As reported in the press, the Congressional Super Committee is considering cuts to Medicaid, including Medicaid funded mental health services. Many leaders in Congress have already targeted Medicaid and will use the super committee process to try to secure cuts.

The committee has already begun its deliberations and is required to put forward its deficit reduction recommendations by November 23, 2011, with a final vote in Congress mandated by December 23.

Please take a moment to call your members of Congress and urge them to ensure that the super committee produces a balanced deficit reduction package that rejects deep cuts to Medicaid programs.

Members of Congress can be reached at 1-(866)-922-4970.

Please remind all members of Congress to protect the Medicaid program. Medicaid is a lifeline and the major source of funding for mental health services.

Many critical benefits such as prescription drugs, case management and rehabilitative services are optional under Medicaid – but are not optional in the lives of individuals living with serious mental illness.

January 17th 2011 was NAMI Day in Olympia, which resulted in 170 NAMI members from all of Washington converging on their legislators with their personal stories about how mental health funding has affected their lives and suggestions for ways to continue to fund mental health with an ever shrinking budget.

If you missed NAMI Day, but would still like to make an impact and have your perspective heard, it's never too late.  Here are some pointers to help you get the best results for your effort:

1) Know your legislators - You can find out who your legislators are by going to www.leg.wa.gov - there's even an app for your smart phone!  Just enter your address and all of the information you need will pop up.

2) Contact your legislators personally - this means mailed letters, calls and visits.  If you do visit or call, follow up with a hand written thank you note, reminding them who you are, what you are advocating and how you would like them to vote.

3) Keep your message clear.  Be respectful of your legislators' time, stay on topic and have bring with you any facts that you need to support your message.

4) Present a solution, such as alternate budget cuts or ways to fund more with less.  Be part of the solution.

The NAMI Washington website http://www.nami.org/MSTemplate.cfm?Site=NAMI_Washington  is a great place to check in and see what the current legislative agenda is. 

My name is Christine Lindquist and I am so excited to begin working within the NAMI GS family as your new executive director.

My educational background is in public health and I have worked in this field, in the nonprofit sector, for 23 years. Since 2004, I have been at the Western Washington Area Health Education Center managing programs to increase equity of and access to health care for under resourced communities. Previously, I have worked in Head Start, nonprofit cord blood banking, women’s health and I served a full term in the Peace Corps, in Thailand.

I have lived in the Northwest all of my life. My husband, Nick Moody, and I live on Beacon Hill with our 106 pound dog, Sasha and our cat, Emma. Nick works for the King County Assessor’s Office. We spend most of our free time training for and competing in endurance events. In June of this year, we finished Ironman Coeur d’Alene together.

In the last month, I have had the opportunity to meet many volunteers, Family to Family, Peer to Peer and Basics for Parents instructors, In Our Own Voice presenters, board members and class attendees. The depth of community commitment to and appreciation of NAMI-GS has amazed me. I feel blessed and honored to contribute here.

I am also very grateful for the support and assistance of NAMI-GS board members and for NAMI founder and Interim Director, Eleanor Owen, a resource of unfathomable compassion, wit, intelligence and depth of knowledge.

Members of my family and close friends of mine struggle with mental illness. I am deeply motivated to help expand resources, provide support, educate the public and break down bias. My door will always be open to hear your ideas of how we can better accomplish these things together.

Here's a link to a blog entry by author, Pete Earley, about how NAMI changed his life:

www.peteearley.com/blog/2010/06/28/nami-changed-my-life/

GAU is being replaced by "Disability Lifeline" and Other Changes

Effective July 1, 2010, the name of the General Assistance-Unemployable (GAU) program changed to "Disability Lifeline." 

• Over 2,400 People Risk Losing GAU Cash and Medical Benefits as of September 1, 2010
• These benefits now have a time limit of 24 months (out of 60 months beginning September 2005) Unless "GAX" (Now called "DL-X) is approved

If DSHS has sent you anything suggesting that your benefits might stop, you may contact the CLEAR hotline, 1-888-201-1014, 9:15am to 12:15p Monday through Friday, for advice.

More information about the changes can be found at this link to www.washingtonlawhelp.org

General information about the renamed program Disability Lifeline (DL) can be found at the DSHS (Washington State Department of Social and Health Services) website hrsa.dshs.wa.gov/GAUMC/Client%20GAU%20Info.htm

From its inception NAMI advocates have opposed criminalization of persons with mental illness. This year, building upon legislation proposed but never passed, determined advocates are planning on re-submitting a proposal to the Washington Legislature. The proposed legislation would permit individuals who committed a crime in the past, and are now in recovery from mental illness, to obtain a certificate restoring their civil rights.

Under current law, if a person has committed a crime he or she must declare this to a potential landlord or employer. This creates enormous barriers to true recovery.

NAMI Greater Seattle urges you to contact your legislators in support of permitting individuals who have been crime free for extended periods of time to obtain a Certificate of Restoration of Opportunity.