1. Channeling Harriet Shetler: NAMI’s Founders Fuel Today’s Advocacy
Angela Kimball, NAMI
National Director, Advocacy & Public Policy
NAMI California Conference
Newport Beach, CA
August 25, 2017

2. Our founders set a high bar for advocacy
Harriet Shetler,

3. We aim to keep raising it...

4. Signs of progress

5. Signs we have a long way to go… Too few get mental health care

6. Too few are employed

7. Too many are in jail

8. NAMI’s advocacy
NAMI seeks to address injustices and inequities and to improve coverage for and access to effective services and supports
NAMI’s “North Star” is the perspective of people with mental illness and families
NAMI is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization; we take positions on policies, not political parties

9. NAMI’s advocacy advantage
NAMI’s unique advantage is our nationwide grassroots network of people with mental illness and families speaking with a unified voice

10. NAMI’s advocacy approach
NAMI influences decision-makers by:
Promoting grassroots advocacy
Talking with the media
Working with Congress, federal agencies and the executive branch
Participating in coalitions
Partnering with influential allies, like law enforcement and veterans groups

11. Promoting grassroots advocacy

12. Talking with the media

13. Working with Congress, federal agencies and the White House

14. Partnering with allies

15. NAMI’s advocacy
NAMI also influences decision-makers by making our issues relatable:
Using language that resonates with elected officials and the public, like mental health conditions
Highlighting conditions that are common, like depression and anxiety

16. NAMI’s advocacy
Using language that resonates with decision-makers and the public does not mean that NAMI is not advocating for people with serious mental illness
NAMI’s advocacy is primarily focused on issues that disproportionately affect people with severe mental illness, like research, Medicaid, Medicare, housing, intensive services and decriminalization

17. NAMI’s public policy
NAMI’s Board of Directors issues formal positions on major long-term policy issues in the Public Policy Platform

18. NAMI’s policy priorities
The Board’s Strategic Plan outlines priority objectives
Coverage for mental health care and mental health-related funding are standing priorities
Other priorities may arise due to significant threats or opportunities

19. NAMI’s advocacy priorities
Strategic Plan priorities:
Promote early intervention
Increase access and quality of mental health services, especially for:
People who are difficult to engage;
People involved in the criminal justice system; and
Military and veterans
Support parity implementation
Support mental health reform

20. NAMI’s priority: early intervention
NIMH research shows that early psychosis programs with Coordinated Specialty Care achieve better outcomes
Early psychosis programs are changing the trajectory of serious mental illness and offer hope for future generations with schizophrenia

21. NAMI’s priority: engagement of people with serious mental illness
NAMI takes a multi-tiered approach to advocating for people who are difficult to engage in services:
Supporting effective services for serious mental illness
Facilitating approaches that help people engage in treatment
Supporting frameworks for court-ordered treatment
Helping young adults seek treatment early

22. NAMI’s priority: engagement of people with serious mental illness
NAMI helps young adults seek treatment early:
Starting the Conversation college guide and videos, which promote:
Discussions about mental health conditions and risk,
Reaching out for help, and
Releases of information to inform or include family or trusted adults (HIPAA and FERPA)
Partnering with NCAA, JED Foundation and schools to promote inclusion of information on mental illness and release of information
Launched videos to promote the Starting the Conversation college guide

23. NAMI’s priority: decriminalizing mental illness
NAMI works closely to advance the Stepping Up Initiative, which celebrated its 2nd anniversary in May with 365 counties committed to reducing the jailing of people with mental illness

24. NAMI’s priority: military & veterans with mental illness
Secretary Shulkin of VA is making suicide reduction and prevention one of his top priorities
Secretary Shulkin is supporting urgent mental health care for veterans with Other-Than-Honorable (OTH) discharges
Congressional bills supporting mental health care
Op-ed in The Hill on how Medicaid affects veterans

25. NAMI’s priority: supporting parity
NAMI published:
A Long Road Ahead released in 2016—quoted by several members of Congress, and
Out-of-Network, Out-of- Pocket, Out-of-Options released Nov 2017
NAMI worked in target states:
Parity bills were enacted in Montana (HB 142), Tennessee (SB 0837) and Texas (HB 10) in partnership with ParityTrack

26. NAMI’s priority: supporting parity
NAMI promoted:
A single, simple federal online portal for getting help with parity complaints
Parity oversight provisions in 21st Century Cures Act
Protection of parity provisions in health reform bills

27. NAMI’s priority: supporting mental health reform
NAMI implemented a multi-pronged strategy to advance mental health reform in a challenging environment:
Promoted a unified voice within the mental health community by focusing on shared interests
Launched a year-long campaign of alerts, petitions and calls to action
Promoted bipartisan Congressional champions
Facilitated media coverage
Hosted weekly coalition strategy calls

28. NAMI’s priority: health reform
NAMI successfully opposed bills that rolled back coverage, patient protections and Medicaid services and supports, like medications, case management, hospitalization, therapy, peer supports and more

29. NAMI’s priority: health reform

30. Thank you! Angela Kimball akimball@nami.org