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FROM
THE EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Wendy Brennan, MS
THESE
ARE EXCITING TIMES
On January 2
of this year, I began my tenure as the organization's new executive
director. Though I have been with NAMI-NYC Metro for over two years,
I can't think of a more exciting time to be working here.
If last year
was any indication of things to come, then 2006 will offer both
great challenges and immense opportunities for NAMI-NYC Metro and
the mental health community. We are facing significant federal cuts
to Medicaid, which will undoubtedly have a serious impact on community-based
mental health services at the local level, especially as we move
towards PROS (Personal Recovery Oriented Services) implementation.
Additionally, the growing number of Americans who are underinsured
or uninsured makes it increasingly more difficult for people to
access needed health and mental health services.
In difficult times, it is incumbent upon the NAMI community to work
together to advocate for not only improved services but also a more
comprehensive and responsive mental health system. In February,
NAMI mental health consumers, family members, board members and
staff went to Albany to lobby our legislators to increase services,
improve conditions for people with mental illness in the prisons
and jails and to advocate for the passage of Timothy's Law, New
York State's mental health parity legislation. Given today's harsh
funding environment, we must work collectively and creatively to
address the needs of the mental health community.
At NAMI-NYC Metro we are committed to finding ways to better meet
the needs of our members. As the city changes and the needs of our
constituency evolve, we must be responsive, and staff and volunteers
must work to develop new programs and services. For example, when
we realized that it was difficult for parents with younger children
to attend our traditional support groups, we responded by developing
a telephone-based support service called the Parent Matching Program.
During the last year we have been able to offer support and resources
to more than 120 parents in the five boroughs, helping them to effectively
navigate the mental health system.
Through our multicultural program, we developed initiatives to provide
mental health education and support to an increasingly diverse population
in New York City. Most recently, we began sharing information about
the mental health system and NAMI's services with African American
and Caribbean congregations around the city. We will continue to
partner with community-based organizations throughout the five boroughs
as we adapt our peer-led model to meet their needs.
We are also excited about the new educational programming and information
we are able to share with you through our free public events and
in each issue of our newsletter. This issue is devoted to the mental
health needs of individuals going to college and includes an article
about what to consider when choosing a school for yourself or your
loved one with a mental illness.
This issue also includes an interview with Pamela Spiro Wagner and
Carolyn S. Spiro, PhD., authors of Divided Minds: Twin Sisters
and TheirJourney ThroughSchizophrenia, as a follow-up to a public
event we held on March 8th, in which the Spiros - along with memoirist
Jay Neugeboren - discussed the effects of mental illness on the
sibling bond. Part of the program will be broadcast on a segment
of Healthy Minds, a new 13-part series about mental health
on WLIW. We will keep you informed about the date and time of the
broadcast.
Given all the changes and things to come, these are indeed very
exciting times. I look forward to working with you to meet the challenges
that lie ahead.
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