If you’re not familiar with NSSC, you should be. Since October 2017, they’ve been speaking out and inspiring change for over 8 million children (1 in 10) and 14.2 million adults (1 in 20) with serious brain disorders as family members, sufferers, and mental health professionals. They matter because serious mental illness (SMI) isn’t given the societal attention or financial investment it deserves. Its relatively low prevalence, diagnostic complexity, and associated treatment resistance all disincentivize resource allocation and advocacy. The cost of societal neglect is high: homelessness, incarceration, and fear all corrode community cohesion and threaten lives. Fortunately, NSSC pushes back against those outcomes. We recommend taking a look at their work and engaging with one or more of the following opportunities to learn and advocate.
Media: The Intersection of Homelessness and Serious Mental Illness: An interview with Kerry Morrison, Founder and Project Director of Heart Forward LA, is now available on NSSC’s YouTube Channel and can be watched here. It’s a great discussion with Kerry and Media Specialist Eric Dias on the intersection of homelessness and serious mental illness, the mental healthcare model in Trieste, Italy, clubhouses and more.
Advocacy: Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee (ISMICC) meeting is scheduled for March 27th from 9:00am -4:00pm EST. This is an opportunity to let your voices be heard, public comments are due by March 18th. Registration information can be found here. And for Maine Advocates: Your presence is requested on Tuesday, February 27th at 2:00PM EST for a public hearing on LD2214 An Act to Make Supplemental Appropriations and Allocations for the Expenditures of State Government, General Funds and Other Funds. Focusing on enhancing the use of PTP will prove to be much more successful in saving lives rather than building walk-in centers that will never be utilized by those who need help the most. Testimony can be provided in person at the State House in Augusta room 228 or via Zoom by signing up here. Click “testimony submission” in the bottom right hand corner.
Upcoming Events:
There is still time to sign up for NSSC’s quarterly Pro-Talk. Dr John Liebert, psychiatrist and author with a background in psychopharmacology and psychotherapy, will present on “The Dangers of Untreated Psychosis.”
Thursday, March 7th, 2023 @ 4:00 PM Pacific | 7:00 PM Eastern
Q&A session will follow immediately afterward.
Invite your friends and family to this educational and insightful presentation. Knowing is half the battle.
Please register here.
Resources: Awakenings: Stories of Recovery and Emergence from Schizophrenia by Bethany Yeiser BS and Henry A. Nasrallah MD is now available for purchase. Though schizophrenia has been called “the worst disease affecting mankind” this is a book of hope. It details the stories of 28 remarkable individuals who are living a life of recovery and thriving despite their diagnosis. A member-exclusive NSSC Resource Guide, a quarterly publication that lists like-minded organizations, upcoming events for the quarter, and the best ways to stay connected is available for download in PDF format. This Resource Guide is a tool to refer to when you want other trusted resources to connect with. If you have a book or resource that you would like to be included in our guide, please send it to coordinator@nationalshatteringsilencecoalition.org.
For more ways to get involved, contact NSSC’s Founder and Executive Director Ann Corcoran RN, MSN at coordinator@nationalshatteringsilencecoalition.org or visit their website.
