CMHS Consumer Affairs E-News
September 11, 2003, Vol. 03-82

CMHS NATIONAL ADVISORY COUNCIL ADOPTS SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER/SURVIVOR ISSUES MEETING RECOMMENDATIONS

The Center for Mental Health Services (CMHS) National Advisory Council (NAC), at its September meeting recently held in Rockville, Maryland, adopted all of the meeting recommendations submitted by the CMHS NAC Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues. The Subcommittee meeting took place just prior to the full council meeting and focused on the goals of the Final Report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.

A complete list of the meeting recommendations of the CMHS NAC Subcommittee that have been adopted the CMHS National Advisory Council can be located on the CMHS Web site at http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/AdvisoryCouncil/matrix.asp

The following are the Consumer/Survivor Subcommittee recommendations adopted by the CMHS National Advisory Council at the September meeting.

CMHS NAC SUBCOMMITTEE ON CONSUMER/SURVIVOR ISSUES MEETING RECOMMENDATIONS

Adopted September 5, 2003

1.   The CMHS National Advisory Council Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues recommends that the CMHS National Advisory Council advise CMHS, in conjunction with Goal 6 and Recommendations 6.1 and 6.2 of the Final Report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health, to undertake pilot work to begin testing and developing a consumer-operated, culturally competent, interactive Web site that organizes information for consumers that supports self-care and self-determination, provides and updates a database of self-help groups, warm lines, and other consumer resources, shares stories of recovery, provides discussion list management software, employs chat rooms, manages interactive input from consumers, and serves as an IT (information technology) training tool by the end of 2004 and to be fully operating by the end of 2005.

2.   Work and service are American values and critical to recovery. The CMHS National Advisory Council Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues recommends that the CMHS National Advisory Council advise CMHS to increase support for jobs including the employment of consumers as funded service providers as described in Goal 2 and Recommendation 2.2 of the Final Report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.

3.   Over 50% of all community mental health services are currently funded by Medicaid. The CMHS National Advisory Council Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues encourages increased focus on recovery and rehabilitation that will ensure community integration. The CMHS National Advisory Council Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues recommends that the CMHS National Advisory Council advise CMHS to collaborate with CMS (the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services) to form an advisory body of beneficiaries with cross-disability representation and in proportion to the disabilities served by CMS in conjunction with Goal 2 and Recommendation 2.3 of the Final Report of the President's New Freedom Commission on Mental Health.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ABOUT THE CMHS CONSUMER/SURVIVOR SUBCOMMITTEE

The Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues was formed in August 2000 to report to the CMHS National Advisory Council (NAC) on the specific needs, issues and concerns of mental health consumers/survivors from the consumer/survivor perspective, and to advise and make recommendations to the NAC. (A complete list of the Subcommittee's recommendations to the NAC can be accessed at http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/cmhs/AdvisoryCouncil/matrix.asp.) The Subcommittee consists of members of the NAC and expert consultants.

Anyone interested in serving on the Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues should submit a resume and a statement of interest to CMHS Consumer Affairs Specialist Chris Marshall at cmarshal@samhsa.gov or mail to Chris Marshall, SAMHSA/CMHS, 5600 Fishers Lane, Suite 15-99, Parklawn Building, Rockville, MD, 20857.

More information about the Subcommittee on Consumer/Survivor Issues is available on the CMHS website at http://www.mentalhealth.samhsa.gov/consumersurvivor/programs.asp