Leading Experts to Discuss Latest Developments at Annual Convention

Posted on July 10, 2002

The Latest Developments in Public Policies, Scientific Research and Breakthrough Treatments for Severe Mental Illness to be Examined by Leading Experts

Washington, D.C. – The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), the nation's leading grassroots advocacy organization solely dedicated to improving the lives of people with severe mental illnesses, will host its annual convention July 15-19, 1998 in Washington, D.C. In keeping with the theme, From Discovery to Recovery, the convention will focus on dramatic breakthroughs and scientific advancements in the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of serious brain disorders that are helping millions of Americans recover from the once crippling effects of severe mental illness.

WHEN: Wednesday, July 15 through Sunday, July 19, 1998

WHERE: Washington Hilton and Towers Hotel; 1919 Connecticut Avenue, NW; 202/483-3000

The sessions and activities during the convention are divided into three issue areas and reflect that day’s focus:

• Thursday, July 16
  Public Policies: The impact of advocacy and legislation on people with severe mental illness

• Friday, July 17
  Discovery: The role of research in advanced treatments that lead to recovery

• Saturday, July 18
  Recovery: Outreach efforts to special interest groups and the general population that lead to recovery

National newsmakers, policymakers, best-selling authors, and leading medical experts in neuroscience, psychiatry and research will be available for media interviews. More than 2,000 NAMI members from around the country also will available to share personal experiences with severe mental illness.

To build upon recent legislative victories, more than 1,200 NAMI members will converge on Capitol Hill to meet with their federal lawmakers to educate them about the true nature of severe mental illness and its impact on American families. Additionally, NAMI members will urge their lawmakers to increase research funding and improve access to quality medical care.

Hi-tech exhibits will be featured, including the fully interactive "Science Fair of the Brain," a walk-through brain, with hands-on devices, computer games, and interactive videos, and "Video Tour of NIMH," a real-time, interactive video tour of the National Institute of Mental Health.