Call for Nominations - Dick Jevon Advocacy Award

Dick Jevon, a longtime and highly regarded mental health advocacy leader, retired in 2013. The Dick Jevon Advocacy Award has been established in Dick’s honor to create a legacy that continues to advance the advocacy movement that Dick and NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania have led for many years.

Please nominate an individual that embodies the unique qualities of Dick Jevon, who remains an Honorary Board Member of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania. The nominee should:  

• Exhibit leadership abilities and a passion for mental health.
• Have a compassionate spirit, a desire to help others.
• Champion improvements to the mental health system.
• Promote acceptance and understanding as a way of life.
• Believe that recovery is possible for those affected by mental illness.
• Strive to eliminate stigma.
• Embrace Dick Jevon’s words of advice, “Always Have Hope!”

The nominee can be an individual living with a mental illness, a family member or loved one, a mental health professional, or anyone who tries to improve the lives of those affected by mental illness.  The nominee must live in one of the 10 counties served by NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania: Allegheny, Armstrong, Beaver, Butler, Fayette, Greene, Indiana, Lawrence, Washington or Westmoreland.  

This is not a cash award but an acknowledgment in the form of a beautiful trophy, a framed certificate and public recognition as an advocate who is part of NAMI’s education movement to end stigma, to change society’s attitude and to create a culture of knowledge and understanding about mental illness.

The deadline to nominate is Friday, March 6. The award will be presented on April 11 at NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 15th Annual Education Conference at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. Return this nomination form to NAMI along with the nominee's bio by March 6. Questions ?Contact Darcey Garda at (412) 366-3788 ext. 123 or dgarda@namiswpa.org.

Join NAMI Today - We Need Your Voice!

What does it mean to be a member of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania? It means that you are part of NAMI’s movement to improve the mental health system, to end stigma and to create a culture of knowledge and understanding about mental illness.

 

Membership is the first level of grassroots advocacy and the best way to support the NAMI movement.  The more members who stand behind NAMI, the more it strengthens our collective voice as we advocate!

Join or renew your membership to NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania and you will receive:

• New, personalized membership card.
• Subscription to our quarterly newsletter The Voice. 
• Discounted registration fees to events, including our 15^th Annual Education Conference on Saturday, April 11 featuring all-pro wide receiver and mental health advocate Brandon Marshall.
• Automatic membership to NAMI National and NAMI PA.

Click Here to Join or Renew Your Membership Today

Numbers count. Every membership to NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania is extremely meaningful as we work each day to fulfill our mission of recovery focused support, education and advocacy for those affected by mental illness.
 

Voices count. As a member, you will have a chance to give back. You'll receive Call-to-Action Alerts that give you an opportunity to get involved, reach out and make a difference in the simplest way possible. Your voice is invaluable to the NAMI movement.

Take a stand today. Become a member! This is the single greatest way you can support NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania. 

Donations to NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania are tax-deductible. Official registration and financial information on NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania: 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.

Got NAMI Smarts?

Do you have a story to tell? 

 

Can you tell it such a succinct and powerful way that it may actually effect change?

Many of us struggle to find the words to articulate the struggles and triumphs we have faced on our journey, or our loved one's journey, of recovery. Even if you have the most clear and compelling story, do you know how to use it to make an impact on policy makers?

Now, there is a training program called NAMI SMARTS for Advocacy.

NAMI Southwestern PA’s Executive Director Christine Michaels and Associate Director Debbie Ference were invited by NAMI National to be trained as NAMI SMARTS for Advocacy teachers. 

NAMI SMARTS teaches individuals how to be advocates by providing step-by-step tools and hands-on practice that helps participants enhance their own advocacy skills and help shape a powerful and personal story that will impact policy makers.  The program helps participants understand why advocacy is so important for mental health.

The training is divided into three modules: Telling your Story, Emails and Phone Calls, and Meeting Your Legislator.

Telling your Story  This module guides participants through writing and delivering a concise and compelling version of your story that will serve as a springboard for your advocacy

Emails and Phone Calls  This module shows participants how to write emails that get attention and make phone calls that policy makers remember

Meeting Your Legislator   This module demonstrates how to orchestrate a successful dialogue with elected officials.

Stay tuned for more information about NAMI SMARTS. 

Action Alert: Reject "Healthy PA" Waiver

Healthy PA is Gov. Corbett's private pay alternative to Medicaid expansion. His proposal has been submitted to the federal government, and the public has until April 11 at 6 a.m. to submit comments.

NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania opposes Healthy PA for the following reasons, among others. Healthy PA would:

-Reduce existing Medicaid benefits and create High Risk Low Risk categories

-Tie work-related activities to Medicaid participation

-Charge premiums and impose penalty "lockout" periods of no coverage for missed payments

-End the MAWD (Medical Assistance for Workers with Disabilities) program

Medicaid expansion, on the other hand, will save both the state and federal governments money while extending healthcare coverage to millions of lower-income Pennsylvanians.

Please Take Action Today
We are asking you to send your comments to CMS (the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services).

What To Do
Go to this public comment website. Click "Answer the Questionnaire" and type of paste your comment in the box. Here is a comment you can use:

REJECT the Healthy PA Waiver Application. I support regular Medicaid Expansion.

Or, you can email 1115DemoRequests@cms.hhs.gov and send the message below. You can also refer to the bullet points above, if you choose.

 

REJECT the Health PA Waiver Application. I support regular Medicaid Expansion.

 

ACTION ALERT: Urge the House to Vote for Medicaid Expansion

On Sunday, the Senate voted to expand Medicaid in Pennsylvania.

Today we need the House to vote to expand Medicaid.

PLEASE TAKE ACTION TODAY
Take the time to send 2 emails. It's important! Click here to find your representative: type in your zip code and scroll down to find your House Representative.

WHAT TO DO
Email your House Representative the following message:

My name is _____________. I live at (street) and (town). Please vote Yes for Medicaid expansion. Thank you.

Send a second email to House Leader Mike Turzai at mturzai@pahousegop.com with the following message:

Please allow the House to vote on Medicaid expansion. Thank you.

Rally for Medicaid Expansion on Thursday

Join Cover The Commonwealth along with NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania and the Consumer Health Coalition at a rally for Medicaid expansion on Thursday, June 27 at 11 a.m. Medicaid expansion will create jobs, secure healthcare and contribute to economic growth in Pennsylvania. Rally with us on Thursday so that our collective voice will be heard!

Rally for Medicaid Expansion

Thursday, June 27 at 11 a.m.

125 Hillvue Lane, Pittsburgh, PA 15237

If you have questions or need directions, pleasee call (412) 512-9225.

Call Your LOCAL Legislators Today

Contact Your Legislators and ask them to: 

--Express their opposition to the block grant and support for funding at the current year's level for mental health and substance abuse funding to the House and Senate Republican Appropriations Chairs and the House and Senate Majority Leaders.

--Express their opposition to the block grant and support for maintaining the current mental health and substance abuse funding levels in their respective caucus meetings on the budget.

Democratic Chair of the Senate Appropriations Committee, Sen. Vincent Hughes (pictured right), announced yesterday in his budget overview that the Human Services Development Fund (HSDF) block grant "is still in flux, not a done deal" and there is support for increasing the amount of the 50 percent restoration of human services funding. Sen. Hughes stressed the urgency to contact your local legislators TODAY (and every day until we have a state budget passed).

We are down to the wire with budget negotiations. The republican leadership and the governor have agreed to spend the number of $27.65 billion, and the details are being worked out as you are reading this.

Thanks to the Better Choices for Pa. Coalition for hosting the call with Sen. Hughes and thanks to each of you for your ongoing budget advocacy efforts! 

Advocacy Postcard Campaign

Want to be part of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's ongoing budget advocacy campaign? We are providing postcards to be sent to members of General Assembly. The message is simple:

STOP the 20 percent funding cut to community mental health services.

STOP the block grant that puts community mental health dollars in jeopardy of being spent on other services.

STOP the elimination of General Assistance cash benefits and cuts to General Assistance Medicaid health care benefits.

If you would like to assist in this campaign, please email Sharon Miller at smiller@namiswpa.org with the number of postcards you would be able to use. The postcards are partially labeled, requiring only that you write in the name of your specific senator or representative and the address. Sharon can also provide this information for you.

BROKEN PROMISES: Dismantling the Community Mental Health System and Harmful General Assistance Cuts

Promise Made – Candidate Tom Corbett promised to help Pennsylvania’s most vulnerable citizens, including individuals with mental illness and/or facing challenges of addiction.

Promise Broken – Gov. Tom Corbett’s budget is recommending the most significant change and cut to the community mental health system since its inception over 50 years ago.

Our Message: The cuts to Mental Health funding must be restored. The Human Services Development Fund block grant is wrong and should be stopped. Promises made to consumers and to communities must be kept.

Please see the attachment for a detailed list of the “Promises Made and Promises Broken.”  Utilize these points when contacting the leadership within the state House and Senate. Please always copy your respective state representative and senator.

Unsure who represents you in the state Senate and House? Click here. To Contact PA Senate Leadership, click here. To Contact PA House of Representatives Leadership, click here.