First Day at NAMI National Convention

We made it to Washington, D.C. and are settled in at the NAMI National Convention Recovery and Reform: The Road From Here.

This evening, Executive Director Chris Michaels attended the Executive Director's Group Council Meeting.  She represented NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania to NAMI leadership across the country.  She had the chance to share with them some of the exciting initiatives, as well as concerning issues, we are facing in our region, such as:

--A special project our Board's Working Group is implementing that involves the life disparity issue of people with serious mental illness dying 25 years sooner than the rest of the population 

--Healthcare reform and what it means to our managed care Medicaid program

--Our leadership in Mental Health Advance Directives in Southwestern Pa.

--Keeping a close eye on the state budget process and being prepared to take action as we did last year

--The potential development of a wellness program integrating physical and mental health

We will be here all week representing our region and bringing home new information that we gather from across the country.