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NAMI CAN!
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Action Needed
Last week, NAMI sent an alert asking NAMI state and affiliate leaders to submit comments on the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) Essential Health Benefits (EHB). If you submitted comments, thank you. If not, there is still time! HHS has extended the deadline.
Some people were not able to open NAMI's sample comments on the web. We hope the web issues are resolved, but as a backup, we are attaching NAMI's model comments here.
The Bulletin describes initial plans to implement the Affordable Care Act requirement that insurance plans offer at least a minimum set of essential health benefits. This guidance is important because it sheds light on what kinds of services will be available to individuals enrolled in the Medicaid expansion and in private health plans on state health insurance exchanges.
While NAMI has submitted formal comments, federal regulators need to hear a repeated message about the need to protect and strengthen services for children and adults living with serious mental illness. If you have not already done so, please submit comments by Friday, Feb. 17 before 5:00 p.m. Eastern.
How to Submit Comments
Email: EssentialHealthBenefits@cms.hhs.gov
You will have the following options:
- Write your own comments
- Cut and paste our model statement into the email
- Add your own comments to our model statement
Make sure to add your name, title and organization at the bottom of your comments and insert your organization's name in the appropriate spots throughout the comments.
If you submit comments, NAMI would like to know via a quick note to Angela Kimball at angelak@nami.org.
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Mental Health Support Services in Schools Survey -- Deadline February 8!
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Dear Families of Children with Special Needs,
This email sends you links to a survey of California families on their recent experiences with mental health services for children in school. It takes note of major changes ("realignment") in the way California delivers mental health supports for students in school. The survey is concerned with access to care and quality of care issues.
Link to survey in English:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/S5J6XG6
Link to survey in Spanish (en espaņol):
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/RTBZYCC
This survey grows out of participation by four associations -- NAMI California, T.A.S.K. (Team of Advocates for Special Children), Family SOUP, a family resource center to families of children with special needs, and Disability Rights Education and Defense Fund (DREDF) -- in the California Department of Education (CDE)'s AB 114 Transition Workgroup.
The purpose of this survey is to give you an opportunity to share with the California Department of Education your experiences and observations. The four groups -- NAMI, T.A.S.K. Family SOUP, and DREDF -- will be reporting the survey results to CDE on Feb. 16, 2012.
Please complete this survey by Feb. 8th. The first part of the survey has ten questions. If you can find the time to complete the second section of the survey (nine more questions), it will provide us with more detailed information to assist us in our advocacy for you. All information will be collected anonymously and your privacy will be protected.
Thank you in advance for taking the time to complete our survey and helping the children of California.
-- Jessica Cruz, Executive Director
NAMI California
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How to Build a Successful County WRAP Program -- This Wednesday
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Join us for a Webinar on February 8, 2012
Space is limited. Reserve your Webinar seat now at:
https://www1.gotomeeting.com/register/473571264
Target Audience: WRAP Group Facilitators, Direct Service Staff. Clinicians, Supervisors and Managers in public mental health.
Title: How to Build a Successful County WRAP Program with BJ North of Conscious Educators
Date: Wednesday, February 8, 2012
Time: 10:30 AM - 12:00 PM PST
Facilitator: BJ North of Conscious Educators
After registering you will receive a confirmation email containing information about joining the Webinar.
System Requirements
PC-based attendees
Required: Windows 7, Vista, XP or 2003 Server
Macintosh-based attendees
Required: Mac OSŪ X 10.5 or newer
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State Hospital DMH Transition Plan
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NAMI California is gratified to see the state undertake and complete this study of our state hospital system and address the administrative, budgetary, managerial, and clinical issues facing this system.The DMH Transition Plan document criticizes some aspects of the state hospital system and we praise the Department of Mental Health for identifying inadequacies and
problems within our state hospital system.
NAMI California is hopeful that implementation of
the recommendations will successfully mitigate many of the problems within the system, restore full competency throughout its structure, and lead to cost-effective institutional and clinical improvements.
Please click here to read the complete statement.
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Family to Family Trainings
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We are excited to be offering three family program trainings in the next two months.
Please see the schedule below:
Northern California
NAMI Basics Training
Date: March 9-11, 2012
City: Santa Clara
Southern California
Spanish de Familia a Familia Teacher Training
Date: March 30 - April 1, 2012
City: Santa Ana
Interested in volunteering? Please contact your local affiliate for an application.
--Lynn Cathy
Director of Family Programs
Lynn.Cathy@namicalifornia.org
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Coming Soon: NAMI California's New Website
| | In the next few weeks we will complete testing and launch the new NAMI California website. The streamlined design makes information more easily available to visitors, and the home page features quick access to top stories about our programs and state issues that concern our audience directly.
You won't have to change your bookmarks. The new site will open in the same location. |
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MHSOAC Modesto Community Forum Summary
| | The Modesto Community Forum summary from December 8, 2011 is now available. The Roseville and San Francisco Community Forum summaries from April 26 and September 27th, respectively, have also been completed. These three community forum summaries precede a final report which will be available in February.
The Community Forum summaries can be found at http://mhsoac.ca.gov/MHSOAC_Publications/Documents.aspx. |
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TAY Unconvention, Stockton
| | The Central Region Partnership Stars Behavioral Healthcare and the California Youth Empowerment Network are organizing the "TAY Unconvention" In Stockton, March 16, 2012.
Topics are of interest to TAY Peer to Peer workers, Tay providers, agency and county staff in the field of Tay mental health. Come be a teacher or student on how Tay can improve services in the central region.
To register, go to http://centralregiontayuncon.eventbrite.com.
For more details, visit the TAY Facebook page.
Contact: Jordan Moniz by email or at (916) 482-2370, ext 313. |
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Please Welcome California's NAMI National Veteran and Military Council Representative
| | NAMI National has convened its National NAMI Veteran and Military Council (NVMC) and NAMI California would like to welcome and introduce our representative to the newly formed committee, Doug Stephens. Doug is the Chair of NAMI Sonoma County's local Vet Council and the Chair of the Sonoma County Mental Health Board. As a Viet Nam vet his mission and passion is for our veterans, active duty personnel from all branches, their families, friends, loved ones, caregivers and anyone affected by the mental health challenges we face today and for many years to come.
He will be receiving several reports, articles and essays from NVMC and other sources concerning our veterans of all eras, active duty military, Reservists and National Guard members. The information received is reasonably current and relevant to the lives of our troops and their families. This information will be shared through NAMI California's Weekly Reports, Monthly Newsletters and on our website.
We know California has affiliates that have active Veterans/Military Programs. We would appreciate you sharing this information to support Mr. Stephens as our representative and also our current veterans and military servicemen/women and their families. We would be happy to post information about your programs on our website.
If you have any questions or comments on the National NAMI Veteran and Military Council, please email Doug Stephens at douglasastephens@yahoo.com or NAMI California at nami.california@namicalifornia.org. |
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NAMI Award Nominations
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The 2012 Convention Committee invites you to submit nominations for awards to be announced and presented at our 2012 NAMI National Convention, scheduled for June 27-30 at the Seattle Sheraton Hotel. (Convention information can be found at www.nami.org/convention.)
There are two attachments to this memo:
This year, award nominations must be submitted online at:
2012 Award Nomination
Please be certain to answer each question fully and to include all relevant contact information for both the nominee and for the person submitting the nomination.
An important note: you may nominate a person or organization for ONLY one award.
Award nominations must be complete and submitted by February 15, 2012.
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Save the Date!
| | 2012 NAMI CA Annual Statewide Conference
When: Friday, August 17th & Saturday, August 18th
Where: Marriot Hotel, Irvine, CA
More information to come!
Hope to see you there!
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Contact Information
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Weekly Report
NAMI California
1010 Hurley Way
Suite 195
Sacramento, CA, 95825
Phone: 916-567-0163 Fax: 916-567-1757
www.namicalifornia.org
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