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NAMI Consumer Council

The NAMI Consumer Council, made up of people who have or have had a mental illness, is an advisory body to the Board of Directors.  The Council has a voting Representative and a non-voting Alternate from each state and US territory, including the District of Columbia.  The Council meets yearly at the Annual Convention to elect officers and conduct business.  The officers of the Consumer Council include:

• Chair: Rick Huber
• Vice-Chair: Mark Arneson
• 3 Members-at-Large: Rose Marie Delaney, Denver Nobles, Steve Miller
• Director (non-voting): Marty Raaymakers
• Past Chair (non-voting): Marty Raaymakers

The officers all hold 2 years terms that are staggered for continuity of the Executive Committee.  The Consumer Council Director is elected by the Consumer Council for a 3 year term on the NAMI National Board of Directors. 

The purpose of the Consumer Council is to advance the activities and involvement of the consumer membership of NAMI at the local, state, and national levels by actively participating in advocacy issues and program development.  This will be achieved by:

• Working actively to support the mission of NAMI.
• Working to preserve the respect, dignity, and human rights of mental health consumers.
• Advising the NAMI Board of Directors on the perspectives of their consumer members.
• Communicating the mission of NAMI through active participation in the nationwide consumer movement.
• Empowering and educating mental health consumers to address their issues around care, treatment, services, mutual support and consumer rights.

Consumer Council Committees

The following committees have been created to assist in writing a How-to Guide that has suggestions for consumer involvement and leadership at all levels of NAMI in addition to ways to build a meaningful state consumer council:

• Welcome and Orientation
• Operating Procedures
• National Consumer Council
• State Consumer Council
  

The Consumer Council has active committees which focus on specific issues that consumers face.  These committees are:

• Restraint and Seclusion

State Level Consumer Councils

For more information regarding State Level Consumer Councils click on one of these links:

• NAMI Illinois Consumer Council
• NAMI Indiana Consumer Council
• NAMI Pennsylvania Consumer Council Bylaws 2008
• NAMI Florida Guidebook for Development of a Local Consumer Council

Consumer Council Meeting Summaries

• June 2009
• National Convention- July 2009
• August 2009
• October 2009

 For More Information:

 For more information about the NAMI Consumer Council please contact NAMI's Center for Leadership Development.

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