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NAMI VETS ALASKA

Cornelia Huebscher

Chair of NAMI Vets Alaska & Chair of NAMI Veterans Council Committee of Women Vets

MEMBERSHIP

The general membership of NAMI Vets Alaska shall be persons with mental illnesses, a relatives of persons with mental illnesses, or friends of persons with mental illnesses who:

• Accept the mission of NAMI, be a NAMI member of good standing, and
• Have an involvement and/or interest in issues impacting on veterans, and/or active military and dependents who suffer from severe and persistent mental illnesses, and
• Able to have some knowledge on how the VA system works.

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OFFICERS

• Chair ~ Cornelia Huebscher
• 1^st Vice ~ Beth  LaCrosse
• 2^nd Vice
• Secretary
• Treasurer

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OVERALL GOALS:  VETERANS' ISSUES WILL BE A NAMI PRIORITY

The following strategies were identified to promote collaboration between the Veterans Council leaders with the intent of ensuring the NAMI mission is realized.

• Peer education in the VA system
• Public policy advocacy in the VA system
• Membership recruiting/retention in the Veterans Committee
• Promoting EBPs
• Provide leadership to help VA meet goals of the President’s NFC (New Freedom Commission) report to partner with state systems
• Volunteer recruitment from the veterans community
• Partnering with VSOs (veteran service organizations) for mutual benefit
• Securing a veteran advocacy group as campaign partner
• Support a “drop-in” center for assisting VA consumers in navigating the system
• Vet scholarships for state conferences
• Present at VSO conferences
• Present IOOV (In Our Own Voice) at Veterans committee
• Offer CEUs (continuing education units) at the VA
• Integrate NVC resources into state resources guides/help line activities
• Target support group development in VA committee
• Target VA committee involvement in WALKS
• Promote media relations activity on VA issues
• Include Veterans Committee info on state website
• Target education in Veterans' Committee (posters, etc.)
• Focused newsletter on veterans issues with articles
• Resource director for Veterans Committee

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PRESIDENT'S NEW FREEDOM COMMISSION ON MENTAL HEALTH

Accomplishing Recommendation 2.2 for veterans

• Involve consumers and families directly in educating staff/veterans/family members on recovery
• Provide incentives for work with veterans’ families
• Implement family education programs
• Include veteran consumers and family members in facility mental health councils

Accomplishing Recommendation 2.3 for veterans

• Develop Peer Support Programs as an adjunct to mental health services
• Develop a “How To” manual for Peer Support
• Develop task-oriented veteran consumer councils in each facility.
• Make supported employment widely available
• Make housing with supports widely available.

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CONSUMER COUNCIL

The purpose of the Consumer Council is to effectively collaborate with veteran consumers, their families, and other public and private sector organizations.  The goal of these partnerships is to provide comprehensive and coordinated services to seriously mentally ill veterans that extend into the community.

The other roles, which help to improve the services delivered to veterans with Severe Mental Illness, are:

• Provide and promote linkage between the VA and non-VA organizations
• Assist VA in providing of education about serious mental illnesses
• Provide feedback on the quality of VA service delivery
• Collaborate with VA in the development of resources for mental health services and research

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