Channeling Harriet Shetler NAMIs Founders Fuel Todays Advocacy

Channeling Harriet Shetler: NAMI’s Founders Fuel Today’s Advocacy Angela Kimball, NAMI National Director, Advocacy & Public Policy NAMI California Conference Newport Beach, CA August 25, 2017

Our founders set a high bar for advocacy Harriet Shetler, 1917 -2010

We aim to keep raising it. . .

Signs of progress

Signs we have a long way to go… Too few get mental health care

Too few are employed

Too many are in jail

NAMI’s advocacy • NAMI seeks to address injustices and inequities and to improve coverage for and access to effective services and supports • NAMI’s “North Star” is the perspective of people with mental illness and families • NAMI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization; we take positions on policies, not political parties

NAMI’s advocacy advantage NAMI’s unique advantage is our nationwide grassroots network of people with mental illness and families speaking with a unified voice

NAMI’s advocacy approach NAMI influences decision-makers by: • Promoting grassroots advocacy • Talking with the media • Working with Congress, federal agencies and the executive branch • Participating in coalitions • Partnering with influential allies, like law enforcement and veterans groups

Promoting grassroots advocacy

Talking with the media

Working with Congress, federal agencies and the White House

Partnering with allies

NAMI’s advocacy NAMI also influences decision-makers by making our issues relatable: • Using language that resonates with elected officials and the public, like mental health conditions • Highlighting conditions that are common, like depression and anxiety

NAMI’s advocacy • Using language that resonates with decision-makers and the public does not mean that NAMI is not advocating for people with serious mental illness • NAMI’s advocacy is primarily focused on issues that disproportionately affect people with severe mental illness, like research, Medicaid, Medicare, housing, intensive services and decriminalization

NAMI’s public policy NAMI’s Board of Directors issues formal positions on major long-term policy issues in the Public Policy Platform

NAMI’s policy priorities • The Board’s Strategic Plan outlines priority objectives • Coverage for mental health care and mental health-related funding are standing priorities • Other priorities may arise due to significant threats or opportunities

NAMI’s advocacy priorities Strategic Plan priorities: • Promote early intervention • Increase access and quality of mental health services, especially for: o People who are difficult to engage; o People involved in the criminal justice system; and o Military and veterans • Support parity implementation • Support mental health reform

NAMI’s priority: early intervention • NIMH research shows that early psychosis programs with Coordinated Specialty Care achieve better outcomes • Early psychosis programs are changing the trajectory of serious mental illness and offer hope for future generations with schizophrenia

NAMI’s priority: engagement of people with serious mental illness NAMI takes a multi-tiered approach to advocating for people who are difficult to engage in services: • Supporting effective services for serious mental illness • Facilitating approaches that help people engage in treatment • Supporting frameworks for court-ordered treatment • Helping young adults seek treatment early

NAMI’s priority: engagement of people with serious mental illness NAMI helps young adults seek treatment early: • Starting the Conversation college guide and videos, which promote: o Discussions about mental health conditions and risk, o Reaching out for help, and o Releases of information to inform or include family or trusted adults (HIPAA and FERPA)

NAMI’s priority: decriminalizing mental illness NAMI works closely to advance the Stepping Up Initiative, which celebrated its 2 nd anniversary in May with 365 counties committed to reducing the jailing of people with mental illness

NAMI’s priority: military & veterans with mental illness • Secretary Shulkin of VA is making suicide reduction and prevention one of his top priorities • Secretary Shulkin is supporting urgent mental health care for veterans with Other-Than-Honorable (OTH) discharges • Congressional bills supporting mental health care • Op-ed in The Hill on how Medicaid affects veterans

NAMI’s priority: supporting parity NAMI published: • A Long Road Ahead released in 2016—quoted by several members of Congress, and • Out-of-Network, Out-of. Pocket, Out-of-Options released Nov 2017 NAMI worked in target states: • Parity bills were enacted in Montana (HB 142), Tennessee (SB 0837) and Texas (HB 10) in partnership with Parity. Track

NAMI’s priority: supporting parity NAMI promoted: • A single, simple federal online portal for getting help with parity complaints • Parity oversight provisions in 21 st Century Cures Act • Protection of parity provisions in health reform bills

NAMI’s priority: supporting mental health reform NAMI implemented a multi-pronged strategy to advance mental health reform in a challenging environment: • Promoted a unified voice within the mental health community by focusing on shared interests • Launched a year-long campaign of alerts, petitions and calls to action • Promoted bipartisan Congressional champions • Facilitated media coverage • Hosted weekly coalition strategy calls

NAMI’s priority: health reform NAMI successfully opposed bills that rolled back coverage, patient protections and Medicaid services and supports, like medications, case management, hospitalization, therapy, peer supports and more

NAMI’s priority: health reform

Thank you! Angela Kimball akimball@nami. org