NAMI-Mississippi 2618 Southerland Street 1 Jackson, MS 39216 (601) 899-9058 (800) 357 0388 Fax: (601) 956-6308 www.namims.org Letter from the President of the Board NAMI Central Mississippi NAMI Pinebelt NAMI Vicksburg NAMI Meridian NAMI Oxford Outreach Partnership Corner The VA Corner Member Updates Special Activities The Education Corner Calendar of Events NAMIWalks & Highlights Affiliate & Support Contacts
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BOARD MEMBERS Brett Mayfield, Board President Gloria Mwase, Vice President Patricia Battle, Treasurer Harriette Mastin, Secretary Christiane Williams, At Large Marcus Ginn, At Large Jesse Coppenbarger, At Large Jim Hornbeck, At Large Thomas Carson, Consumer Council Sharon Turner-Davis, At Large Joseph Kinnan, Representative Lynn Gilbert, Representative Hanne Gaycken, At Large Auvergne Williams, At Large STATE OFFICERS Tameka Tobias Smith, Executive Director Kawanna Jenkins, Education Coordinator Sitaniel Wimberly, Walk Manager/Program Director Neal McMillan, Interim Account Manager Jamie Kurlej Community Outreach Manager Julia Willcoxon , Youth Outreach Specialist Katie Bradley, Youth Outreach Specialist Intern Luke Norton—Public Policy Intern
AFFILIATES Central Mississippi Gulf Coast Hattiesburg Vicksburg Meridian Oxford Yazoo City NAMI On Campus Jackson State University USM Gulf Park Millsaps College (Developing) The NAMI Mississippi newsletter is funded by donations from members and partners and is published to inform, educate, and strengthen the community of individuals and families affected by serious mental illness. The articles and opinions within are not necessarily those of the NAMI Mississippi organization. Content is not intended to endorse any political candidates, viewpoint, treatment, or medication.
FALL 2016 U. S. Department of Justice vs. Mississippi: NAMI Mississippi’s Response As many of you know, just a few weeks ago the U. S. Department of Justice (DOJ) filed suit against the State of Mississippi for failure to provide adequate community mental health services in our state under the Americans with Disabilities Act. The DOJ suit claims that citizens who struggle with mental illness and are not able to access community based care and treatment often end up being institutionalized or imprisoned. NAMI Mississippi responded immediately to the suit, supporting its goals which align very closely with our own—to improve access and quality of mental healthcare throughout our state. We also continue to support the Department of Mental Health (DMH) and the caring professionals of that organization across Mississippi, as they strive to move the work of the agency towards more person -centered and community-based care. The DMH has been our partner as we serve those in our state living with mental illness and their families. However, in every organization, there is room for improvement, and we are working to ensure that the voices of our membership will be heard as NAMI Mississippi works with both the DOJ and the DMH to identify solutions to address the deepening needs of our citizens. We call upon the legislature to allocate greater funding to the DMH so that it will be able, in a strategic and responsible manner, to provide quality community based care in every part of our state. We call upon DMH to consider ways to better allocate the resources it already has towards this goal. Too many of our citizens who struggle with mental illness end up in state hospitals or even state prisons simply because they do not have adequate access to quality mental healthcare in their local communities. While we, as a state, work to improve our community based mental health programs, we also want to ensure that adequate facilities exist across our state that offer in-patient treatment to those facing mental health crises. Many of our citizens who desperately need in-patient psychiatric care simply can’t find it. Beds at private facilities are limited and can be expensive, space at state hospitals has been cut as budgets have been slashed, and too few nursing homes offer psychiatric services to our aging citizens. What side is NAMI Mississippi on? We are on the side of improving the quality of mental healthcare for all citizens of our state. We will work with the Department of Justice. We will work with the Department of Mental Health. We will work in our communities to provide support while simultaneously lobbying our legislature for the improvement and expansion of mental health services. As this case progresses over the next few months, NAMI Mississippi will be meeting with representatives of the DOJ and DMH to offer input, advice, and perspective. We may call upon those in our membership who would be willing to share their experiences and help identify areas for improvement and development. As an issue of public health, the press will likely continue to cover this case. If, based on your personal experiences, you choose to speak with the press, we encourage you to do so and to let us know that you have. Please be clear, however, that you speak for yourself. All official statements from NAMI MS about this case will originate from or be relayed through our Executive Director who will continue to act as our sole spokesperson on this issue. In the short term, we encourage you to talk to your local senators and representatives to the state legislature. Share your stories with them and encourage them to make mental health a priority in the 2017 legislative session. Advocacy is one of NAMI’s core tasks, but we can only be effective in that task when we mobilize and make sure that our elected officials hear our voices. For that, we need you. Call or email your legislator. If you need help in these efforts, contact our NAMI MS Public Policy and Advocacy Committee at advocacy@namims.org. Share your stories on social media and encourage others to do the same. Working together, as members of NAMI, and with our partners around the state, this lawsuit may just serve as a catalyst for positive change in our mental health system.