NAMI’s Grading the States 2009

Ron Honberg – Director of Policy and Legal Affairs

National Alliance on Mental Illness

2009 NAMI Convention

San Francisco, CA

Goals• Advocacy and communications

• Public education

• Increase transparency/accountability

• Document changes over time

• Highlight best practices

• Identify worst practices

What Data Did We Use?

• What we need vs. what we have...• GTS-09 Data Sources:

– Survey of State Mental Health Agencies– Hospital beds (AHA)– Workforce shortage (Sheps Center)– Consumer & Family Test Drive– Web-based survey of consumers and

family members

Four Groups of Measures

• Health Promotion and Measurement

• Financing and Core Treatment/ Recovery Services

• Consumer and Family Empowerment

• Community Integration and Social Inclusion

National Trends - Positive

• Recovery is widely accepted

• More focus on evidence-based practices

• Growing concern about wellness, whole person

• Stronger collaborations at state and local levels

• Support for stigma reduction, public education

• Consumer and family recognition/empowerment

National Trends - Negative

• Budget cuts

• Lack of acute inpatient beds, crisis stabilization services.

• Poor data, particularly on outcomes.

• Continued fragmentation of systems and services.

• Too many people falling through the cracks.

Policy Recommendations

• Increase public funding for mental health care services

• Improve data collection, outcomes measurement, and accountability

• Integrate mental and physical health care• Promote recovery and respect• Increase services for people with serious

mental illnesses who are most at risk

Consumer and Family Quotes• “Recovery means I have many identities, not

only my mental illness. I am a wife, mother, sister, daughter, friend, nana. My illness is not the first thing I think about when I wake up in the morning.” (Pennsylvania)

• “Lo mejor es que tienen un equipo de Act el cual me aydo mucho a recobrar las reindas de mi vida.” (New York)

Consumer and Family Quotes

• “I take it one day at a time and generally rely on family and friends instead of the doctors that are supposed to be there to help.” (Alabama)

• “When I first tried to get help after attempting suicide, I was told that I wasn’t sick enough to qualify.” (Arizona)

Consumer and Family Quotes• “Our Proposition 63 Mental Health Services

Act monies have been targeted towards … new programs. Meanwhile, old time clients are living in below standard board and cares with very little access to programs and services.” (California)

• “If my mother had not fought with them on my behalf, I most likely would have committed suicide.” (Florida)

Consumer and Family Quotes

• “My peer services are great. One of the things that has been most helpful is the Pathways to Recovery group at my CRO.” (Kansas)

• “My employer (I was employed at a public mental health center) saw my improvement and offered me an opportunity of a lifetime. They asked me if I would like to be a peer support specialist.” (Wyoming)

Consumer and Family Quotes

• “Lots of people fall through the cracks and in a crisis end up in jail…Why don’t the taxpayers understand that jail costs five times more than treatment and medications?” (Ohio)

• “The worst thing about the public mental health system is the lack of funding for community-based services.” (New Mexico)

Ways to use the report

• Communications with key state officials (mental health, Medicaid, etc.)

• Testimony at legislative hearings on funding, systems change, etc.

• Working with the media• Illustrating the lived experiences of people with

mental illnesses and their families

Beyond Grading the States 2009

• State policy/planning/transformation

• Federal leadership (data standards)

• Children and youth version

• Grading the States 2012!

More Information & QuestionsFull GTS-09 report at www.nami.org/grades09

Information on health care reform at

www.nami.org\policy\healthreform

Ron Honberg

RonH@nami.org