NAMI Representatives, Consumers Testify at Senate Budget Subcommittee
Eli Lindberg, Debbie Lindberg, Allison Schug, Kathleen Derby, Juana Dunleary, Trula LeCalle, Bill Simon, and Rosemary Milbrath | NAMI California staff, affiliate representatives, and consumers provided testimony at the March 11 Senate budget and fiscal review subcommittee hearing on mental health issues across the state.
Our members spoke about the delay in Medi-Cal payments from the Department of Health Care Services to the counties and the impact on consumers. Additional testimony included comments on the Mental Health Services Act Oversight and Accountability Commission's operations.
Consumers spoke to the positive outcomes of treatment when appropriate treatment is provided -- versus the negative outcomes when access to treatment is poor.
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 DSM-V Revisions Now Online. Comment Through April 20.Used by clinicians and mental illness researchers throughout the country, The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is the standard classification manual for disorders. The fifth edition is being revised this year and will be released in May 2013 as the DSM-V.
Always a source of intensive debate is the listing and classifications of disorders, with new ones suggested and reviewed each time the manual is revised. Is melancholy a disorder? Is Internet addiction? The manual determines how mental disorders are diagnosed and treated. Consequently it has a dramatic impact on research, medication development, and which treatments for illnesses will be covered by insurance. Clinicians, researchers, administrators, and persons/family members affected by a mental disorder, were invited by the manual editors to weigh in up through April 20, 2010.
The new DSM-5 Web site, which includes proposed revisions and draft diagnostic criteria, is now available at www.dsm5.org. You can make comments through April 20, 2010.
Conditions receiving DSM-5 focus include:
� Disorders Usually First Diagnosed in Infancy, Childhood, or Adolescence
� Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic, and Other Cognitive Disorders
� Mental Disorders Due to a General Medical Condition Not Elsewhere Classified
� Substance-Related Disorders
� Schizophrenia and Other Psychotic Disorders
� Mood Disorders
� Anxiety Disorders
� Somatoform Disorders
� Factitious Disorders
� Dissociative Disorders
� Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders
� Eating Disorders
� Sleep Disorders
� Impulse-Control Disorders Not Elsewhere Classified
� Adjustment Disorders
� Personality Disorders
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 MHSAOAC
Fast Facts
2010The Mental Health
Services Oversight and Accountability Commission has released
comprehensive updates on the implementation and status of the Mental
Health Services Act.
The report includes fast facts on outcomes,
prevention and early intervention programs, projections of consequences
if Prop. 63 funds are diverted by the Governor, cost-effectiveness of
services, and new programs funded by the Act.
Click here to view the updates. |
 NAMI California Supports Programs, Consumers at California Mental Health Policy Forum
How will new Federal Health Reform measures impact providers and consumers in California? NAMI California joined county mental health directors, policy makers, private mental health providers, and community-based organizations at The 2010 California Mental Health Policy Forum held February in Riverside to investigate possible outcomes. While services remain challenged in this economy, panelists hoped the new legislation will ultimately benefit consumers through expanded insurance coverage to those who cannot currently afford it.
Participants identified un-served, underserved, and inappropriately served communities in California. Latino and Asian immigrant communities particularly remain at risk. NAMI California President Brenda Scott testified on behalf of family members of mental health consumers to the consequences of limited access to services threatened by cutbacks.
Click here to view handouts from presentations at at the CiMH website.
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Most Californians Oppose Cuts to Mental Health Programs
A strong majority--65 percent--of Californians oppose cuts in state spending
on mental health programs, the Field Poll revealed on March 24. Partisan
distinctions were marked across the survey, with 41 percent of Republican voters
favoring cuts in mental health programs, compared with 24 percent of Democrats
who thought cuts would help with state budget deficits.
A majority of voters also voiced opposition to cuts in public schools, health
care programs, higher education and law enforcement. Californians in the poll
opposed cuts in health care programs for low-income Californians and the
disabled by 71 percent.
To read the full Field Poll report, click here.
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Programs Thrive at NAMI San Diego
Front Row: Rita Navarro, Angie Erickson, Diana Waugh, Trula LaCalle, Shannon Jaccard, Gina Osuna,
Back Row:Anita Fisher, Patrick Cremeens, Annie Dunlop | NAMI California Executive Director Dr. Trula M. LaCalle
visited NAMI San Diego to learn about the innovative and comprehensive programs
that this stellar NAMI Affiliate offers. The NAMI San Diego 17-person staff headed by Shannon Jaccard, Executive
Director and board member of NAMI California, is a dedicated, diverse team that
addresses the needs of a broad spectrum of consumers and family members. The Affiliate provides programs that reach families
with young children, people living with both mental illness and HIV, military veterans,
transitional-age youth, older adults, and monolingual people who need programs
delivered in their native language.
In addition to the NAMI Signature classes and support
groups, NAMI San Diego has augmented programs such as NAMI on Campus, offered
through a partnership with UCSD. To
address our aging population and the coming "gray tsunami", NAMI San Diego developed
a Senior Mental Health Partnership with other community agencies serving people
over 50. It completed a video production
with an introduction by Diana Waugh, Consumer Program Coordinator. Titled "More
Than Just the Blues", it is available on DVD and also can be seen on YouTube.
Dr. LaCalle will visit other NAMI Affiliates to gather
information about programs, opportunities, and methods that can be shared with
other Affiliates through a series of regional meetings beginning in April. The first regional meeting will be held in
the Southern Region. NAMI California
takes pride in the growth and wealth of invention among its 72 Affiliates. Today's
Affiliates with paid staff were once operated entirely by determined
volunteers. Regardless of their size,
NAMI Affiliates can grow to better-serve people with serious mental illness and
their family members. Support, encouragement, and resources are
welcomed by them all!
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 NAMI California Affiliate Pioneers Family To Family for Veterans
At the request of the Veterans Administration in partnership with NAMI, the Mt. San Jacinto Valley affiliate will offer a pioneering class in April designed to assist veterans, active military, their families and any other interested family members. Affiliates all over the Nation have been trying to assist in the project. With the number of Veterans returning from Iraq and Afghanistan the numbers for PTSD have been staggering.
Read about the project at the NAMI California website.
Contact NAMI Mt. San Jacinto Valley for more information.
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| UPDATES ON NAMI
CALIFORNIA PROGRAMS |
 2010 Family-to-Family
NAMI
California has received the updates for the 2010 Family-to-Family class
curriculum as prepared by the national office of NAMI. These have been e-mailed to teachers but
updates will not be implemented for classes that are currently in session.
After the trainings are over for this fiscal
year, teachers may request hard copies of the new curriculum and NAMI
California will make them available as resources allow. Family-to-Family teachers and Affiliate
Coordinators have been very patient with these changes. We appreciate their hard work that makes
these classes free to the public.
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Peer-to-Peer
In January and February, NAMI California hosted three Peer-to-Peer Mentor Trainings in Los Angeles, Santa Clara, and Shasta Counties. A total of 42 new Peer-to-Peer Mentors graduated and we welcomed 5 new affiliates to the program!
The program has now been implemented in 44 Affilaites in 27 Counties in California. We welcomed NAMI Chino Valley, NAMI Pomona Valley, NAMI South Central Los Angeles, and NAMI Mendocino to the ever-expanding Peer-to-Peer family.
In February, NAMI National released the 3rd Edition of Peer-to-Peer. All future Mentor trainings will be in the new edition. As we transition into the 3rd Edition, NAMI California has offered--and will continue to offer--several conference calls to answer questions and support local affiliates in moving forward. The goal is that will have to transition the entire state to the 3rd Edition by July 1, 2010. All new course documents are available on the NAMI Peer-to-Peer Intranet. If you are a trained Mentor or a local Coordinator and do not have access to the Intranet, please contact:
Becks Hawkins
Consumer Programs Coordinator
(916) 595-3198
becks.hawkins@namicalifornia.org |
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Register Online Now!
NAMI California 2010 Annual Conference
"Lighting The Way To Recovery Together"
August 27 & 28, 2010
San Francisco Airport Marriott
1800 Old Bayshore Highway
Burlingame, CA 94010
Phone: 650-692-9100
Attention Exhibitors:
Tables are
available. For details and applications call (916) 567-0163.
Visit our Conference Page at the NAMI
California website. There you'll find details on sponsorship,
exhibitor information, and more details as time grows closer to August. |
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Annual
Conference Workshop Proposals
If you
want to be a workshop presenter at this year's Annual Conference, you
need to fill out a Workshop Proposal at the NAMI California website. We need to receive
completed forms by April 30, 2010 to review all proposals and begin
inviting speakers. Do not miss the deadline, as late proposals will not
be considered.
For all other questions, phone NAMI
California: (916) 567-0163
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NAMI California's Tree of Tribute
Each year many donors elect to give a gift in celebration of
an event, in honor of a special individual or in memory of a loved one.
The Tree of Tribute formalizes this tradition by providing a
lasting
acknowledgement
for individuals who are remembered, individuals who are
honored or have an enduring record of a significant celebration.
Gifts in Celebration, in Honor or in Memory
Gifts of $500 or more will be eligible for an engraved leaf
on the Tree of Tribute or an engraved stone at the base of the tree.
$500 - Bronze leaf
$1,000 - Silver leaf
$2,000 - Gold leaf
$3,000 -- Small stone
$5,000 - Large stone
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Major Donors
NAMI California thanks the following for their very generous contributions of $500 or more.Humanitarian: $5,000 - $15,000
The Community Foundation, Riverside, CA
Patron: $2,500 - $4,999
Benefactor: $1,000 - $2,499
Rita Jean Boppana, Playa Del Rey, CA
Attias Family Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Mountain View, CA
Shareholder: $750-$999
Sponsor: $500-$749
Teresa A Walker, San Mateo, CA
Stephen Dwelle, President, Dwelle Family Foundation, Visalia, CA
Edward Gaston, MD & Lori Zager,San Rafael, CA
Margaret C. Winrich, Kelseyville, CA
Elaine Zelnik, Berkeley, CA
Doris Crowell, Walnut Creek, CA
Jeannette Lowe, Washoe Valley, NV
Pamela Zelnik & Mark Suhr, Berkeley, CA
Elizabeth L Friedman, Los Angeles, CA
Elizabeth Chamberlain, Woodside, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Aldrich, Glendale, CA
John & Beverly White, Brentwood, TN
John J Krolewski & Nadia Ghent, Irvine, CA
Mark & Theresa Gale, West Hills, CA
Frances Tibbits, Pacific Palisades, CA
Christopher & Mary Folck Family, Truckee, CA
Glen & Linda Meyer, Danville, CA
Nancy Doyle, Santa Rosa, CA
Stephen & Jacqueline Astle, San Rafael, CA
Elizabeth S. Holden, Eugene. OR
Loeb Family Foundation
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All donations,
large and small,
are greatly appreciated by
NAMI California and help
us achieve our mission
at the state level.
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