Act Now On FMAP

The U.S. Senate majority caucus has begun debate on their next steps regarding an extension of Federal Medical Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for Medicaid. A six-month extension of the enhanced FMAP rate is at risk, and we need to act today! 

FMAP refers to the Federal matching funds for State expenditures for assistance payments--in this case for Medicaid.  The recently-passed Pa. budget depends on the FMAP extension, amounting in $850 million. 

If the extension is not passed, Gov. Rendell has indicated that he will make significant cuts to essential services and lay off state workers. 

Call to Action
Please call Sen. Casey and Sen. Specter today and thank them for their ongoing support. Urge them to speak up in support of the FMAP extension.  If you are not from Pa., your calls to your state Senators are equally important.  Please take a moment to make these calls today.  We have seen on many occasions: your calls can and do make a difference!

The Senate offices can be reached toll-free by calling (877) 210-5351 or (877) 442-6801, or through the Capitol Switchboards at (202) 224-3121. 

Advocacy Tips
FMAP fact sheets (developed by PA Budget and Policy Center) specific to each congressional district can be useful tools in your conversations urging for support of the FMAP extension.

When contacting members of the U.S. Congress or the Pa. General Assembly, it is always advantageous to share that you are a constituent and that you vote. It is crucial to share why this issue is important to you personally.

Go to the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website and click on Legislative Affairs for details on the state budget.and effective advocacy tips.

Great Turnout at NAMI Walk Kickoff

The 4th Annual NAMI Walk Kickoff Luncheon at the Sheraton Station Square was the best attended ever.  With 142 attendees, the two-hour motivational luncheon was a high-energy, fun-spirited event. 

We've gotten reports that our enthusiastic Team Captains are already getting started on their fundraising efforts!  NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania thanks the staff, volunteers and sponsors who helped make today possible. 

Left to right: Executive Director Chris Michaels; Event Hostess Michelle Wright of WTAE-TV; Featured Speaker Laura Miller (a.k.a. Secret Agent L); Darcey Garda, Manager of Development and Marketing; and NAMI Supporter Joy Krunnemaker of Family Services.

NAMI Walk Kickoff Tomorrow

Darcey Garda, Michelle Wright and
Executive Director Chris Michaels
are among the featured speakers
at tomorrow's kickoff.

Tomorrow marks an exciting day at NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania: It's the day we kick off our NAMI Walk season!

NAMI Walk Kickoff Luncheon

Sheraton Station Square

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Hosted by Michelle Wright, WTAE

Special Guest: Secret Agent L

Together we will give attendees information, materials and motivation to get ready for the 4th Annual NAMI Walk on Sunday, Oct. 3.

Join us for this festive occasion. There is no charge to attend, but last-minute reservations must be made today. For those who RSVPd and can no longer attend, your regrets would be appreciated.

Contact Darcey Garda today at (412) 366-3788 ext. 23 or email dgarda@namiswpa.org.

Special thanks to Norman and Cindy McHolme for sponsoring the Kickoff Luncheon and to Presenting Sponsor UPMC Insurance Services & UPMC Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic.

Secret Agent L Event Benefits NAMI

It was standing room only at the Firehouse Lounge on Saturday night for Secret Agent L's reveal party.  At 9 p.m. sharp, the anonymous woman who has done random acts of kindness in Pittsburgh for the past year, walked through the crowd wearing a trench coat, fedora and sunglasses.  With James Bond music playing in the background, she revealed herself as...

Secret Agent Laura! 

Laura is a local actress and model and longtime NAMI supporter. The proceeds from the event -- reportedly over $1,500 -- benefit NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Most touching is that Secret Agent L chose NAMI because she felt our mission of helping individuals and families affected my mental illness matched with her mission of kindness, generosity and helping others. 

We are grateful to be part of such a unique and exciting event and look forward to seeing where Secret Agent Laura takes her kind gestures after this!

Featured Facts on Friday

Did you know that suicide is the third leading cause of death for America's youth ages 15 to 24?  More youth and young adults die from suicide than from cancer, heart disease, AIDS, birth defects, stroke, pneumonia, influenza and chronic lung disease combined.  

The vast majority of those who die by suicide have a mental illness--often undiagnosed or untreated.  Click here for more information about suicide including statistics, warning signs and possible interventions.

A local group called SPRITES holds regular support group meetings for suicide survivors (family members who have lost a loved one to suicide) at the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania office.  They also host small social gatherings at a variety of local restaurants and coffee shops.  Click here for information on SPRITES and their meeting schedule.

Secret Agent L on WTAE-TV

Here is Michelle Wright's interview with Secret Agent L on Channel 4 News.  She mentions the reveal party benefiting NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania this Saturday. 

Here is the corresponding news article on WTAE-TV's website.

Kickoff Luncheon One Week Away

Hard to believe the 4th Annual NAMI Walk Kickoff Luncheon is one week away!  It's always exciting when we launch walk season, the time when we leverage the visibility of the NAMI Walk to raise awareness and reduce the stigma of mental illness. 

Please join us for our Kickoff Luncheon next Wednesday.  Reservations are required!

NAMI Walk 2010 Kickoff Luncheon

Wednesday, July 28

11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Sheraton Station Square

No cost to attend!

RSVP by Friday, July 23 to info@namiswpa.org or (412) 366-3788

Hosted by your friends at NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania and Honorary Chair Michelle Wright, News Anchor of WTAE-TV.  Thank you to Norman and Cindy McHolme for generously sponsoring this event.

In this Issue

Have you read the latest edition of The Voice, NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's quarterly newsletter? 

Each quarter, The Voice includes a relevant cover story, advocacy updates, support group meeting information, events and happenings, and other timely information related to mental illness.  If you become a member of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania, we will mail your edition of The Voice to your home or office each month, or you can elect to receive an email version of the newsletter.  Other benefits also apply to members.

You can also access The Voice on the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website. 

The Summer 2010 edition includes the following:

• Cover story on Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT) written by Executive Director Chris Michaels
• News Around the Region (Updates on legislation and policy impacting the mental health community)
• In the Spotlight (Daniel J. McNulty, Author, Chainbreaker)
• NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania Annual Education Conference Wrap-Up
• Joan Erney Tribute Dinner
• Support Group information
• And more!

Mental Health Advance Directives

A Mental Health Advance Directive is a document that allows you to make your choices known regarding mental health treatment in the event that your mental illness causes you to be unable to make decisions.

In effect, you are making decisions about treatment before the time that you will need it. This allows you to make more informed decisions and to make your wishes clearly known. 

Click here to read more about Mental Health Advance Directives, including answers to questions about power of attorney, capacity and much more. 

To inquire about scheduling a Mental Health Advance Directive training for your organization, call the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania office at (412) 366-3788.

Featured Facts on Friday

Did you know...

The World Health Organization predicts that by 2020, mental illness will be the second leading cause of disability worldwide, after heart disease.

Major mental disorders cost the nation at least $193 billion annually in lost earnings alone, according to a new study funded by the National Institutes of Health's National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH).

When workers with depression were treated with prescription medicines, medical costs declined by $882 per employee per year and absenteeism dropped by nine days (Health Economics).

It pays to take care of our mental health!  For more information on mental illness, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website. 

Source: http://www.nami.org/

Secret Agent L Event to Benefit NAMI

For the past year, a person known as Secret Agent L has been performing "anonymous acts of kindness" around Pittsburgh. The idea has spread, garnering media attention and "affiliate agents" across the nation.  Click here to read about Secret Agent L in the July edition of Pittsburgh Magazine.

Secret Agent L came to the NAMI office today.  She is having a reveal party at the Firehouse Lounge in the Strip on Saturday, July 24 and decided to make NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania the beneficiary. 

The event runs from 8 to 10 p.m., and yes, the Secret Agent will reveal her true identity. 

Your $10 donation will get you in the door with one drink ticket and will directly benefit our mission to help people affected by mental illness.

Secret Agent L chose NAMI because we are consistent with her mission of kindness and helping others.  Her motto is "Be Kind. No Exceptions." 

We'll be at the event and invite you to join us for a fun evening! 

Western Region CSP Annual Picnic

The Western Region Community Support Program (WRCSP) held its annual picnic in Moraine State Park on Friday.

It was a great time with great food and great networking opportunities for over 100 people from western Pa.

Below are photos of the picnic including this one of  the CHAPS Drop-in Center staff and volunteers with WRCSP co-chairs Elise Barr and Sharon Miller, our Director of Education and Community Relations at NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Featured Facts on Friday

We've all heard the statistic that people with serious mental illness are dying 25 years sooner than the rest of the population. But did you know that half of the cigarettes in the country are smoked by people with serious mental illness? In fact, smoking is the top risk factor in their life expectancy.

The top five risk factors for people with mental illness dying prematurely are:

1) Smoking

2) Diabetes (Type 2)

3) High Blood Pressure

4) Obesity

5) Cholesterol

The good news is, according to NAMI Medical Advisor Dr. Ken Duckworth, these "risk factors are all modifiable, changeable and preventable." Look into NAMI's Hearts and Minds program today and register for the NAMI Walk on Saturday, Oct. 3.

For more information, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

First NAMI Walk 2010 Sponsors

We are thrilled to announce the first five sponsors to sign on in support of the NAMI Walk scheduled for Sunday, Oct. 3.  We'd like to extend a special thank-you to the following organizations for getting the ball rolling with our 4th Annual NAMI Walk! 

1.  UPMC Insurance Services - Presenting Sponsor

Under the direction of our NAMI Walk Business Team Chair John Lovelace, UPMC Insurance Services not only renewed its support as Presenting Sponsor, but gave a 50 percent increase in its sponsorship donation. 

2.  Norman and Cindy McHolme -- Kickoff Luncheon Sponsor

The McHolmes have graciously renewed their support of our Kickoff Luncheon set for Wednesday, July 28 at the Sheraton Station Square. 

3.  Allegheny HealthChoices, Inc.  -- Start/Finish Line Sponsor

4.  Value Behavioral Health of PA -- Start/Finish Line Sponsor

5.  The Testoni Family -- Bronze Sponsor

We are nearly halfway to our goal of $50,000 in sponsorship dollars.  Thank you to these sponsors for leading the way!

For more information about the NAMI Walk, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website. 

Independence Day

In honor of Independence Day, the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania office will be closed on Monday, July 5.

Final Day at National NAMI Convention

We started our final day at the NAMI Convention in some great workshops.  Below is Dr. Ken Duckworth during his workshop, telling us about the NAMI Hearts and Minds program that he developed.

After a morning of workshops, we sat in on the Annual NAMI National Board Meeting, where we heard a State of the Alliance address from the Board President Dr. Stephen Feinstein and we met our newly elected board members. 

The new board members are: Moe Armstrong, Lynda Jensen, Clarence Jordan, Ron Morton, Clarice Raichel and Kevin Sullivan.

After the Annual Meeting, we were fortunate to have lunch with NAMI icon Joyce Burland (pictured below, seated), founder of the award-winning and life-changing Family-to-Family program. 

This evening, we went to the "grand finale" of the NAMI Convention, which is the annual banquet.  There we are, pictured below, seated at the table on the right.

During dinner, NAMI gave awards to members of the media across the country who made a significant difference in the field of mental illness, including one of our favorites Minds on the Edge.  We were entertained by Grammy award-winning singer-songwriter Nancy McKeown, an Irish artist who performed live throughout the banquet.

Tomorrow morning, we are headed back to Pittsburgh to continue our work at NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania.

4th Day at National NAMI Convention

Another busy day at the NAMI Convention!  Today started with a Research Plenary on schizophrenia, which focused on a large-scale project exploring the effectiveness of early treatment and prevention of schizophrenia. 

That session was followed by back-to-back workshops for the rest of the day, including Improving Outcomes by Integrating Mental Health in Primary Care, Implementing Health Reform--the Federal Agenda, Decriminalizing Mental Illness, Veterans and Military Mental Health, the Importance of Social Media, and Modern-Day Mood Stabilizers & Side Effects, among several others.

This evening, we enjoyed dinner on the patio of La Tomate in Dupont Circle with our friends from Project Transition in Philadelphia.  We've been having a great time networking with our NAMI peers from across the country.

We are gearing up for our final day at the NAMI Convention tomorrow!

3rd Day at NAMI National Convention

What a day on Capitol Hill!  We began our day with an inspiring pep talk from Patrick Kennedy to get us ready for our legislative visits on Capitol Hill.  He told us that "your mere presence is the greatest lobbying you can do!"

Referring to equality for people with mental illness, Kennedy said, "If Martin Luther King were alive today... If my uncles were alive today... this is the fight they would be fighting for civil rights." 

We made our way to the Capitol.  There was a large group from Pa. and we all wore sashes and stickers announcing "Mental Heath Care Gets My Vote."  Below you can see Darcey, Debbie and Chris from the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania office. 

We began our day in Sen. Robert P. Casey's office followed by a visit to Sen. Arlen Specter's office and then Congressman Joe Sestak's office.  After lunch in the Senate cafeteria, we stopped by Congressman Jason Altmire's office followed by a visit to Congressman Tim Murphy, pictured below in the gray suit. 

With each visit, we delivered a packet of information with our briefing issues and what we are urging the Congress to do.  We pushed for an extension of the higher federal Medicaid match rate (known as FMAP), spoke about pressing children's issues and discussed the decriminalization of mental illness among several other important issues. 

Below, Congressman Murphy's Communications Director took photos of our group -- NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania along with our friends at Allegheny Family Network -- meeting with the Congressman. 

After our legislative visits, we made it back to the convention just in time to catch the plenary session featuring a high-level Obama Administration official speaking about health care reform and an overview of the State of NAMI by National NAMI Executive Director Michael Fitzpatrick.

That was immediately followed by Candidate Speeches for the National NAMI Board of Directors and then our Pa. State Caucus, which ran well into the evening.

We are winding down for the night, looking forward to another packed day at the convention tomorrow.