Transcripts For CSPAN National Alliance On Mental Illness Annual Convention 20140907

The unions, and republicans being opposed to many of their initiatives . It would seem like they may be making a mistake giving exclusively to democrats. If they give contributions to republicans as well, it would weaken the republican position on moving on Something Like minimum wage. They said we are going to contribute to a handful of republicans because we think they could be the most open to working with democrats, and break some of the logjam weve seen in congress. It might help their effort in generating some goodwill here in washington. And moving on some of their top priorities. Can we speculate that this is since 2012,percent can we see more sense before election day . It seems to be working for them. They seem to be happy with it. Atms to be at list least making people talk about the minimum wage increase. It makes for great visuals, it has the potential to expand their membership. Im sure we will see more. Thanks for both of you being here this week. [captioning performed by national captioning institute] [captions Copyright National cable satellite corp. 2014] cspan campaign 2014 debate covers coverage continues today with kay hagan and her republican opponent tom tillis. Followed by the california governors race between democratic incumbent jerry brown and republican nominee neil cash carried at want rock. At 2 00, the connecticut governors debate. 2014, more than 100 debates for the control of congress. The National Alliance on Mental Illness held its convention in washington, d. C. , the opening session focused on health care legislation. Speakers included former congressman Patrick Kennedy and Virginia State senator creigh deeds. And singer demi lovato, who spoke about her own experience with being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. The session was about 50 minutes. [applause] hello, everyone. Welcome to our national convention. I am so excited to see all of you here today. Welcome to our national day of action. I hope you are ready to take some action. We Want Congress to act and so, today, our supporters here and around the country are going to be calling, emailing, tweeting, and visiting capitol hill. When you visit capitol hill, i want you to remember that you are part of the nami movement. We are a movement of people dedicated to providing help and hope to all of those affected by Mental Illness. A movement that demands a more caring and a Better Mental Health care system that provides help to us when we need it, and where we need it. [applause] a movement that rages against homelessness, emergency rooms, jails, and prisons. We have had too much of it and we want it to change. [applause] and a movement that fights or recovery for people with Mental Illness. For jobs, for homes, for families, and for friends. For the ability to use all of your gifts and all of your talents. [applause] this movement will Tell Congress today that it is time to act, and we will be supported and inspired by our speakers today. The first probably needs no introduction but i will give him one anyways. Patrick kennedy served eight years in congress until 2011, representing Rhode Islands first district. He was the leading champion of the national Mental Health parity bill which was passed in 2008. [applause] he has been the recipient of namis highest honor, the service award, and continues to be a leading voice for Scientific Research and the transformation of Mental Health care. Patrick is all of those things, but he is so much more. He is a beacon of hope for all of those who struggle with Mental Illness and addiction. I had the privilege the summer of visiting a peerrun Dropin Center in chicago on 47th street. I got a really warm welcome but they cannot wait to tell me about their visit from Patrick Kennedy and what a difference he made by telling his story in such a heartfelt way, the way he always does, and one of them said it best. He said, he is one of us. That is how we feel at nami. Patrick is one of us, has been a great friend to nami, those in the Mental Health community, and we want to welcome our great friend Patrick Kennedy. [applause] thank you very much. [applause] well, when i was in congress, i got used to that standing ovation. [laughter] now that im out of congress, i would just stand here and soak it in. I am in recovery. And not only recovery from [applause] i am in recovery from being in politics. [laughter] let me just say from the outset how great mary has been in terms of hitting the ground running and really coming in. Talk about trying to drink water from a fire hydrant. She came in at a time that is going to be the most formative time in Mental Health advocacy in the last 50 years and we could not be more proud to have you as executive director of nami. [applause] ron homburg, andrew sperling, terrific policy team getting you ready to go to go to the hill. Your whole nami team is exceptional. I have had the honor of working with them for many years. Let me just first say, to demi lovato, i told her backstage, she is already a hit. We know she has produced a lot of hits, but she is already a hit star with all of us because she is willing to stand up in the lights and say she is one of us, too. [applause] my sixyearold daughter loves skyscraper. I tell you, you are our skyscraper when it comes to standing up tall, when things are falling around us because of the stigma and discrimination against the dull health. To have someone like you willing to take a stand mean something to all of us and we are really grateful that you are here. [applause] now, most of you have heard of my uncle, president john kennedy. But one of the things that president kennedy was known for was his book profiles in courage. If he were alive today and were adding another chapter to that historic book, he would include senator and mrs. Creigh deeds in that book. [applause] senator, like my family, your tragedy was exhibited in public in a way that should not have to be for any family. And instead of running away from the problem, you ran toward it, and you took your own devastating, incomprehensibility personal tragedy, and you show the light of your own familys experience, facing a fragmented, uncoordinated Health Care System, which was the responsibility of us all to do better on and showed what the ultimate consequences of that failed system is through the loss of your son. And you, more than anyone, have helped america understand what is at stake if we do nothing to repair this broken Mental Health system. Senator deeds and mrs. Deeds, we owe you a debt of responsibility to fulfill your mission, to fix the system so that it does not have to be fall any other family like it in your own. And for that we are very grateful for your leadership. [applause] president kennedy, in 1963, talked about the Civil Rights Act this way. He said, who amongst us would trade the color of their skin and be content with those who counsel patience and delay . At the time, they said we can take another 10, 15 years to implement civil rights. Its ok, lets take our time. That means one thing to a it mean something entirely different if the color of your skin is darker. Who amongst us would trade places with that person, and be content with those who tell us wait. Now is not the time. We face a similar moment in history today. Because this is an issue that is a civil rights issue. It is about the discrimination against our brothers and sisters simply because of the immutable fact that their illness that their illness, as immutable as the color of their skin, is an illness of the brain as opposed to an illness of any other organ in the body. Shortly after president kennedy put the civil rights bill before congress, he took on another civil rights bill, the community Mental Health act, and he said, the mentally ill need no longer be alien to our affections or beyond the help of our communities. [applause] have you ever heard something so clear in terms of what we need today . The mentally ill need no longer be alien to our affections, or beyond the help of our communities. Pretty simple, isnt it . Pretty basic. Now, you are all going to go up to the hill and you are going to advocate or simple things. Making sure that families are part of the treatment plan, planning for their loved ones, just as they would be if their loved one was coming out of the hospital for any other physical illness. [applause] you are going to go up there and say, those with brain illnesses, dont they deserve the same coordinated care as any other chronic illness that is out there, and why shouldnt our Health Care System reflect the desire to optimize care by making sure that it is coordinated for the benefit of the patient. This is Pretty Simple stuff, my friends. [applause] you are going to go up there and talk about the fact that this is simply about treating the brain like any other organ of the body. [applause] now, we could spend all day, as you often do at your nami meetings, going through the litany of discriminatory practices embedded in federal law and federal regulation. It is replete with discrimination. So rather than letting the congress get lost in the details, make sure, as Mary Giliberti did in her article, we keep it simple, my friends. This is not complicated. Treat Mental Illness the same as every other illness and we will make an enormous difference in tackling the challenges that face us. [applause] but how do we treat it . If this were cancer, there would be a revolution in this country. If this were diabetes, there would be a revolution in this country. The way we pay for Mental Health care today is we say to the mentally ill and those with addictions, come back when you have stage 4 cancer. That is what we would say to them. Come back for treatment when you need your legs and be tainted utated as a diabetic. We would not think of saying that to anyone with diabetes or anyone with cancer, and we should not be saying it to those that suffer from Mental Illness and addiction. [applause] and then we say, well, these problems are two great. We cannot get our arms around them. They are intractable and incurable. Wait a second here. If you let cancer metastasize to stage 4, yes, it is pretty difficult to treat. If you let diabetes get to be where you need an amputation and you lose your site, yes, it is a pretty terrible disease to cure and fix. But if you intervene on first onset of schizophrenia, first onset of addiction, and put in place the kind of preventative measures that we would put in place if it were any other chronic illness, we would have a different trajectory and people would not be forced to have their illness pathologized because of lack of care and the untreatment of the mentally ill that goes on for too long and creates too much disability and too much mortality. This is a simple issue. [applause] so we need to be clear with congress on our vision for a new Mental Health system. We cannot allow them simply to move deck chairs on the titanic. You understand what im saying . We cannot let them make this decision about commitment and forced this or that. You know what . If you treated someone early in their illness, they would be forced to take the high levels of medication that day and that have to take because you never take care of them until their illness becomes pathologized. And then they would not have the side effects and they would not have the compliance issues. This is a simple issue. Treat it like every other issue, treated early, treated aggressively. You will save lives, you will save disability and we will all as a society be better off for it. [applause] now on the commitment issue, the most controversial out there commitment to what . Why dont we have the same expectations and standards for care for the mentally ill that we expect for every other physical illness . We should not be committing people to substandard care or lack of evidencebased treatment. But on the issue of commitment, i know about it personally. My brother and sister took guardianship of our mother. So no one needs to talk about these issues to me because, like my mother, i have serious depression and bipolar, and like my mother, i struggle with addiction and alcoholism, and like my mother, some day, god for bid, my children have to save my life, i want them to step up to the plate and save their fathers life, like i saved my mothers life. [applause] so, i come back to it. You got my refrain. This is simple. Just treat these illnesses as if they were any other illness and apply those standards to this set of illnesses. The biggest challenge we are facing and i will wrap with this is political will. That political will is a reflection of the lack of understanding, and its the result of cultural indifference and bigotry which feeds the prejudice and discrimination that affects those with Mental Illness like myself. So my proposal would be like the Civil Rights Act, we had the Voting Rights act to define what he meant by civil rights. Then we had to pass the Fair Housing Act to define what he meant by civil rights, then the fair employment act to define what we meant i civil rights. I hope we dont have to go around and begin to define what is common sense, what is basic, and that is, like my friend tim murphy said, treat one another with dignity and respect. If you do that, the rest of it will fall into place. [applause] and i will conclude with this. My father was known for compromises. No one said my father capitulated. My dad was a champion and a stalwart for the liberal cause, but when it came to advancing the National Interests not just his party interests, he worked with orrin hatch and mike and see and john mccain, and all of them. Because at the end of the day, this is about making progress, not making perfection the enemy of the good. [applause] so i would say, lets make sure hhs and department of labor enforce, implement, monitor compliance of Health Insurance plans to make sure they are meeting the federal laws requirements. This is simple stuff. Follow the law. And lets make sure the federal government follows the law. Not only will we hold Insurance Companies accountable, but we will hold medicaid and our own Public Health system accountable to the federal law. [applause] to my republican friends, this is easy. Just do whatever one says. Follow the laws. You pass laws, and now youve got to live by them. Apply it to medicaid. If youre my democratic friends, say, apply the law to these managed Care Organizations who like to impose financial limitations on those suffering from Mental Illness. Follow the law. Lets monitor compliance, and then lets do the other things that we know will make a difference in deinstitutionalizing people from the new institutions, so they can finally get the respect they deserve. [applause] and we have a moment of time now, because the newest population within our ranks are returning veterans from iraq and afghanistan suffering from the invisible wounds of war. Any member of congress have said, those are the mentally ill and those people with addiction. They are not a Popular Crowd around here, because they dont stack up in the measure meant of political power in this town. Tell them that what we have been fighting for our whole lives is now what is necessary to save the lives of our returning heroes, and there should not be a democrat or republican out there who says no to the addenda agenda that you take up to capitol hill today. Thank you very much. [cheers and applause] thank you so much, patrick. I told you our speakers today would be inspiring. Im happy to introduce to you now a wonderful leader, interim president jim payne and longtime advocate. [applause] good morning. Im so happy to be here. Its such an exciting morning. Thank you, mary, and i joined Patrick Kennedy on behalf of the board in saying how glad we are that you are serving as executive director. Im deeply indented indebted to our special guest here, and of course saddened at the circumstances that sometimes bring any of us in this room together. I will say that im happy at this particular moment, though to in a moment introduce my friend, betty greer. My name is jim payne. I am from virginia and active with nami Northern Virginia. Betsy greer, a long time Northern Virginia affiliate leader, together it is our privilege to join me present our next speaker with the Richard T Greer advocacy award, named in honor of betsys late husband, who was the first director. [applause] 2014 marks namis 35th anniversary. Richard greer served as its third fulltime employee and its first director of government relations. That was back when the National Office was a one bedroom apartment on massachusetts avenue. Those were the days when our loved ones were being discharged from psychiatric hospitals and returned to their home communities. They were extremely ill, but their families had no skills or support to care for them. In those times, Richard Greer did not usually come home for supper until 8 00 or 9 00 in the evening, answering calls from across the nation for people seeking help for their loved ones. What do i need . Where do i find services . What programs help . Whom should i call . It was through those phone calls that Richard Greer found nami foot soldiers to carry the message of the need for Better Services and programs. He sent them to capitol hill, just as you are being asked to go today. Are you ready . [cheers and applause] this years recipient of the Richard T Greer advocacy award is Virginia State senator craig dietz, who is using the power of his own familys story as a force for change. He used it to educate the General Assembly in virginia about the need for Better Services. He has spoken out nationally, and his words have communicated many of namis own messages. They are not easy messages. On november 19 of last year, creigh deeds lost his son, gus, who struggles with bipolar disorder. He thought desperately to get help for his son, but could not, not in time. And in presenting this award, i want you to know,creigh deeds, that i as one virginia and will work to support you in working to ensure other virginians are spared the pain your family has experienced. I will work with you so that our i will work with you so that our loved ones can live in our community safely and to their highest level of independence possible. Nami and i share your loss and we honor your courage. Welcome to the nami family. As Richard Greer would say, you are not alone. Congratulations, you are a word or worthy recipient of the Richard Greer advocacy award for your outstanding work, your leadership, and service for all People Living with Mental Illness. [applause] thank you all so much. Ive just got a couple of things to say. Before i get started, i want to it knowledge my wife who is with me. Think you will stop thank you. And some of my colleagues and partners from virginia. [applause] and my colleagues and partners in the legislative process in virginia. I see those in the senate with me. I see those in a house of delegates. And i see one of my mentors, and the next congressman for the eighth congressional discover union, don buyer, right here. [applause] i hope i have not missed anybody. Thank you so much. Thank you to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. And thank you, jim payne, and betty greer. I am honored to receive the Richard T Greer advocacy award and im humbled. Although ive never met mr. Brewer, his or her beautician lives on and his commitment indoors through the work of everyone here in mr. Greer, his commitment lives on through the work of everyone here. I was always ashamed by virginias abysmal ranking compared to other states for Mental Health funding. Though i would have to admit, Mental Health was never my top priority. I was involved with economic element, education, transportation, public safety, environmental issues. There were many things that were at the top of my keep. My heap. I promise you i would give anything to not be in this position today. When my world changed forever last november, i knew i had to do something to make a change to prevent future tragedies. My family had been dealing with my sons illness for some years, but i never truly understood what gus was going through or how he suffered. I determined to devote my life and efforts to change the law to reduce the likelihood that such tragedies would occur in the future, to discuss Mental Health openly and honestly in an effort to remove the stigma, and to work to insure that my son is remembered for who he was and what he did, not how he died. I could not do that while sitting on the sidelines or working behind the scenes. My son was unbelievable. He remains in every respect my hero. Gus was everything i wanted to be. He was smart, handsome, strong, inquisitive, and confident. He was helpful, kind, generous, and brilliant. And he was so talented. He could master any musical in the dash instrument. He could sing, dance, and had deep faith in god, and was, indeed, his brothers keeper. He could do anything he wanted to do and do it well. His life was just not long enough. I have work to change the crisis intervention area of the law and the things that immediately failed gus just prior to his death. But i know that so many people and families lived in crisis, or live crisis to crisis. As you in this room know, the problems inherent in the system in virginia are not unique. People have reached out for me, desperate for help from throughout the country. I know that many people are engulfed in Mental Illness, including our neighbors and friends and coworkers, and they have so much to share and so much to contribute to society. Who knows whether the cure for cancer or the next big idea to save the earth or to unlock the secrets of the universe is locked in the mind of someone who now struggles with the disease of the brain . [applause] and how many of those bright minds are locked away in our criminal Justice System . I represented five people recently one afternoon in the Circuit Court of Allegheny County in a small, rural area i represented the legislature, but im also a lawyer. Legislative services are part time in virginia. Five people charged with criminal offenses. Three of them went to the penitentiary that afternoon. All five struggled with three of them had serious Mental Health diagnoses. One was less serious, but not unserious at all, depression, and also had addiction problems. Another was just a complete alcoholic. All five struggled. It is just unconscionable that so many people are locked away in these institutions that simply some simply struggle with and to illness. Im not finished with the work we did in virginia this year, not at all. What we have done should be seen as the beginning of the work that must be done, not the end. In the words of mike scott of the water boys, that was the river and this is the sea. Im determined that every virginian who is in need, no matter who they are or what they look like, no matter what the circumstances of their birth, no matter whether they have Health Insurance, every virginian receives the services they need when Mental Health strikes when Mental Illness strikes. We will make it possible that those people can lead Productive Lives through struggle with the help they need. This morning, you heard from congressional records and it is on the hill. Dont stop there. Take the conversation back to your state capitals, to your governor, to your state representatives, share your stories. Share your experiences. Continue to shed light on something that is too often left in the shadows. Everyone in this room knows just as i do that people remain ignorant about Mental Illness. Whether we respond with compassion or understanding, people fear, minimize, or deny that which they do not understand. The stigma that results hold us back. We have to educate. We have to put names and faces on the issue. They will remember you. Help me to help others understand that the time to act is now. We cannot afford to wait for another crisis or tragedy. Too many lives have been lost. Too many families changed forever already. We need to be in the prevention business. We need to be in a longterm recovery business. We need to provide as wide a ray of as wide array of services as we can. The Current System is failing. The energy and innovation and ideas to fix the system are here in this room. We have no other option but to act. Thank you for your excellent work. Thank you for the tremendous honor. The work goes on. [applause] thank you so much, senator deeds. As our beakers have shown this morning, the power of our advocacy flows from our lifted ash lived experiences. Our next speaker is an especially powerful voice, participating in the nami called to action. Demi lovato is a profile encourage. Like the title of her incredible album, she is unbroken by her personal experience with bipolar depression and eating disorders. Last year, the Mental Health Services Administration honored her for her mentorship of young adults with Mental Health and Substance Abuse issues. And this year, her book staying strong 365 days a year made the New York Times bestseller list. This summer, she embarked on a Mental Health listening and engagement were sponsored by the Pharmaceutical Company to share her story and to learn from leaders in the Mental Health Advocacy Community at events around the country such as ours today. We are especially grateful for her coming here today, because in just two days, she starts her world to her and she will be making stops in 28 cities across the United States and canada. [applause] her fan base includes over 24 million diehard twitter followers and 36 million facebook fans, many of whom we hope will join us today in our day of action. And two of those millions of fans live in my home in arlington, virginia, and our ages 12 and 15. I am grateful to demi as a Mental Health advocate, but im especially grateful to her as a mom. I cannot tell you how much it means to have a celebrity who is a real role model, who takes her fame and uses it to help others to raise awareness [applause] to help young girls and all of us settle the prejudice they keep so many from speaking out and getting help. Demi brings help, she brings hope to all of those affected by Mental Illness and we are thrilled to have her here today. [applause] thank you so much. That introduction was really overwhelming. In the most positive way. So thank you. Hi, everyone, my people. [laughs] it is an honor to be here today at namis day of action. Looking out at all of you is so inspiring. Its great to see so many people dedicated to improving Mental Health in the lives of others. Seeing people of all ages from all over the country come together gives me so much hope that change is really possible. Those of us here today know that Mental Illness has no prejudice. It affects people of every race, gender, age, and economic status. And it is not the thing was between democrats or republicans either. [applause] that is why we are here today and we need to send send a simple message to our nations leaders. Mental Health Matters and it must be taken seriously. [applause] it is time to ask for Mental Health and pass conference of Mental Health bills this year. [applause] we are here because groups like nami have helped us understand that our forces our voices do matter, our stories really do matter. We have the power to make a difference and we have the personal experience needed to be taken seriously. We know what it means to have our lives, or the lives of those we love, get off track because of Mental Illness. We understand that Mental Illness is serious and can be absolutely devastating. We also know that Mental Illness can be treatable when we have access to appropriate conference of care. I know that it is largely because of our personal experience with Mental Illness that each of us is here today. As i learn more about my own illness and the experience of others, i realize how much we all have in common. Even if Mental Illness has made a few headlines because of my career. There are a number of ways in which ive been very lucky, yet even with access to so much, my journey has not been an easy one i any means. During my darkest times, i didnt know why i was alive and i definitely did not like myself. I had very low times that were so emotionally draining that i couldnt find the strength to crawl out of bed in the morning. I was withdrawn, disconnected, and very angry. There were stretches of time where i felt nothing but chain. I would medicate nothing but shame. I would medicate myself with drugs and a call in an effort to feel normal, not better, just normal. I did not understand why somebody like me with all of the resources and reasons the world to be emotionally well, i could not find happiness. When i was finally diagnosed with by part bipolar disorder, it was a relief in so many ways. It helps me make sense with my bipolar depression and all of the things i was doing to cope with it. Getting the right diagnosis did not happen overnight. Through the process of being misdiagnosed and misunderstood, i understood i learned how important it is to be open with your doctor, so you can get to the root of what is going on as soon as possible. The journey to living well with bipolar disorder is a process that for me involved seeing a therapist, being honest with myself and others, following my treatment plan, and taking care of my body. It requires conference of care. Comprehensive care. [applause] living well with bipolar disorder takes work and it does not all happen at once. There was not one day when the light simply came on and i said, im cured, im better. Sometimes even the first, second, or even third medication we tried is not the one that works the best. But we owe it to ourselves to keep trying. The reality is, you are not a car. You cannot go to a shop and it fixed immediately. You need ongoing maintenance. Therell always be work left to do. I can only do the work now because i truly believe im worth it. And today, im so grateful for my life and i want to preserve and protect it. [applause] it is my personal mission to share with others of all ages people who are children, that our fans, people who do not know my music at all, but hopefully my speech today can have some impact it is my mission to share this with the world and to let them know that there is life on the other side of those dark times that seems so hopeless and helpless. I want to show the world there is life, surprising, wonderful, and unexpected life after diagnosis. [applause] im proud to say that im living proof that someone can live, love, and thrive with bipolar disorder if they get connected with professional resources, and accept support soonest possible. Thats why i purchase a painting in the Mental Health listening and engagement to her tour and getting to meet and listen to people like you and getting to know the issues that affect the Mental Health community. I hope to do my part to reduce the fear for others and to reduce the shame that is associated with Mental Illness. I want to do what i can to make things better for others by becoming the strongest and most informed Mental Health advocate and it advocate that i can be. Today, we have a chance to make history with nami, an organization that has been at the forefront of advancing Mental Health in this country for decades. [applause] we have seen increased attention to our countrys broken Mental Health system over the past few years. But weve seen very little action. Today, our message is very clear. Its time for congress to act for Mental Health by supporting the passage of a comprehensive Mental Health bill this year. [cheers and applause] i understand that the details around comprehensive Mental Health care are complex. I am not a policy expert in any way, shape, or form. But i do know that the basics of conference of Health Care Reform a common sense. Comprehensive care means as a nation, we step up our efforts to prevent suicide, which is currently the second leading cause of death for young adults in the United States. Comprehensive care means that if a man with Mental Illness gets diabetes or cancer, his doctors Work Together to determine what the best approach is for his mind and body. Conference of care also means that when a woman leaves a psychiatric hospital, there is a process in place to make sure she gets the care that she needs so that she doesnt end up back in jail, hospital, or on the street, or worst of all, even dead. [applause] at the heart of it, comprehensive care means that our Mental Health system reaches people early and far more often, so fewer people fall through the cracks and suffer alone. Im so proud to be here with you today. Together as Mental Health advocates, we can make our voices heard. Our shared message is simple. Like you said, keep it simple. Support passage of a comprehensive Mental Health bill this year. [applause] so go out there and make today count. Together, we will make a difference as we act for Mental Health. Dont forget to treat tweet, and post, because we all know that gets the word going. [laughter] im about to, you know, when im not sitting here on an important panel. [laughter]