By Moryt Milo For close to 20 years, California’s Mental Health Services Act (MHSA) has been a lifeline for a number of behavioral health care programs not covered by Medi-Cal. Come March 2024, some of that funding could shift dramatically if voters approve the referendum on the ballot. Proposition 1, as it will be known,…
Dr. María José Hummel’s presentation will cover the nutritional and lifestyle factors that affect the brain as well as the different diseases and conditions that affect the brain, such as mood disorders (depression and anxiety) and neurological disorders (such as Parkinson’s and Alzheimer’s disease). Evidence-based information is given about what nutrients have been shown to…
By Moryt Milo On the last day of July, the weather was hot and the energy was electric as mental health advocates rallied in front of Good Samaritan Hospital to protest the closure of 18 inpatient psychiatric beds at Mission Oaks Hospital in Los Gatos. Mission Oaks, part of San Jose-based Good Samaritan Hospital, is…
By Moryt Milo California State Sen. Susan Eggman has authored a bill, SB 43, that would revise the language in the Lanterman Petris Short (LPS) Conservatorship law. The 56-year-old law’s definition of “gravely disabled” is too subjective many families argue, and they hope the bill will reach Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk. Under current law, individuals…
The focus of the September General Meeting will be on the importance of peer support. Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI National Chief Medical Officer, will talk about how those with lived experience are a critical part of helping individuals struggling with severe mental illness work through their challenges and weather a crisis. In his book You…
Job Purpose The Community Peer Program Administrator oversees the administration and coordination of all aspects of NAMI-Santa Clara County’s Community Peer Program. The CPP (Community Peer Program) Administrator should have strong leadership, public speaking, and administrative skills. This position reports to the CPP Program Manager. Primary Duties and Responsibilities The Program Administrator for the Community…
NAMI is seeking the perspectives of individuals who work with young people on a regular basis to better understand the role of creativity in young people’s lives. In collaboration with an industry partner, NAMI is conducting a brief survey to learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of creativity, as well as what factors make…
Save the Beds at Mission Oaks Dear NAMI-SCC Community, Mission Oaks, part of Good Samaritan Hospital, is scheduled to shut down its 18 acute care psychiatric beds on Aug, 20. NAMI Santa Clara County reached out to the hospital and our County Board of Supervisors inquiring about saving the beds and had no response. We have…
By Moryt Milo Sometimes nonprofits know when a merger is a flawless fit. It’s rare, but in the case of Momentum for Health and Parisi House on the Hill, the decision had no doubters. The timing was right and the leaders of each organization had been working together for years. Parisi House Executive Director Pat…
Mental illness is more prevalent than most people realize. One in five adults in the US lives with a mental illness; in Santa Clara County, that’s about 340,000 adults—or enough people to fill Levi’s Stadium five times. Mental health parity requires that commercial insurance plans provide the same level of coverage for mental health services…