September 2006 Legislative Update

September 2006 Legislative Update:

    Legislative Forums Scheduled
    By Hugh Brady

NAMI Illinois is a member of the Mental Health Summit, a coalition of mental health advocacy groups. The Summit works extensively with elected officials to improve mental health services in Illinois. The Summit’s legislative platform includes such items as

The creation of a state wide mental health authority to coordinate our current mishmash of mental health services.
Improving funding for mental health services in Illinois.
Moving people with mental illnesses out of nursing homes and into community health systems.
Improving the funding and availability of appropriate medications for people with mental illnesses.
Improving mental health services to individuals with mental illnesses who are in state prisons or county jails.
Increased support for assisted housing to keep persons with mental illnesses out of institutions.
Improving the availability of supported employment for persons with mental illnesses.

One activity the Summit conducts to help reach these goals is to meet with legislators and legislative candidates during the election season (when it is quite easy to get their attention). So groups participating in the Summit have organized a number of Legislative Forums across the state. Ones in our area include:

Kane County Governmental Forum
September 21, 2006–6:00 p.m.
Eaglebrook Country Club
2288 Fargo
Geneva, Illinois
Contact: Gina Richter (630-377-8344)

Evanston/North Shore/Far North Side
September 27, 2006–7:00 p.m.
Evanston Civic Center
2100 Ridge Avenue
Evanston, Illinois
Contacts: Sue Laue (847-328-6198) or Harvey Saver (847-448-8053)

West Suburban Mental Health Legislative Forum
October 11, 2006–7:00 p.m.
The Nineteenth Century Women’s Club
178 Forest Avenue
Oak Park, Illinois
Contact: Daniel Kill (708-383-7500)

Each Forum will begin with opening remarks from the Forum’s organizers covering the problems and challenges facing Illinois’ mental health systems and a brief summary of the Summit’s legislative goals.

Then the legislative candidates will each have five or so minutes to respond. This will be followed by a question and answer session so the audience can elicit further information from the prospective elected officials.

At the end, the candidates will have a much better sense of the need for improving mental health services in Illinois and the audience members will have a much better sense of who to vote for in November!

NAMI Barrington Area arrived too late on the scene to organize a Legislative Forum for this year’s elections, but we hope to be able to sponsor one in 2008. We hope all NAMI members will make an effort to attend one of the Forums.