NAMI News

he National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) today called on for a public apology for a "viciously prejudiced" column by syndicated columnist Don Feder concerning efforts by the mental health community to register people with mental illnesses to vote in the 2000 elections—and has asked for a syndicated national opportunity to respond.

Guilty or not, this clearly is a case where the defendant has a long, well-documented history of severe mental illness. It also is clearly a case where the parties should now seek a plea agreement that gives Andrew Goldstein the long-term treatment he needs in a secure treatment facility. 

In a unique and poignant look at teenage suicide, we meet teens who've actually attempted suicide, and hear their painful stories. We also speak with the parents and loved ones of those teens who have, sadly, succeeded in taking their own lives, in an attempt to answer the question "why", and to see what might be done to fight this epidemic.

We commend Senator William Roth (R-DE) for his prompt action in convening a hearing of the Senate Finance Committee following the release of the General Accounting Office (GAO) report on October 1, 1999 on the improper use of restraints or seclusion in psychiatric facilities.

As Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) draws to a close, Ashley ("Ash") Trace is headed into the final stretch of a solo coast- to-coast bicycle ride across the United States. He is raising awareness of the role of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) and the treatment of severe mental illnesses.

Governor Jesse Ventura's lack of sympathy for persons driven by brain disorders to commit suicide stands as an example of the ignorance and stigma that still needs to be overcome in American society in the treatment of mental illness.

Throughout his career in public service, he was more than a strong advocate on issues important to people with severe mental illnesses: he was also our friend. Both the Senate and the nation as a whole will seem a little less noble and a little less compassionate because of his passing.

In observance of Mental Illness Awareness Week (October 3-9), the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) will forcefully urge national, state, and local policy makers to take the steps necessary to end the unemployment, homelessness, poverty, criminalization, social isolation, and premature death that mark the lives of people with severe mental illnesses.

We are heartened by the announcement of Senator William Roth (R-DE), chairman of the Senate Committee on Finance-with jurisdiction over Medicare and Medicaid and much of the nation's health industry-that he will hold a hearing later this fall on the abuse of seclusion and restraints in psychiatric hospitals.

Concern and speculation have circulated throughout the nation's mental health community about the new NBC television show, Stark Raving Mad, scheduled to premiere Thursday, September 23rd. But Steven Levitan, the show's executive producer, has promised the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) there is no cause for alarm.