Click here to view the report on the RAND website.

Marcel Harris became NAMI California's Statewide Organizer in October. His background in community health initiatives has prepared him well to help our affiliates on legislation and advocacy initiatives.

Marcel graduated from San Francisco State University with a bachelor's degree in health education. After college, he joined the Youth Leadership Institute, where  he mobilized young people to advocate for food justice and healthy communities. One of his favorite experiences was teaching high school students to cook and enjoy healthy foods - even kale smoothies.

Although he considered becoming a pediatrician, Marcel was drawn to the public health field because he wanted to have a wider impact. "Ì want to be in the community talking to people," he says. "That's where my passion is." As the Statewide Organizer, he is looking forward to helping NAMI California members across the state make their voices heard on mental health policy at the Capitol.

Like so many of us, Marcel has been touched by mental illness in his family. One of his siblings has been diagnosed with bipolar disorder, and an uncle died by suicide. Marcel has seen firsthand how stigma, lack of knowledge and limited treatment options can prevent people from getting the help they need.

Marcel grew up in Santa Barbara as the oldest of 12 children. He enjoys cooking and cycling, and currently bikes 20 miles to the NAMI California office every day.

Do you or a loved one struggle to get the mental health care you need? Do you have insurance that covers the costs of your care? Take NAMI's Coverage4Care survey and tell us about your experiences.
 

The survey takes about 20 minutes, and your answers will help us advocate for better care and coverage for you and your loved ones. It doesn't matter what type insurance you have, or whether you have insurance at all. We want to hear from you.  Spread the word. Share this survey with your family and friends. Post links to your Facebook and Twitter.

The survey closes on Monday, December 14, 2015 at 8 p.m. Pacific Time. For more information see www.nami.org. Thank you for your help.

NAMI Ventura County recently awarded 24 volunteers with the President's Volunteer Service Award, a prestigious national honor offered in recognition of volunteer commitment. 

Established in 2003, the award is given by the President of the United States and honors individuals, families and groups who have demonstrated a sustained commitment to volunteer service.  To qualify, the recipient must have volunteered for a certified organization at least 100 hours in a 12-month period. 

 

NAMI Ventura County volunteers gave over 9,000 hours of their valuable time over the previous year, working diligently to meet the needs of the community by teaching Family to Family classes, facilitating support groups, answering Helpline calls, making the NAMIWalk happen, and much more.

 

The volunteers were presented with the award at an elegant evening event where over 100 NAMI volunteers and their guests were honored. Volunteers received the official President's Volunteer Service Award pin, a certificate of achievement, a congratulatory letter from President Barack Obama, and the gratitude of NAMI Ventura County.

NAMI Alameda County South's peer mentor program, Mentor on Discharge, is showing tremendous success in reducing patient re-hospitalizations. The program matches trained peers to patients in acute care psychiatric hospitals, creating a seamless connection from the hospital to the community.

 

Peer mentors complete Well Beyond Recovery's 40-hour  Art of Facilitating Self Determination workshop and are introduced to a patient before discharge - a condition that sets Mentor on Discharge apart from other mentor programs. Mentors stay in contact with their designated patients to support them in their recovery.

A 2011-2012 MHSA Innovations Grant awarded to John George Psychiatric Hospital yielded extraordinary results.  More than 70 percent of patients paired with a mentor avoided re-hospitalization, and of the 30 percent who were re-hospitalized, the length of time between re-hospitalizations increased from two to six months . Since the original grant, NAMI Alameda County South has observed similar or better results with the MoD program.

 

Mentor on Discharge is currently in place in John George Psychiatric Hospital and Telecare Heritage Hospital in Alameda County, supported for the last three years by Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Grants. NAMI San Francisco and NAMI Santa Clara have recently begun implementing Mentor on Discharge in their areas.