiatives are contributing in significant ways towards ending the cycles of arrest and incarceration for people with mental illnesses.
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| From left to right: Inspector Bryan Schafer of the Minneapolis Police Department,Judge Steven Leifman of Miami-Dade County Court, Chief J. Thomas Manger of the Montgomery County Department of Police, and Dr. Fred Osher of the Council of State Governments Justice Center. |
Dr. Osher opened the dialogue with an overview of the issue. He addressed major factors involved in the high rates of incarceration among people with mental illnesses, including limited access to community-based treatment and high rates of homelessness and substance abuse. Dr. Osher then highlighted the initiatives that MIOTCRA funds through its Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program to bridge the gaps across service systems. In addition to community- and corrections-based treatment programs, MIOTCRA has also supported jurisdictions across the U.S. developing or expanding programs such as mental health courts, crisis receiving centers, and specialized law enforcement responses such as crisis intervention teams (CITs).
Chief Manger and Inspector Schafer offered their perspectives on implementing specialized police-based response programs. Modeled after the widely recognized model in Memphis, TN, the Montgomery County CIT program provides officers 40 hours of training to help them better identify mental illnesses and deploy de-escalation tactics. Chief Manger spoke to the benefits he has seen from the CIT program, in public and police safety and in outcomes for people with mental illnesses.
Inspector Schafer emphasized the importance of programs that encourage information sharing between mental health and law enforcement agencies, which often do not have a clear understanding of how the other system handles and treats people with mental illnesses after the initial contact has been made. Creating connections across systems is a crucial component of MIOTCRA’s grant program, as they allow agencies to share resources and improve the quality and access to services. Inspector Schafer reported that leaders in Minneapolis are also planning crisis receiving centers and a program that pairs mental health professionals to co-respond to calls with local law enforcement officials, modeled after a similar program already in place for calls relating to domestic violence.
Judge Leifman from Miami-Dade County, FL, which has one of the highest rates of mental illness of any urban region in the U.S., provided his unique insight into how collaborative programs that divert individuals from arrest or jail can reduce local government spending. To address the prevalence of people with mental illnesses involved in the justice system, Miami-Dade county officials expanded its jail diversion program to include a CIT program and post-arrest diversion for both misdemeanor and felony charges. According to Judge Leifman, the diversion programs today redirect approximately 500 individuals each year from jail to treatment services. The CIT program — now the largest in the country — has trained over 3,500 officers to date. The impact of this training initiative has been astounding: As Judge Leifman testified, two of the county’s law enforcement departments responded to 10,000 calls involving an individual with a mental illness last year, yet only 45 arrests resulted from these calls. Furthermore, the judge discussed how prior to the implementation of the CIT program, the county experienced eight to ten shootings during encounters between officers and individuals with mental illnesses per year; in the past eight years, there have been only such two instances.
The briefing was co-hosted by the offices of Senators Roy Blunt (R-MO), Chris Coons (D-DE), and Al Franken (D-MN). The Council of State Governments Justice Center co-sponsored the event with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the National Association of Counties, and Mental Health America.
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