2010 Board of Directors Meeting Schedule Posted 2010 Affiliate Presidents Conference Call Schedule Posted Family to Family Teacher calls: 3rd Wednesday of the month from 12-1, Spanish from 6-7 pm. If you would like to be on the call, please contact Lisa Moore at lmoore @namitexas.org. NAMI Connection Calls: 1st Thursday of the month from 12-1. If you would like to be on the call, please contact Lisa Moore at lmoore @namitexas.org. Parity Required for Group Outpatient Serious Mental Illness Coverage Click here to read the bulletin from the Texas Department of Insurance

NAMI TEXAS 2009 Legislative Priorities

With the new emphasis on mobile crisis outreach, funding is needed for increased capacity in the community for recovery oriented services. Most community mental health centers now have waiting lists for services; funding is needed to address this shortfall.

NAMI Texas supports the maintenance of the crisis redesign funding for the next biennium. Due to the late start of the roll out, the majority of funds in the current budget are targeted for 2009. NAMI Texas will fully support the maintenance of that amount for the next biennium.

Due to years of inadequacy in funding children's services in Texas, the present state of children's services is abysmal; additional funding is imperative to address this lack of services for children and adolescents.

There is a serious lack of appropriate programs for those with co-occurring mental illnesses and substance abuse problems. NAMI Texas supports the increase in funding to address this serious issue.

Supported Issues

• Veteran's mental health initiatives
• Additional state hospital capacity for staffed beds
• Jail diversion strategies
• Not guilty by reason of insanity issues
• Competency restoration initiatives
• Mandatory judicial training
• Education of public school students/teachers K-12