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We are all NAMI! NAMI is each one of us speaking together with one powerful voice. Our message is heard when you take action. Each year legislation and issues that affect you and your family on matters of mental health will be heard at the National, State, and local levels of government. NAMI San Fernando Valley, NAMI National and NAMI California need your support in advocating for positions that reflect our perspectives on matters concerning persons facing the challenges of serious mental illness and their families.
Implementation of Laura's Law will save lives, improve quality of life for those living with severe mental Illness.
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NAMI San Fernando Valley Opposes
Proposed Community Care Licensing Ordinance as Danger to Shared Housing for Mentally Ill
January 02, 2012 Van Nuys, CA
An Open Letter to Los Angeles City Council
Re: Council File 11-0262, Proposed Community-Care Licensing Ordinance
NAMI SFV
opposes the above-referenced proposed ordinance. NAMI SFV was founded in Van Nuys in the 1970s by families of individuals living with severe mental illness. We are dedicated to improving the lives of those living with mental illness and we strongly oppose the ordinance as a threat to housing opportunities for our loved ones disabled by mental illness.
NAMI SFV believes strongly that this ordinance is not the answer. It does what the worst of public policy can do; it solves the problem of housing individuals in our community who have a disability by simply taking away their housing. This is not a solution but a forfeiture of our responsibility towards some of our neediest citizens. NAMI SFV understands the importance of balancing the needs of surrounding neighbors but can only support an ordinance that maintains housing options for our loved ones - sons and daughters, brothers and sisters - who through no fault of their own have the misfortune of being disabled and impoverished by mental illness.
The ordinance’s provisions would negatively impact more residents and tenants than intended. NAMI SFV recommends eliminating the single lease requirement or only applying single lease requirement to housing with limited length of stay, and elimination of new parolee-probationer home definition in order for us to support the ordinance.
NAMI SFV asks for your help in preventing and ending homelessness by adopting our recommendations, or by simply opposing the ordinance as written. Our loved ones’ homes and futures are at stake.
Send this letter to your City Council Representative
San Fernando Valley City Council Districts and Representatives:
Councilmember Richard Alarcon -
DISTRICT 7 (San Fernando Valley)
13630 Van Nuys Blvd.
Pacoima, CA 91331
Phone: 818-756-9115 councilmember.alarcon@lacity.org
Councilmember Tony Cardenas
DISTRICT 6 – (San Fernando Valley) 14410 Sylvan St., Ste 215
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Phone: 818-778-4999
councilmember.cardenas@lacity.org
Councilmember Mitchell Englander
DISTRICT 12 – (San Fernando Valley)
18917 Nordhoff St., Ste. 18
Northridge, CA 91324
Phone: 818-756-8501
Councilmember.Englander@lacity.org
Councilmember Paul Koretz
DISTRICT 5 – (San Fernando Valley)
14410 Sylvan St, Room 301
Van Nuys, CA 91401
Phone: 818-756-8083
councilmember.koretz@lacity.org
Councilmember Paul Krekorian
DISTRICT 2 – (San Fernando Valley)
6350 Laurel Canyon Blvd., Ste 201
N. Hollywood, CA 91606
Phone: 818-755-7676
councilmember.krekorian@lacity.org
Councilmember Tom LaBonge
DISTRICT 4 – (San Fernando Valley)
10116 Riverside Drive, Room 200
Toluca Lake, CA 91602
councilmember.labonge@lacity.org
Councilmember Dennis Zine
DISTRICT 3 – (San Fernando Valley)
19040 Vanowen St.
Reseda, CA 91335
Phone: 818-756-8848
councilmember.zine@lacity.org
NAMI SFV advocates on behalf of our members and loved ones living with severe mental illness. We encourage you to join us in this action to protect housing and other rights of the disabled in San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys.
October 24, 2011. Van Nuys, CA
NAMI SFV mission is to improve the lives of individuals and families living with severe mental illness. Our members include mental health 'consumers' who live with a diagnosis of mental illness and families who care for a loved one with mental illness. We are deeply concerned about potential negative impacts of the City of Los Angeles proposed Ordinance that may force those disabled by mental illness into homelessness. We are determined to remind our elected and appointed officials of the need to help the City of Los Angeles and San Fernando Valley's most vulnerable populations, individuals who are disabled or have severe substance abuse issues. Residential programs and supportive, shared living arrangements keep them from homelessness and offer a stable environment so they can be reintegrated into society. Join NAMI SFV as we oppose this proposed ordinance and stand with us to offer reasonable alternatives. Contact us to learn more. Download info here. Follow @NAMIsfv
NAMI San Fernando Valley Position Paper On
Proposed Elimination of ‘Boarding & Rooming Homes’ from Residential Areas
April 01, 2011. Van Nuys, CA
The proper approach to regulating facilities that house the disabled is a difficult question. Policy must balance the competing needs of the community On one hand is the need to help our most vulnerable populations, individuals who are disabled or have severe substance abuse issues. Residential programs keep them from homelessness and offer a stable environment so they can be reintegrated into society. On the other hand are the needs of the neighbors of these residential facilities, who deserve not to have their living space infringed by loud music or other uncouth behavior from inhabitants of these homes. The balance of these needs must be weighed with thoughtful policy.
CONTACT YOUR SAN FERNANDO VALLEY LA CITY COUNCIL OFFICE |
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June 06, 2011, Van Nuys, CA After a fiery debate and dramatic testimony from the community for and against, the ordinance was approved with all but Councilmember Alarcon agreeing. At Councilmember Alarcon's urging, the ordinance will be reviewed by Housing Deputy of Los Angeles City Attorney's Office (CAO). That will slow, but not stop the ordinance. Only YOU can do that LA City Council Orders Ordinance Drafted UPDATE: download the pdf here If you do not know what City Council District you are in, go to LOS ANGELES CITY COUNCILMEMBERS SAN FERNANDO VALLEY 2011
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NAMI San Fernando Valley (an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness) believes strongly that Councilman Greg Smith’s proposal before the Los Angeles City Council is not the answer. It does what the worst of public policy can do; it simply sweeps the needs of one side under the rug. It bans sober living homes and other collaborative housing for the disabled from all residential areas in the City of Los Angeles. It solves the problem of taking care of housing individuals in our community who have a drug problem or disability by simply taking away their housing. This is not a solution. It’s a forfeiture of our responsibility towards some of our neediest citizens.
The proposal accomplishes this in several ways. First, it reclassifies a “boarding or rooming home” as a home with more than one lease and restrict all such facilities to restricted density (RD) zones and prohibits them in residential zones. This would force housing facilities that currently take care of hundreds mental health and substance abuse clients to either move outside the city or go out of business. It would also require that 0.2 parking spaces be available for each tenant. This factor will either force some facilities to reduce the number of tenants or build new parking spaces even if they aren’t necessary or just go out of business. The combined affect will be to reduce housing for individuals clutching at the very bottom rung of the social ladder. It will lead to greater homelessness.
We sympathize with some of the motivation behind Councilman’s Smith proposal. It’s true that some sober living homes have had tenants who have been bad neighbors and have not been considerate to their surrounding community. But the problem is that, instead of better regulation, the proposal simply tries for elimination of these facilities. There are many well-run facilities where the neighbors simply don’t even know they exist. The goal should be how to improve these poorly managed facilities, not ban them from residential neighborhoods.
Councilman Smith denies his proposal will lead to more homelessness. He claims, in op-ed piece in the Daily News on March 28, all various kinds of residential living types that would be forced to move, (the sober livings, the collaborative housing, the room and boards) would simply just need to be licensed.
But this argument is either ignorant or worse, disingenuous, because there is no licensing body that exists for these kind of homes. It simply isn’t possible for them to become licensed. These facilities would then close. For the mental health collaborative housing, it’s estimated by Reina Turner of the Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health that a minimum of 180 people would loose housing in collaborative housing alone, not even counting sober livings, room and boards, and all the other types of housing that would be forced to shut their doors.
NAMI San Fernando Valley supports the concept of delaying the proposed ordinance to begin a dialogue among all the various stakeholders involved with this important issue. The goal should be how to we best care for our sons and daughters and our brothers and sisters who are less fortunate and disabled and yet still balance the needs of the surrounding neighbors. Councilman Smith’s proposal does not accomplish this crucial task.
UNDERSTANDING FAMILY TRAGEDY OF
MENTALLY ILL GUNMAN IN ARIZONA
An open letter from Suzanne Schmidtke , President Emeritus, NAMI SFV
I have been planning to write since the tragedy in Tucson occurred because of the glaring omission of empathy/sympathy/prayers/etc. for the Loughner family in media coverage, including our own NAMI statements and President Obama's otherwise excellent address.
I thought that if anyone would understand and recognize the excruciating pain and shock the family of Jared Loughner must be experiencing it would be our organization ---- yet, not so. If anyone would know that the Loughners, too, were victims that day in Tucson, NAMI would be the one. If anyone would remind us that the family is not to blame, NAMI would be the one. Sadly not so.
Well, we still have the opportunity to speak up and set matters right and that is what finally prompted me to write as I was also spurred on after this article appeared in The New York Times.
It seems to me that that article ought to be added to the websites of all our affiliates as well as NAMI National. Why? Not just because the Loughners ought to have our compassion and support but also because there are hundreds of families across the country right now who are saying
"there but for the grace of God ..... -- it could have been our son."
Thank you for your attention and all the best, Suzanne Schmidtke (former President, NAMI San Fernando Valley)
If you would like more information, or ideas on how to help,
contact us 818-944-6747.
Joint Statement on Therapeutic Substitution
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) - MHA (Mental Health America) - American Psychiatric Association - National Council for Community Behavioral Health Care
Have You Been a Victim?
Therapeutic Substitution—Switches at the Pharmacy Counter
“Therapeutic substitution” is the requested or required substitution of one drug for a completely different drug when a consumer fills a prescription. Required therapeutic substitution poses serious risks to the health and safety of persons taking mental health medications and interferes with appropriate medication decisions made between a patient and his or her doctor.
Therapeutic substitution occurs when the consumer tries to fill a prescription for a drug that his or her drug plan will only cover after certain requirements are met. The drug plan requires that the pharmacist contact the physician and ask for permission to dispense a different medication than what the physician prescribed. This may occur, for example, when a plan requires a step
therapy protocol that demands the consumer have tried other drugs before the prescribed one is dispensed. If the physician refuses to grant permission for a substitution, the prescribed drug may be dispensed, but it may not be paid for.
Therapeutic substitution is not the dispensing of a different brand of the same drug, which pharmacists are permitted to do in many states without checking with the physician. It is, instead, the substitution of an entirely different medication than the one the patient discussed with his or her doctor.
Therapeutic Substitution is not Generic Substitution
Therapeutic substitution is not the same as generic substitution. Generic substitution is when a generic form of a prescribed brand name drug is dispensed by the pharmacy. Although a generic may differ in inactive ingredients and some other aspects, such as rates of release, a generic contains the same active ingredient(s) in the same dosage as the brand name medication. It should be noted that despite the fact that generics are defined as being equivalent to brand drugs, some individuals have different reactions to the generic and brand version of the same drug.
Therapeutic Substitution Requires Dispensing a Completely Different Drug
In contrast, therapeutic substitution means a person is given a different medication in the same broad “therapeutic class,” even though drugs in the same class often work in different ways and have important differences in side effects and effectiveness for individuals. The main therapeutic classes for mental health drugs are:
• Antidepressants
• Antipsychotics
• Anticonvulsants
• Anti-anxiety medications
Each class contains multiple types of medications. For example, there are at least four different types of antidepressants alone and several medications among each type. Among the antipsychotics, there are particularly significant biochemical differences among medications.
Choosing the correct mental health medication requires extensive knowledge of both the patient and available medications.
Individual Responses Vary
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, “A medication that works well for one person with schizophrenia often doesn’t work well for another. Genetic variations are thought to play a key role in this difference in response.
” These individual responses to mental health medications, along with differing symptoms and frequent, co-occurring physical health conditions, emphasize the need for carefully considered medication decisions.
Physicians Are in the Best Position to Make Clinical Decisions
Physicians, in partnership with consumers, make medication decisions based on their knowledge of the individual’s illness and treatment history, other medical conditions, drug-to-drug interactions, and drug-disease interactions. Only the physician has sufficient clinical information to make these decisions. Pharmacists and pharmacy plans may have some limited information about a consumer, but they are unlikely to have the all of the information necessary
to make an informed decision about switching an individual’s medication.
Inappropriate Drug Switches Can Have Serious Consequences
One study of the Medicare drug benefit followed beneficiaries who were stable on medications but were switched to others by the drug plans providing the prescription benefit. The outcomes were costly and serious: Over one in three individuals had an emergency room visit, and 15 percent were hospitalized.
An inappropriately treated psychotic or manic episode can lead to even more tragic results:
lasting cognitive damage
homelessness
incarceration
suicide
Other studies have confirmed this data.
Summary
Substituting one medication in a therapeutic class for another carries substantial risk of serious adverse outcomes and should not be used for medications used to treat mental illness. Instead, policies should provide patient protections that promote appropriate access to medications and acknowledge the necessity of shared patient-physician decisions based on the unique needs of
individuals.
If you would like to learn more about this issue, contact us
818-944-6747 or by email
NAMI position papers
Below you will find a link to the position papers of the NAMI California Government Affairs Committee and Calls to Action on issues important to NAMI SFV.
http://namicalifornia.org/legislation-agenda.aspx?tabb=agenda&lang=ENG
Call to Action - August 09, 2010
TAKE ACTION TODAY TO PROTECT
MEDI-CAL FUNDING
California Needs Federal MediCaid funds!
Tell your U.S. Representative to approve the Senate version of HR 1586 (Federal matching funds for Medi-Cal) or to increase the funding beyond what the Senate has approved. Urge your U.S. Representative in Congress not to allow enhanced FMAP funds to expire on December 31, 2010.
The bill, HR 1586 as amended, heads to the US House of Representatives this week. The US House of Representatives will be returning briefly from its summer recess, to approve the bill, either on Monday or Tuesday.
FACTS
The bill’s includes $16.1 billion for extending into 2011 for six months, the temporary increase in Medicaid matching funds to the states – though on a “phased down” approach that gives far less money to the states
Legislation Is “Phased Down” Approach To Extending Temporary Medicaid (called Medi-Cal in California) Funding Increase
· The federal legislation would allocate $16.1 billion to partially extend the temporary increase in Medicaid matching funding to the states including California that are experiencing enormous state budget shortfalls.
· The bill passed in the US Senate is a dramatically scaled back version – referred to as a “phased down” approach - of several previous unsuccessful attempts by US Senate Democrats to pass a 6 month extension of the full amount of the temporary increase in Medicaid funding to the states.
· In an effort to gain the votes of moderate US Senate Democrats and Republicans, the amendments offered by US Senate Democratic leaders to HR 1586 (which previously was a bill dealing with the FAA Air Transportation Modernization and Safety Improvement Act) would provide for a significantly scaled back the extension of the temporary Medicaid funding increase.
· Under HR 1586, as amended, the states (including California) would receive from January 1 to March 31, 2011 (the second quarter of the 2010-2011 federal budget year that begins October 1), a 3.2% increase (instead of an extension of the full 6.2% increase), that would drop further, beginning April 1st through June 30, 2011, to a 1.2% temporary increase in the Medicaid funding (the third quarter of the federal budget year).
It is not known yet what California’s share would be under the new scaled back formula. California’s original share of a full extension of the temporary increase at 6.2% would have been about $1.8 billion – and it would be far less under the scaled back version.
TAKE ACTION IMMEDIATELY
Click here and then put in your zip code. Hit “go” and you will be sent to a page that shows your U.S. Representative. Click on your Representative’s name and then the “contact” tab. Click on the words “Web Form”. NAMI has put up a list of issues you can choose from.
Choose “Extend the increase in MediCaid funding.” That short message will be e-mailed to your Representative.
OR…use the phone numbers on your Representative’s contact page and call the District and/or Federal office of your Representative—of course, that’s the more effective action.
Legislation Update:
Pending Legislation and Intiatives:
Housing
The Federal Government has reduced Section 8 housing funds. Write your United States Congressman and request that these funds be restored.
Current Calls to Action
Pick up the Phone ( make a call )
Pick up a Pen ( write a letter )
Mental Health Parity
It's the legislative season and there is an especially important vote coming up that will help us in California get much closer to true parity for mental health insurance coverage. There still is a significant difference between what's covered for other health issues and for mental health. It's important that we do what we can to make this huge change. It's important for ourselves and for all the families that will come after us who will be beset by mental illness.
Click here for a sample letter.
Advocacy Contacts:
The following lists the names, phone numbers, and addresses of elected officials in our area.
Scroll down to access the NAMI-SFV list or click here to enter your zip code
Please,
When you are asked to call your representatives, pick up the phone!
When you are asked to write your representatives, pick up a pen and write,
then mail or fax your opinions!
We need your support!
Stand up and be counted! It makes a difference!
Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors
500 W Temple St
Los Angeles, CA 90012-2726
- Gloria Molina - 213-974-4111
- Mark Ridley-Thomas - 213-974-2222
- Zev Yaroslavsky - 213-974-3333
- Don Knabe - 213-974-4444
- Michael Antonovich - 213-974-5555
Governor
Governor Arnold Schwarzennegger
State Capitol, Sacramento, CA 95814
213-897-0322
(when writing to the Governor, always Cc: to
Jennifer Kent, Legislative Deputy
State Capitol Building, First Floor Sacramento, CA 95814 )
State Assembly Members: (*San Fernando Valley districts)
Capital Building, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Bob Blumenfield - (818) 904-3840
- Paul Krekorian - (818) 558-3043
- Felipe Fuentes - 818-838-3939
- Mike Feuer - (310) 285-5490
- Cameron Smyth - 661-286-1565
State Senators: (*San Fernando Valley districts)
Capital Building, Sacramento, CA 95814
- Alex Padilla - 818-901-5588
- George Runner - (661) 286-1471
- Fran Pavley - 310-314-5214
- Tony Strickland - (805) 494-8808
- Carol Liu - (818) 409-0400
U.S. Representatives: (*San Fernando Valley districts)
U.S. House of Representatives, Washington, D.C.20515
- Tom McClintock - (202) 225-2511
- Xavier Becerra - 213-483-1425
- Howard Berman - 818-891-0543
- Adam Schiff - 626-304-2727
- Brad Sherman - 818-999-1990
- Henry Waxman - 323-651-1040
U.S. Senators
U.S. Senate, Washington, D.C. 20510
- Barbara Boxer - 415-403-0100
- Dianne Feinstein - 415-393-0707
Los Angeles City Council: (* San Fernando Valley districts)
District 1-Ed Reyes (213) 473-7001
District 2- (213) 473-7002
*District 3-Dennis P. Zine (213) 473-7003 / (818) 756-8848
District 4-Tom LaBonge (213) 473-7004
*District 5-Paul Koretz (213) 473-7005 / (818) 971-3088
*District 6-Tony Cardenas (213) 473-7006 / (818) 778-4999
*District 7-Richard Alarcon (213) 473-7007 / 818. 756.9115
District 8-Bernard Parks (213) 473-7008
District 9-Jan Perry (213) 473-7009
District 10-Herb J. Wesson, Jr. (213) 473-7010
District 11-Bill Rosendahl(213) 473-7011
*District 12-Greig Smith (213) 473-7012 / (818) 701-5253 / (818) 756-8501
District 13-Eric Garcetti (213) 473-7013
District 14-Jose Huizar (213) 473-7014
District 15-Janice Hahn (213) 473-7015
Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
Los Angeles City Hall 213-978-0600
San Fernando Valley District offices 818-778-4990
Los Angeles City Services
311
Los Angeles emergency response
911 (for life threatening emergencies only)
| ©2002, 2009 San Fernando Valley Alliance on Mental Illness