Dear NAMI Members,

Welcome to the 2007 convention! Network with NAMI folks, relax in the Millennium Maxwell House, see what Music City has to offer and kick up your heels with the Jaime Bonilla Band after the Friday evening banquet. Together, the learning tracks we’ll be discussing are:
Veterans and mental illness: As the war continues, our nation has yet to come to grips with the looming mental health crisis in returning soldiers. Mental illnesses are among the most common medical conditions suffered by military personnel. Military families experience tremendous pressures due to multiple deployments , grief and unhealthy coping skills. While the Department of Defense and the Veterans Administration are doing more than ever before, the need is tremendous and growing. Veterans return to find that they do not qualify for desperately needed mental health services. Due to stigma, active duty military personnel in psychiatric crises do not seek help for fear of damaging their careers.
As families and individuals who live with mental illness, NAMI is in a unique position to help. Regardless of views on the war, we must support our troops. The NAMI Tennessee Veterans’ Council will meet next month to move forward on helping NAMI welcome our soldiers and their families
School-based mental health services: More and more children with mental illness are in the general classroom. Half of all children with psychiatric disorders drop out before graduating high school. Teachers and parents need support and to know how to support resiliency in children. Find out about school-based services, parents’ rights and a NAMI teacher in-service training curriculum that meets requirements of our new law on teacher mental health in-service training.
Hispanic community outreach: Tennessee has one of the fastest growing Hispanic populations in the country, yet we have few bilingual mental health care providers. Find out about mental health needs in Latino families, culturally competent approaches to mental health services and NAMI programs serving the Latino community. Join the multicultural caucus at Friday lunch for a thoughtful discussion of reaching out to diverse populations.

Thank you for being a community dedicated to improving quality of life for all who are affected by mental illness.

Together we can!
- Sita Diehl

Past notes:

As the 2007 legislative session begins we have a great opportunity to help our representatives understand how things look for those of us affected by mental illness.

Good News
We eagerly anticipate the Middle Tennessee integrated TennCare pilot program in April. Linking primary care and behavioral health services consumers will hopefully get the primary health care they need and persons seeking treatment for physical health conditions can be screened and referred to mental health treatment when needed.
We applaud Commissioner Betts, her staff and the TennCare Bureau for the Crisis Stabilization Units to be established in Cookeville , Nashville & Columbia . These 72 hour facilities will offer psychiatric expertise to those in need, and will limit long waits associated with Emergency Rooms and crisis teams.
Praise to the Memphis Mental Health Summit, including NAMI Memphis, for their creative efforts to welcome diverse populations, making mental health services acceptable and useful to all. Many thanks to Magellan and the Department of Mental Health and Developmental Disabilities for funding the outreach initiative.

Concerns
We will hit the ground running this year with public policy issues.
All Tennesseans with severe mental illness must have access to services and supports to promote recovery and resiliency, regardless of health care coverage.
Decision-makers must put consumer well-being first and foremost in start-up procedures for CoverRx and other Cover Tennessee programs.
Tennessee consumer confidentiality procedures must allow families to provide vital information to providers. Consumers must have repeated opportunities to involve their families in treatment to varying degrees.
Tennessee must give educators the necessary training to help our children succeed in school. School-based mental health screening must continue because early identification is key to success for children with behavioral disorders
Youth in transition to adulthood must be supported with programs to help them achieve independence. We cannot allow our youth to lose health care coverage at this very vulnerable, but promising time in their lives.
We must develop feasible alternative transportation to emergency commitment. More humane transportation will decrease trauma, increase dignity and make wiser use of public resources.
Jails must develop consistent standards to provide adequate psychiatric medication to inmates with severe and persistent mental illness.