Petition to include citizens with mental health diagnoses and family members in state efforts to fix North Carolina’s broken mental health system. |
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PetitionEndorsement and background information can be found at the bottom of this petition. To: Health & Human Services Secretary Lanier Cansler, Gov. Beverly Perdue, legislators, and other officials dealing with mental health issues now and in the future. The following organizations and individuals believe: That in any discussion of mental health services in North Carolina, the interests of all citizens of North Carolina are best served by including those affected by mental illness as individuals with a diagnosed mental illness as well as family members of such individuals. These are people who have experienced the state’s system firsthand and can provide a unique perspective from the very population such discussions are attempting to help. There are many qualified individuals to fill such a role, many of whom also well know the intricacies of the mental health system, Medicaid, and other factors affecting mental health services. That the number of such individuals serving such groups comprise not less than 25 percent of its membership, with those chosen divided between adult “consumers” and family members of minor children or of adults with an illness. To assure inclusion, we would ask that these members be approximately equal between consumers and family members, with a slight majority being adult consumers. Given that one in four citizens are affected by mental illness in any year, not to mention the impact on family members, loved ones and others, this request seems reasonable and just. That you and the Department of Health and Human Services and all other governmental departments and officials foster an attitude of inclusion and openness with respect to dealings with mental health issues and the mental health community. For far too long, citizens with a mental illness have been treated as separate and unequal. For the lead agency in the state to exclude “consumers” and family members from discussions on how best to serve them is unconscionable. To exclude the very group most affected by the policies that may evolve from these groups is to treat them as second-class citizens with second-class illnesses. David Cornwell —————–
Background: While this petition began in response to the exclusion of consumers and family members from working groups formed under the leadership of former HHS Secretary Dempsey Benton, it is just as important a message to make to the present administration. Email david@ncmentalhope.org for further information We urge all individuals and organizations concerned with the fundamental rights and respect due those affected by mental illness to become signatories to this petition. Endorse To endorse, send an email with your name, county and phone number to endorse@ncmentalhope.org. (Phone number is only for verification purposes if needed). If endorsing for an organization, please note that organization and your positition with it. Since the principles expressed are perpetual, so is this petition, and it will be passed on to future administrations and administrators. Please pass this link on to others: |
Endorsing Groups And Individuals
• North Carolina Mental Hope • North Carolina NAMI • Disability Rights North Carolina • North Carolina Mental Health Consumers’ Organization • North Carolina Disability Action Network • Wake County Consumer & Family Advisory Council • Wake County NAMI • Forsyth County NAMI • Mental Health Association of Wilson County • Cumberland County Consumer & Family Advisory Council • WNC Families Can, Buncombe County • NAMI – Alamance/Caswell/Rockingham • NAMI Haywood County • NAMI Western Carolina • Community Suuport Professionals, LLC, • F.I.R.S.T, Buncombe County • Western Alliance Center for| • Alliance of Disability Advocates Center for Independent Living, Wake • Abundant Recovery, Inc., Stokes County • Pathways For The Future, Jackson County • Psychology Associates, Orange County • Center for Integrated Health Care, New Hanover County • Buncombe County Council on Aging • Mental Health Association in Forsyth County, Inc. • Center for Integrated Health Care, PC, • Ann Akland, Wake County • Sheila Alexander, Rutherford County • Robert Allen, Wake County • Stephanie Almeida, Macon County • Joyce Alston, Johnson County • Carolina Ambrose, Wake County • Robert Anderson, Henderson County • Elizabeth Anton, Orange County • Barbara Barshay, Wilson County • Diane Bauknight, Henderson County • Beverly Best, Wilson County • George Blue, Wake County • Gail S. Boswell, Wilson County • Judy Briggs, Forsyth County • Martha Brock, Wake County • David Bullins, Cabarrus County • Brian Bunter, Wake County • Carlos Burks, Wilson County • Susan Cain, New Hanover County • Darlene Calvert, Rowan County • Bob Carey, Yancey County • Nancy Carey, Yancey County • Vickie Carpenter, Durham County • Karen Chappell, Rutherford County • Jack Clifford, Wilson County • R. Trent Codd, III, Buncombe County • Andrea Collins, Mecklenberg County • Jean Collier, Wilson County • Gerale Condron, Wayne County • Bill Cook, Henderson County • Bill Cook, Mitchel County • David Cook, Henderson County • Laynette Cooley, Wilson County • Carol Coonley, Wake County • Ed Cooper, Buncombe County • Patty Cooper, Buncombe County • Scott Cooper, Forsyth County • David Cornwell, Buncombe County • Ann Cunninghham, Wake County • Libby Daniell, Wilson County • Susan M. Daugherty, Henderson County • Vickie Dieter, Catawba County • Rev. Frederick M Douglas, Guilford County • Heather Drum, Rutherford County • James Duffy, Buncombe County • Kent Earnhardt, Wake County • Emmogene Edge, Bucombe County • Hazel Elmore, Moore County • John Ely, Wake County • Jason Epperson, Buncombe County • Earline Evans, Wilson County • Carolyn Cadle Farris, Buncombe County • Linda Farris, McDowell County • Natalie Faulkner, Wilson County • Meg Finnerud, Forsyth County • Bart Floyd, Buncombe County • Mary Annecelli, Forsyth County • Adele Foschia, Wake County • Joe Fowler, Rowan County • Patty Fowler, Rowan County • Susan Fowler, Rowan County • Eric Fox, Wake County • Michael Galovic, Buncombe County • Marisa Gamboa, Wake County • Loise George, Buncombe County • Suzanne Gernandt, Haywood County • Sandy Goble,Transylvania County • Laura Goddard, Wake County • Kent Goddard, Wake County • Emily Good, Brunswick County • Louise Hackney, Wilson County • Ruth Haines, Buncombe County •Denise Hanson, New Hanover County • Andy Hagler, Forsyth County • Beth Garriss Hardy, Rockingham County • Elaine Goble, Caldwell County • Christen Golkowski, Buncombe County • Frances Gordon, Forsyth County • Mary Ellen Griffin, Franklin County • Avis Hall, Harnett County • Beverly Hamel, Forsyth County • Marsha Hammond, Buncombe County • Jennifer Hancock, Wilson County • John L. Haverstock, Halifax County • Tom Heffner, Buncombe County • Jerilynn Hoy, Buncombe County • Brenda Jackson, Henderson County • Mirian Jackson, Wilson County • Dakota Jackson, Henderson County • Diana James, Wilson County • Mary Jensen, Union County • Melissa Jemison, Wake County • Julie Johnson, Wake County • Matthew Jonak, Mecklenburg County • Cheryl Judd, Johnson County • Kim Kean, Mecklenburg County • Bart Kean, Rowan County • Barbara Kellner, Buncombe County • Ashleigh P Kehl, Mecklenburg County • Lisa Lambeth, Wake County • Megan Latta, Mecklenburg County • Kimberly Lee, Wake County • Joyce LiBethe, Mecklenberg County • Jan Ledford, Macon County • Melanie Lovelace, Buncombe County • Michelle Lynch, Franklin County • Tyler Lynch, Franklin County • William Lynn, Johnson County • Peggy Mann, Buncombe County • Kurt Markel, Henderson County • Wendy Marsh, Buncombe County • Suzanne Martin, Moore County • Ed Masters, Nash County • Kari Mathisen, Wake County • Bree Hefner May, Henderson County • Collin Mayer, Alamance County • Mike Mayer, Alamance County • Laura Mayer, Alamance County • Jennife MCDuff, Buncombe County • Pat McGinnis, McDowell County • Meghan McInnis, Wake County • Jeff McLoud, Lenoir County • Gloria Melton, Alamance County • Norman Melton, Alamance County • Audrey Mercer – Buncombe County • Harry Meyer, Haywood County • Patricia Myer, Haywood County • Marlisa Mills, Buncombe County • Rebecca Mitchell, Henderson County • Tracy Mixson, Buncombe County • Rick Merrill, Henderson County • Gail Moore, Wilson County • Nancy Moreland – Henderson County • Kathy Morris, Macon County • John Morrison, Buncombe County • Maureen Motley, Buncombe County • Micheal Murray,Buncombe County • Pat Myslicki, Forsyth County • Ann T. Nandrea, Macon County • Lisa Nelson, Wake County • Barbara Nettles-Carlson, Orange County • Kathleen Nilsson, Wake County • Derrrick O’Neal, Johnson County • Dorothy O’Neal, Johnson County • Melvin O’Neal, Johnson County • Kathleen Osta, Buncombe County • Elizabeth Owens, Wake County • Michael Peckerar, Wilson County • Eric Peterson, Buncombe County • Thomas J. Pierce, Mecklenberg County • Catherine Piner, Wilson County • Jamil Pitts, Bunbcombe County • Jim Pitts, Buncombe County • Sharon Pitts, Buncombe County • Bessie Poole, Wilson County • Stephen C. Potts, Alamance County • Janet Price-Ferrell, Buncombe County • Elaine Purpel, Guilford County • Mary Margaret Radford, Wilson County • David Rains, Mecklenberg County • Chris Rakes, Wake County • Lane Reid, Buncombe County • Alan Reilley, Henderson County • Collin Reilly, Henderson County • Donna Reliley, Henderson County • Justin Reilley, Henderson County • Joyce Reilley, Henderson County • Robert Reilley, Henderson County • Tim Rice, Buncombe County • James Rider, Onslow County • Suzanne Rider, Pender County • Eva L. Ritchey, Henderson County • Sharon Robison, Macon County • Kelly Rowe Rodriguez, Buncombe County • Luz Ross, Cumberland County • Dave Rowe, Buncombe County • Florence Rowe, Buncombe County • Nancy Sallenger, Wilson County • Katie Sawyer, Beaufort County • Bonnie Schell, Cabarrus County • Carol Scholar, Buncombe County • Dennis Scholar, Buncombe County • Ann Schmidt, Macon County • Kim Schmidt , Johnson County • Warren Schmidt, Macon County • Heidi Sears, Buncombe County • Ellen M. Shatrau, Buncombe County • Keith B. Shatrau, Buncombe County • Karl Shellenberger, Buncombe County • Tracy Shields, Buncombe County • Hayward Silver, Franklin County • Judy D. Sipes – Haywood County • Laura Skinner, Mecklenburg County • Christine Smith, Buncombe County • David Smith, Durham County • Jeff Smith, Wake County • Gerri Smith, Wake County • Vicki Smith, Wake County • Bruce Spanger, Wake County • Betty Stanberry, Wake County • Carla Steiner, Guildford County • Nicholas E. Stratas, Wake County • Kevin Sullivan, Wake County • Cynthia Sutherland, Buncombe County • Shartra Sylivant, Wilson County • Tong Tang, Henderson County • Tony Tang, Wake County • Mary Taylor, Wilson County • Michael C. Teague, Wake County • Denise Thompson, Catawba County • Emma Thorne, Forsyth County • Mary Reca Todd, Wake County • Patricia Townsend, Wilson County • Tracey Turner, Buncombe County • Ang Uy, Buncombe County • Terry Vance, Orange County • Cynthia Vester, Wake County • Helen Wadino, Buncombe County • Eric Walker, Buncombe County • Valerie Walker, Johnson County • Sue Lee Waller – Wake County • Mike Weaver, Guilford County • Diane Weaver, Henderson County • Cecilia Westmoreland, Forsyth County • Louise B. Whealton, Forsyth County • Mary Ann Widenhouse, Macon County • Elizabeth K. Williams, Buncombe County • Dan Winslow, Granville County • Evelyn Winslow, Granville County • Michael C. Witenberg, Forsyth County • Marlene Wooten, Buncombe County • Caroline Yurges, Macon County • Donald Yurges, Macon County • Geoffrey Zeger, Durham County
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