NAMI: Mental Illness and the Right to Vote

Many people with mental illness mistakenly think that they have lost their right to vote.  Unless they have had their rights revoked due to criminal convictions or through conservatorship, they have a right to vote.   Voting can now be done on-line and there are free computers in most public libraries.

If the right to vote has been lost there are procedures to reclaim the right to vote. 

http://www.nami.org/election

Upcoming Mental Health First Aid Event at College of the Canyons University - Santa Clarita, CA

Upcoming NAMI Walks in California

Learn more about the NAMI walks at http://www.namiwalks.org/

Robin Williams dead at 63: Actor’s battle with severe depression spotlights celebrities’ mental illnesses

Hopefully his passing will provide a spotlight on treatment and resources for those suffering from mental illness. It is such a huge issue that is not publicized enough in my opinion.


From the NYDAILY NEWS:
Robin Williams talked about his battle with depression, as well as years of drug and alcohol addiction, in interviews years before his death. The actor was found dead in his California home Monday.

The actor’s battle with depression puts a spotlight on his famous friends, including Christopher Reeve and Jonathan Winters, and other celebrities who had experiences with extreme depression.

http://www.nydailynews.com/entertainment/gossip/robin-williams-battle-depression-spotlights-celebrities-mental-illnesses-article-1.1900493

NAMI 2014 NAMI National Convention

NAMI returns to the nation’s capital for its 2014 national convention!

September 3-6 ~ Washington, DC. Registration is now open

NAMI | 2014 NAMI National Convention

Recent statement from Lou Vince at DAA regarding mental health

Recent statement from Lou Vince at DAA regarding mental health:

Another major problem in the County jails is the mental deterioration of prisoners with mental illnesses who are receiving little to no services while incarcerated. This problem is directly linked to violence in the jails.
The Los Angeles County jail system has been described by many experts and commentators as the largest psychiatric hospital in the country. The popular social movement of “De-institutionalization” of some years ago has turned into what some mental health experts now term “trans-institutionalization” because our society has transferred the population that once resided in psychiatric hospitals and mental institutions to our jails and prisons. 64% of jail inmates suffer from a significant mental health problem.
According to the opinions of Dr. Terry A. Kupers in a 2008 ACLU report, few inmates in the L.A. County jails were receiving mental health treatment and about 350 per 2,000 inmates were receiving only medications while being subjected to severe overcrowding or isolation but no mental health programming.
Additionally, in tours of Men’s Central Jail, Twin Towers, and the Inmate Reception Center Kupers encountered a significant number of inmates who were either never diagnosed or were discharged from the caseload and transferred from mental health housing, administrative segregation, or disciplinary housing into the general population.
The connection between jail violence and mental illness should be obviously clear. Add jail overcrowding and you have a recipe for increased rates of violence, psychiatric breakdown, suicide, a loss of impulse control, temper flares, and increased noncompliance with rules and regulations.
Also of great concern was the fact that it was found that these mentally-ill inmates were rarely seen by psychiatrists and were being managed by Deputy Sheriffs who had no training in handling psychiatric patients. Deputies react to behaviors exhibited by the mentally ill. They become gruff, which is interpreted by the inmates as being “disrespected” and they, in turn, become angry. Their anger can and does result in being punished and so the anger escalates. Deputies react and so the cycle continues. As your next Sheriff, I would end this cycle!
As Sheriff, I would lobby the County Supervisors to mandate the Department of Mental Health to evaluate the need for substance abuse and mental health services among pre-trial and sentenced offenders, in both the incarcerated and community-supervised population, and develop a plan to fund and provide such treatment and services both in the correctional facilities and the community.

"Mental Health Crisis" series: Mental Illness Takes Toll

Antelope Valley

"Mental Health Crisis" series

"Mental Illness Takes Toll" by Andrew Clark

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

"Mental Health Crisis" series: System Overwhelmed

Antelope Valley

"Mental Health Crisis" series

"AV Mental Health Officials Seek Funds" by Andrew Clark

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

Click on image to enlarge

"Mental Health Crisis" series: Antelope Valley Lack Mental Health Care

Antelope Valley Press

"Mental Health Crisis" series

"Region's Numbers at Bottom of County" by Andrew Clark

 Click photos to enlarge

 Click photos to enlarge