Planning for the Financial Future for Individuals with Special Needs

Four Programs April 20 and 21.

Many families when faced with a loved one’s diagnosis of mental retardation, developmental disabilities, mental illness, or traumatic brain injury don’t know where to turn for services for their loved one or how to plan for the future. A consortium of service providers, governmental agencies and advocacy groups has come together to help families “put the pieces of the puzzle together.”

On April 20 and April 21, Mr. Chuck Locy, Financial Planner with the Division of Estate Planning for Special Kids will give four seminars on “Financial Planning for Individuals with Special Needs.” Mr. Locy has been a financial planner for over 10 years and has an established network of legal and care providers. He is well known throughout the region. His presentation will be easily understood by families and staff.

The sessions will be held as follows:

• Monday, April 20, 1:00-3:00 PM, Union Township Civic Center, (Eastgate Area) 4350 Aicholtz Rd. Cincinnati, 45245
• Monday, April 20, 6:30-8:30 PM, Workforce One, 300 E. Silver St., Lebanon, 45036
• Tuesday, April 21, 1-3 PM, at the Health Foundation, 5th floor, 3805 Edwards Rd., Cincinnati
• Tuesday April 21 6:30-8:30 PM, Butler County Mental Health Board, 5963 Boymel Ave., Fairfield.

The same presentation will be given at each session. The sessions are free, but a donation is requested so that more presentations can be planned for the future. Checks should be made out to PLAN of Southwest Ohio and can be turned in at the session you attend.

Registration deadline is April 17. For registration information, please contact:

Kathy Morris at 513-559-6701 or 967-5612 or cfmfsouthohio@yahoo.com to register for the Cincinnati session

Rosalyn Dadas at 513-695-3650 or 937-425-3650 or info@nami-wc.org for the Lebanon session.

Teresa Brand at 867-5700, Ext 19 or teresab@butlermrdd.org for the Fairfield session

Christine Darling at 732-4846 or cdarling@ccmrdd.org for the Union Township session.

This program has been planned by a collaborative group consisting of volunteers and staff of the Hamilton County Board of MRDD, the Butler County Board of MRDD, the Clermont County Board of MRDD, the Warren County Board of MRDD, NAMI Hamilton County, NAMI Warren County, NAMI Butler County, NAMI Clermont County, PLAN of Southwest Ohio, ARC of Southwest Ohio, the Community Fund Management Foundation, and the Brain Injury Support Association of Ohio.

Youth & Young Adults in Transition: Powerful Voices, Practical Strategies

Youth & Young Adults in Transition: Powerful Voices, Practical Strategies
April 8, 2009 in Columbus, Ohio

Hear from the experts…youth and young adults who are currently in transition…a young man who overcame incredible obstacles to become a clinician serving youth in crisis…providers offering programs and services to youth in transition.

• Learn what is needed for successful transition from youth and young adults facing serious challenges
• Recognize innovative practices among Ohio’s providers serving youth and young adults in transition
• List current policy issues in the area of transition services
• Understand Ohio’s efforts to address transition services with input from youth, young adults, families, advocates, providers, policy makers and other stakeholders

This conference is sponsored by NAMI Ohio and the Ohio Department of Mental Health in partnership with the Center for Innovative Practices/Institute for the Study of Prevention of Violence at Kent State University, Community Services of Stark County, Inc. and the Ohio Federation for Children’s Mental Health.

Questions? Please contact NAMI Ohio at (800) 686-2646, (614) 224-2700 or suzanner@amiohio.org.

More information at www.namiohio.org. Download announcement and registration form.

NAMI RELEASES GUIDE TO CRISIS INTERVENTION PROGRAMS FOR YOUTH

NAMI has published a guide titled, Supporting Schools and Communities in Breaking the Prison Pipeline: A Guide to Emerging and Promising Crisis Intervention Programs for Youth, to help inform advocates about existing crisis intervention programs for youth and what they can do to promote and implement such programs in their states and communities.

The guide responds to concerns about the alarming number of youth with mental health treatment needs who continue to enter the juvenile justice system. Schools in particular have been a pipeline into the juvenile justice for far too many youth in America. Crisis intervention programs for youth promise to support schools and communities in breaking this prison pipeline.

The guide highlights three communities that have adapted the adult Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) model to develop crisis intervention programs for youth that can be used in the school and community setting. It provides an overview of the CIT model and discusses the key components, benefits, and costs associated with crisis intervention programs for youth. It also details what action steps children’s mental health advocates can take to effectively promote and implement these programs for youth in their states and communities.

To download a copy of the guide, please visit NAMI’s CIT Resource Center at www.nami.org/cit or NAMI’s Child and Adolescent Action Center (CAAC) at www.nami.org/caac.

For more information about NAMI’s work on crisis intervention programs for youth, please contact Dana Markey, Program Coordinator, CAAC, at danac@nami.org, or Laura Usher, CIT Coordinator, at laurau@nami.org.

Report Card: Ohio Mental Health Care Losing Ground

Ohio Receives “C” for Mental Health Care: A Decrease from Last Report Card

Columbus, OH March 11, 2009

Today, the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) issued a national report card that gives Ohio a C for its public mental health system.

The report is a follow-up to a NAMI report published three years ago to measure the progress of states in achieving the goals of a presidential commission that called for transformation of the mental health care system – which too often is fragmented, outmoded and inadequate.

In the previous report, Ohio received a grade of B. This year it is one of 12 states that saw their grades decline. The national average is D, remaining stagnant from three years ago. Six states received B’s, six received Fs, and no state received an A.

“This grade is a tremendous disappointment. Three years ago, Ohio received a B and was viewed as a national leader. Instead of moving forward as we should have, we have fallen miserably backwards, and in the process have left many of our most vulnerable citizens behind,” said Jim Mauro, Executive Director of NAMI Ohio, the state affiliate.

“Ohio has worked hard over the years to establish a solid infrastructure, only to have it threatened by funding cuts. NAMI Ohio calls on the Strickland Administration and the members of the General Assembly to stop the erosion of Ohio’s mental health system. We cannot continue to rely on jails and emergency rooms to serve as our safety net. Instead, we must invest in cost-effect, proven mental health services that save lives and save money,” said Mauro.

The report card is based on 65 criteria, including access to medication, housing, family education and support to National Guard members. It includes policy recommendations for federal and state leaders. State governments provided most of the information on which the grades are based. To view the report in its entirety, go to www.nami.org/grades2009.

NAMI Ohio is the statewide association that serves as the voice on mental illness. The organization is comprised of over 16,000 family members, consumers, advocates and professionals working together to ensure that Ohioans with mental illness and their loved ones receive the treatment and support they need. Serious mental illness includes such illnesses as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and serious depressive disorder.

NAMI Recovery Guide for GLBTQI Individuals

A Mental Health Recovery and Community Integration Guide for GLBTQI Individuals: What You Need to Know is a 12-page colorful booklet that covers a range of key issues in mental health recovery and community integration such as treatment and rehabilitation, financial support, housing, employment, and peer support with specific information to address the unique needs of Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, Transgender, Questioning, and Intersex (GLBTQI) individuals embedded throughout.

This resource was by the NAMI Multicultural Action Center in partnership with University of Pennsylvania’s Collaborative on Community Integration of Individuals with Psychiatric Disabilities, with a shared desire to promote a message of hope and disseminate practical mental health recovery and community integration information to GLBTQI communities.

NAMI’s 2007-2010 Strategic Plan calls for NAMI to move from good to great. One of the key strategies to achieve this vision is to embrace and empower NAMI leaders and members from diverse communities. NAMI recognizes that our grassroots family includes Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) individuals and allies and that the needs of this community are unique. Visit www.nami.org/glbt for more information on GLBT mental health issues.

Click here to view a PDF of A Mental Health Recovery and Community Integration Guide for GLBTQI Individuals: What You Need to Know. Hard copies of this low-cost booklet are available for purchase through the NAMI store.