HELP US ADVOCATE!
Advocacy Defined
To take action, speak or write on behalf of another person, group or a cause, in order to advance a particular position.
Please Help us Advocate
NAMI Butler County, along with NAMI Ohio and NAMI National, are considered the voices of those living with a mental illness. We speak up, write letters and lobby to improve the quality of life, and promote recovery, for those suffering from mental illness. We also engage in public awareness events to advocate for fairer laws; adequate state and federal funding; access to newer psychotropic drugs; a community mental health system that is accessible, affordable and appropriate; community housing that is affordable and safe; access to hospitalization with links to the community upon release; and for prioritizing mental health services for those people who have severe and persistent mental illnesses. The following is an example of an advocacy letter written by Sally Fiehrer who recently retired from NAMI Butler County after 22 years of service but remains an active and dedicated volunteer.
Advocacy letter to Governor Kasich:
The Honorable John Kasich
Governor of Ohio
77 South High Street, 30th Floor
Columbus, OH 43215
Re: mental health concerns
Dear Governor Kasich,
After the tragic event in Tucson, it's time to look at our overall mental health system of care, a system that is reaching a breaking point. We see what tragic consequences can result from untreated mental illnesses. Early intervention/treatment is the best hope for stability and recovery.
Right now many people with mental illness are housed in our jails, emergency rooms, hospitals, and on the street...all because the mental health system failed them. I heard a story only today of a young man released from a Dayton psychiatric hospital and told to "get a bus to the homeless shelter." An advocate found the man on the street with no idea what bus to get or where to go. The kind stranger advocated to have the hospital keep him one more day. Inside the bag he was carrying upon release from the hospital was his washed clothes but they were still wet, right out of a washing machine. It was freezing outside. Arrangements were made the next day to have him transported to a housing location. These things occur repeatedly...what happens to the young man or woman who isn't so lucky? Our system is broken and so are the people who have to turn to it for help.
We really do treat our dogs better. Having adequate money in the system of care is imperative to save lives. It's also cost effective in the long run in saving tax‑payer money.
Please be aware of the fate of these Ohio citizens as you propose your budget to the legislators. As the executive director of a non‑profit in Butler County, my constituents and I are gravely concerned over the future of the people we know deserve better. We know firsthand of the marginal lives most of them live, especially those without families.
You are a person who can actually do something about this situation. I watched your inaugural address and was impressed with your sensitivities, spirituality and commitment to making Ohio a better place for all of us to live. Let’s hope this can happen for the most unfortunate and stigmatized among us.
Sincerely,
Sally Fiehrer