As approved by the NAMI-Vermont Board of Directors, 1.17.09

Note: Issues are listed in order of priority, with most urgent actions listed first. For more details, click here (Word doc) for our long version, which includes background information on each position.

1) Sustain Vermont’s mental health system of care by:

A) Action: With recent state budget cuts, state investments are needed to sustain effective community-based mental health services in Vermont. Failure to do so will result in higher rates of psychiatric hospitalization at greater cost to Vermont taxpayers, and would undermine VT’s historic commitment to treatment in the community vs. institutional care.

B) Action: Funding for key elements of the Vermont State Hospital (VSH) Futures Plan must be included in FY ‘10 state budget, with a continued emphasis on ‘front-loading’ implementation of reforms which strengthen community-based non-hospital and inpatient psychiatric services in Vermont.

C) Action: Involve Vermont community hospitals in meeting the needs of all persons requiring acute inpatient psychiatric care, including those now served only at the VT State Hospital, with clear standards for partnership:


1) True parity of care, with a ‘no reject’ policy
2) Shared risk, shared reward, and shared responsibility
3) Deadline to complete a deal, or move on


D) Action: NAMI-Vermont favors changes to current practice and statute that would lead to a more prompt medical and legal determination of the need for involuntary treatment, and more prompt access to active treatment, when an individual with acute symptoms of a psychiatric illness lacks the capacity to make informed decisions about their care.

A) Action: Encourage policy makers to develop & expand the Mental Health Court model in Vermont, to improve access to treatment for people with mental illness who are arrested or cited for crimes & encourage their diversion from jail to treatment and recovery.

B) Action: Work with state agencies & legislators to develop and fund appropriate treatment for individuals with active symptoms of a serious mental illness while they are under the supervision of the VT Dept. of Corrections, starting with passage of S. 2.

C) Action: All Vermont law enforcement officers should be trained on dealing effectively with crises involving individuals with mental illness, and how to safely de-escalate such crises without the use of force. Every municipal police and sheriff’s department should get at least 1 officer trained in this curriculum.

A) Action: Monitor rule-making and enforcement by the VT’s Banking, Securities & Health Care Administration (BISHCA) of the provisions of Act 129, to strengthen the compliance of mental health managed care providers with the equal access provisions of Vermont’s mental health parity law.

B) Action: Improve peer support and outreach to Vermont’s military veterans returning from war to determine their need for mental health treatment, and provide improved support and education about mental health treatment to their family members.

A) Action: Promote expansion of school-based outreach programs to prevent suicide & promote collaboration between school staff, treatment professionals and parents to help youth at risk.

B) Action: Educate legislators and the VT Dept. of Mental Health about the need for improved transition services for youth with a serious emotional disturbance who are leaving school-based services to move into Vermont’s adult system of care.

C) Action: Increase funding for outreach and in-home mental health services targeting rural and isolated elders.