NAMI News

NAMI, the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness, is calling for federal and state legislative action in conjunction with the release of a report by Human Rights Watch documenting mistreatment and neglect of individuals with mental illnesses in U.S. prisons.

The Veterans Committee of NAMI, the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness, testified today before the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Capital Asset Realignment for Enhanced Services (CARES) Commission that lack of capacity and access to treatment represents "one of the greatest unmet needs" of the VA health system for military veterans with severe mental illnesses.

"Access to health and well being is a human right: and no one can deny human rights," stated impassioned Alberto M. Bertoldi, Ph.D., Argentina. "We have to fight for the rights of our loved ones and ourselves."

NAMI, la Voz de Expresión de la Nación sobre Enfermedades Mentales, ofrecerá un Instituto de Liderazgo durante la IX Conferencia Anual del Latino Behavioral Health Institute (LBHI), los días 23 al 25 de septiembre del 2003 en el Universal City Hilton and Towers de Los Angeles.

NAMI, the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness, will host an Instituto de Liderazgo (Leadership Institute) during the 9th Annual Latino Behavioral Health Institute’s (LBHI) Conference, September 23– 25, at the Universal City Hilton and Towers in Los Angeles.

In order to promote enhanced collaboration among elements of the consumer/survivor movement, the NAMI National Consumer Council is pleased to announce it will host a Round Table Forum of leaders from the consumer/survivor movement to work towards establishing a Consensus Partnership Platform for Change. 

Anand Pandya, M.D., New York City, New York; Fred Frese, Ph.D., Hudson, Ohio; and Xavier Amador, Ph.D., Peconic, New York were recently elected to the Board of Directors for NAMI, The Nation's Voice on Mental Illness for the 15 million Americans and their families living with mental illness.

The Campaign will testify before the Senate Judiciary Committee on S. 1194, legislation introduced by Senator Mike DeWine (R-Ohio) to authorize funding for collaborative grant programs between mental health and justice systems aimed at avoiding incarceration of people with mental disorders. 

TRIAD, NAMI's Treatment/Recovery Information and Advocacy Database, released data today compiled from interviews with 3400 individuals living with serious mental illnesses in all 50 states. 

"Basic research represents hope," Dr. Thomas Insel, director of the National Institute on Mental Health (NIMH), Bethesda, MD, said to well over 2000 attendees during the Research Plenary at the NAMI Annual Convention Tuesday, Minneapolis, MN. "But hope is not enough when we are in crisis in our communities as indicated by this conference."