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 President's Desk

by Hugh Brady

 

January 2010 - New Jersey Mental Illness Case Settled - Similar Case Pending in Illinois


 
In July, 2009 an important mental health case was settled in New Jersey. According to the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law, the terms of the settlement require the New Jersey Department of Human Services to release hundreds of people from the state psychiatric hospitals – often after years of institutionalization – and to provide them with the services they need to live independent, integrated lives in the community. Read more about the New Jersey Mental Illness Case and the results.

October 2009 - A New 911 Initiative


A few years ago, Pat Rodbro, who is currently one of the co-presidents of NAMI Cook County North Suburban, began discussions with her local police department in Lincolnshire about an idea she had regarding the village’s 911 call system. Wouldn’t it be beneficial, she thought, if, when the police responded to a 911 call from a residence where a person with severe mental illness lived, they would already know some basic information about the individual so as to be able to respond appropriately?
Read more about Pat's initiative and the results.

September 2009 - Thank You Kathy Ryg


As you may have heard, State Representative Kathy Ryg is resigning her seat in the Illinois General Assembly to become the president of Voices for Illinois Children, an advocacy group that works in Illinois to create better public policies, programs and services for our children.
 
We will miss her.  She has been a great voice in the General Assembly for improving state mental health funding and services. 

Read more about one of Kathy's major accomplishment

August 2009 - You're Invited to a Non-Event Fund Raiser


How would you like to attend a non-event fund raiser?  That's right, you'd help out a worthy cause (NAMI), but not have to get dressed up and go to a fancy banquet hall and risk eating too much  (Which heaven knows I've done too often!) or risk drooping your head into your chocolate mousse trying to stay awake during some "less than exciting" speeches.
 
Well, on Saturday, August 15, NAMI Illinois is having a Non-Event Event!   

Read more and find out how you can participate
 

 

July 2009 - Mental Health Court News

The idea behind mental health courts is to keep persons with mental illness out of the criminal justice system and get them into treatment.  In a county with a mental health court system , the individual is offered the opportunity to go to a mental health court an alternative to regular criminal proceedings.
 
Earlier this month I had the opportunity to attend the second annual Mental Health Courts Conference sponsored by the DuPage County Health Department and the Mental Health Court Association of Illinois.  The sessions were very informative and showed that progress is being made toward the decriminalization of mental illness. 
 
Read more about mental health courts and how the system can offer better outcomes for lower costs
 

 

June 2009 - CSH Housing News

NAMI Barrington Area is one of the supporters of a group that is working to bring supportive housing for people with mental illness to the northwest suburbs.

While it's too early to start counting our chickens, the housing eggs seem to be getting ready to hatch. At this point, our major hurdle is finding a site, and we're looking for suggestions. Would you have any ideas?

Read more about supportive housing


 

May 2009 - News on health care reform

On Saturday April 18, I joined several area NAMI members at a rally for health care reform sponsored by Health Care for America Now (HCAN), held at St. Augustine College in Chicago.

Among the many things discussed by the speakers: One of the first questions on many applications for health insurance is "Have you ever been diagnosed with a mental illness?" If the answer is "yes," you will most likely be denied coverage.

HCAN has a clear set of organizing principles to remedy the situation, which they plan to use to help guide the healthcare reform Congress is considering. I will outline these principles in my column for this month. They have been endorsed by 185 members of Congress and hundreds and hundreds of state and national organizations, including NAMI national and NAMI Illinois.

Read more about HCAN's principles for health care reform and how you can help them pass.

 

 

April 2009 - Grading The States 2009

 

Illinois improves a bit but major weaknesses remain.  NAMI’s national office has just released Grading the States 2009, its long awaited stateby-state comparison of mental health programs and services. Illinois improved its grade from the F it received in the 2006 Grading the States report to a D in this year’s study.  For NAMI’s capsule summary of the data regarding Illinois: click here

March 2009 - A Very Interesting Magazine

 

Mary Holcomb, one of our Family to Family teachers and support group facilitators, and I recently made a presentation about NAMI BA and our activities to the Van Gogh Group at Willow Creek Church. While we were there I picked up several articles from a most interesting magazine, Pine Rest Today, published by the Pine Rest Christian Mental Health Services  continue

February 2009 - Mental Health Allies

 

We are not alone. Many civic groups and other Illinois organizations have taken strong stands on mental health questions.


One such group is the Illinois League of Women Voters. Their platform on mental health issues is quite clear:    
continue

January 2009 - Thanks to All Who Give Their Time

 

As 2008 comes to a close, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all the people who help make NAMI Barrington Area work.  First of all thank you to our Family to Family teachers, Maryrose Peters, Mary Holcomb, Elba Stewart, and Carol Ziolo, and to the Family to Family assistants, Barb Finch, Beth Ryan, Elba Stewart, and Betty Turner.  This year they have helped more than a hundred people deal with the problems of their family members’ mental illness   continue

  

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