Public Policy Platform Feedback

NAMI North Carolina is trying to determine 3-4 legislative/public policy priorities as a focus for our advocacy efforts.

Please complete this brief ranking by September 15th. You can also find it on our website at www.naminc.org

We can only work on a few things effectively, and the needs are vast- so help us set priorities.

Add your suggestions of ideas that are not listed.

This survey has been distributed to NAMI North Carolina's general membership as well as through affiliate presidents.

Below you will see a description of each priority - at the end, you will be asked to rank the priorities.

Priority Ranking:
1 - Top Priority
2
3
4 - Less of a Priority
5
6
7 - Not really a Priority

Thank you for helping NAMI North Carolina and the Public Policy Committee share our 2011-2012 priorities!

Question Title

* 1. Policy 1
Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness
• Expand housing 400 (independent supported living)
• Expand group homes; consider purchase of foreclosed/abandoned homes or jobs program for building housing stock
• Involve certified peers in assisting with housing linkages
• Change policy to permit people to use SA for housing of their choice, not just licensed facilities
• Develop emergency housing options to divert from hospital care or post hospitalization
• Work towards a housing wait list system that drives funding for housing
• Advocate for sufficient time for our state to create adequate housing options to deal with the Adult Care Home problem

Policy 2
Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery
• Begin to measure the right things- how long people actually wait (from ER to their needs being met)
• Require first responders to function – providers of enhanced services, measure, and enforce, following good training
• Develop appropriate incentives for community hospitals, and appropriate payment rates for level of acuity
• Formulate a study of frequent “waiters” and determine root cause (housing? Lack of medication? Money? No provider?)
• Include peers as part of the solution – peer crisis respite centers- cost out, determine viability
• Advocate for the right number of hospital beds being available when and where needed throughout the state
• Determine those who went to hospitals who should have presented elsewhere, and how to educate them and the system about getting them to the right place
• Better train law enforcement on crisis alternatives; using least restrictive, most appropriate service which may be mobile crisis or day treatment

Policy 3
Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families
• Implement organized consistent outreach to military (guard, active, veterans) regarding NAMI NC programs – through yellow ribbon celebrations, combat readiness training, and through their newsletters, etc.
• Have ongoing NAMI NC programs at all of the VA hospitals, and a number of the community clinics
• Establish NAMI NC Veterans Council

Policy 4
Decriminalization
• Expand mental health courts
• Fight the death penalty for those with severe mental illness
• Reform jail rules
• Rewrite Basic Law enforcement Training curriculum section on mental illness
• Further expand CIT

Policy 5
Getting the Right Service Mix
• Make sure there are all the services that people need in easy driving distance- from hospital beds to preventive care
• Adopt rules or statues that require continuums of care with in easy access for all North Carolinians
• Adopt policies that don’t permit providers to summarily eject people from service, or reject them from admission

Policy 6
Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state

Policy 7
Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service.

	Priority Number 1	Priority Number 2	Priority Number 3	Priority Number 4	Priority Number 5	Priority Number 6	Priority Number 7
Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness.	Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness. Priority Number 1	Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness. Priority Number 2	Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness. Priority Number 3	Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness. Priority Number 4	Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness. Priority Number 5	Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness. Priority Number 6	Policy 1. Create a continuum of residential options for people with mental illness. Priority Number 7
Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery.	Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery. Priority Number 1	Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery. Priority Number 2	Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery. Priority Number 3	Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery. Priority Number 4	Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery. Priority Number 5	Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery. Priority Number 6	Policy 2. Decrease crises episodes for those with mental illness through improved prevention and service delivery. Priority Number 7
Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families.	Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families. Priority Number 1	Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families. Priority Number 2	Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families. Priority Number 3	Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families. Priority Number 4	Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families. Priority Number 5	Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families. Priority Number 6	Policy 3. Increase Mental Health Services for the military and veterans and their affected families. Priority Number 7
Policy 4. Decriminalization.	Policy 4. Decriminalization. Priority Number 1	Policy 4. Decriminalization. Priority Number 2	Policy 4. Decriminalization. Priority Number 3	Policy 4. Decriminalization. Priority Number 4	Policy 4. Decriminalization. Priority Number 5	Policy 4. Decriminalization. Priority Number 6	Policy 4. Decriminalization. Priority Number 7
Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix.	Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix. Priority Number 1	Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix. Priority Number 2	Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix. Priority Number 3	Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix. Priority Number 4	Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix. Priority Number 5	Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix. Priority Number 6	Policy 5. Getting the Right Service Mix. Priority Number 7
Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state.	Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state. Priority Number 1	Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state. Priority Number 2	Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state. Priority Number 3	Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state. Priority Number 4	Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state. Priority Number 5	Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state. Priority Number 6	Policy 6. Ensure family and consumer input in shaping mental health service development locally through active engagement in CFAC and other committees, board service, etc. at the LME level throughout the state. Priority Number 7
Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service.	Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service. Priority Number 1	Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service. Priority Number 2	Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service. Priority Number 3	Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service. Priority Number 4	Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service. Priority Number 5	Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service. Priority Number 6	Policy 7. Expand Individual Peer Support as a Waiver billable service accessible to everyone in NC who could benefit from the service. Priority Number 7

Question Title

Question Title

* 2. Do you have other items to suggest adding to the above list? Please give a brief description, and a ranking: