Executive Director's Message December 2009The coming year will be a busy and challenging one. More than at any previous time has there been the need to stand up for our Affiliates and members in the light of distressed resources and misunderstandings. To that end, NAMI California will work hard to: • create better communication with Affiliates and members, • support membership growth, • provide technical assistance with Signature Programs, and • make our annual conference offer a broader outreach than ever before. Even during hard economic times, creative and innovative measures can bring new energy and enthusiasm to our statewide efforts. Look for changes as we broaden the use of information technology to communicate and improve the infrastructure among Affiliates, in our involvement of cultural and linguistic communities, our outreach to state partners who share our goals, in our higher NAMI California profile at the Capitol and advocacy that holds our state and local governments accountable for fulfilling their mandates for mental health services. This year, member and donor support for NAMI California activities is more important than ever. In 2009, mental health programs in counties sustained unprecedented cuts in local mental health service delivery. The Legislative Analyst Office projects that an additional $21 billion will face the chopping block from the state's budget in the coming fiscal year. None of us who are involved with NAMI advocacy can let any grass grow under our feet this year. There is much work to be done to protect mental health services and develop alternatives to cope when our service needs go unmet. Fortunately, the crisis facing us creates a new opportunity to stretch our wings. For NAMI California, its Affiliates, and all of our members, this is our chance to be even more empowered than before. State leaders, state agencies, and nonprofits look to us for information and education about serving our communities and homes in response to severe mental illness, the challenges we face, and our hope for the future. As our NAMI California tag line claims, we truly are “The State's Voice on Mental Illness.” NAMI National, as well, turns to us to discover California's unique service needs and solutions tailored for our vast state with its cultural and regional diversity. At the State Capitol, NAMI California will use its funds to: • Widely disseminate mental health information. • Reach out to cultural/linguistic communities. • Organize advocacy meetings. • Prepare consumers and families for testimony at hearings and legislative visits. • Educate trainers for NAMI Signature Programs. • Follow and influence mental health research. • Provide stakeholder input to state government to ensure that key programs deliver needed services. • Deliver stakeholder input at various state department regulatory meetings. • And develop avenues for communication among Affiliates. At NAMI National, we attend meetings to represent the interests of California consumers and their families. In addition to all the work done at the state and national levels, NAMI California knows that work at the local level is -- and always must be -- the foundation of the advocacy and education to which we are stewards. Without strong Affiliates and advocacy in legislators' district offices and with county boards, we diminish our overall power to foster positive change. Hence, NAMI California will work harder than ever to provide the technical assistance and tools Affiliates need to develop educational programs and gain strength in their local communities. We are optimistic! Together we can succeed in meeting the challenges we face. Forward together -- 
Trula M. LaCalle, Ph.D. Executive Director Link: |