Resolved if you continue to try various interventions. I think American History tv on cspan is one of the best programs available. I wish we could do it more than once a week. And continue to let us know what you think about the programs youre watching. Call us at 2026263400 email us at comments at cspan. Org. Or send us a tweet at next a forrum on Mental Health care and legislation. Former congressman, Patrick Kennedy of rhode island. Virginia state senator and singer demi lovato spoke about their experiences with Mental Health. The National Alliance on Mental Health hosted this event in september. [ applause ]. Hello, everyone. Welcome to our national convention. I am so excited to see all of you here today. And welcome to our national day of action. I hope youre ready to take some action. We Want Congress to act. And so today, our supporters here and around the country are going to be calling, emailing, tweeting and visiting capitol hill. And when you visit capitol hill, i want you to remember that you are part of the nami movement. We are a movement of people dedicated to providing help and hope to all of those effected by Mental Illness. A movement that demands a more caring and better Mental Health care system that provides help to us when we need it and where we need it. A movement [ applause ]. Thats right. A movement that rages against homelessness, emergency rooms, jails and prisons. Weve had too much of that and we want it to change. [ cheers and applause ]. And a movement that fights for recovery for people with Mental Illness, for jobs, for homes, for family and for friends, for the ability to use all of your gifts and all of our talents. [ applause ]. This movement will Tell Congress today that its time to act and we will be supported and inspired by our speakers today. The first probably needs no introduction, but im going to give him one any way. Patrick kennedy served eight years in congress until 2011, representing Rhode Islands first district. He was the leading champion of the national Mental Health parody bill which was passed in 2008. He has been [ applause ]. Yes he has been the recipient of namis highest honor, our distinguished service award. He continues to be a leading voice for Scientific Research and the transformation of Mental Health care and patrick is all of those things, but he is so much more. He is a beacon of hope for all of those who struggle with Mental Illness and addiction. I had the privilege this summer of visiting a peerrun dropin scepter in chicago on 47th street. I got a really warm welcome, but they couldnt wait to tell me about their visit from Patrick Kennedy. And what a difference he made by telling his story in such a heartfelt way, the way he always does. And one of them said it best, they said, he is one of us. And thats how we feel at nami. Patrick is one of us. Hes been a great friend to those in the Mental Health community and we want to welcome our great friend, Patrick Kennedy. [ cheers and applause ]. Thank you very much. Well, when i was in congress, you know, i got used to that standing ovation. Now that im out of congress, im just going to stand up here and soak it in because im in recovery. And not only recovery from [ applause ]. Im in recovery from being in politics. [ laughter ]. Let me just say from the outset how great mary has been in terms of hitting the ground running and really coming in. Talk about trying to drink water from a fire hydrant. She came in at a time that is going to be the most formative time in Mental Health advocacy in the last 50 years. And we couldnt be more proud to have you as executive director of nami, mary. [ cheers and applause ]. And ron homberg and andrew sperling, terrific policy team who are getting you all ready to go to go to the hill, your whole nami team is exceptional and ive had the honor of working with them for many years. Let me just first say to demi lovato, i told her back stage, she is already a hit. We know shes produced lots of hits, but shes already a hit star with all of us because shes willing to stand up in the lights and say, shes one of us, too. [ cheers and applause ]. My daughter my 6yearold daughter loves skyscraper. I tell you, demi, youre our skyscraper when it comes to standing up tall when things are falling around us because of the stigma and discrimination against Mental Health and to have someone like you willing to take a stand means something to all of us. And were really grateful again that youre here. [ cheers and applause ]. Now, most of you have heard of my uncle, president john kennedy. But one of the things that president kennedy was known for was his book profiles in courage. And if he were alive today and were adding another chapter to that historic book, he would include senator and mrs. Craig deeds in that book. [ applause ]. Senator, like my family, your tragedy was exhibited in public in a way that should not have to be for any family. And instead of running away from the problem, you ran towards it and you took your own devastating, incomprehensible personal tragedy and you showed the light of your own familys experience facing a fragmented, uncoordinated Mental Health system which was the responsibility of all of us to do better on and showed what the ultimate consequences of that failed system is through the loss of your son. And you, more than anyone, have helped america understand what is at stake if we do nothing to repair this broken Mental Health system. Senator deeds and mrs. Deeds, we owe you a debt of responsibility to fulfill your mission, to fix the system so that it doesnt have to befall any other family like it did your own. And for that, we are very grateful for your leadership. [ cheers and applause ]. President kennedy in 1963 talked about the Civil Rights Act this way he said, who amongst us would trade the color of their skin and be content with those who counsel patients and delay . See, at the time, many people said we can take another 10, 15, 20 years to implement civil rights. Its okay. Lets take our time. That means one thing to a white american. It means something entirely different if the color of your skin is dark in this country. And you are discriminated against simply because of the color of your skin. Who amongst us would trade places with that person and be content with those who tell us, just wait. Now is not the time. We face a similar moment in History Today because this is an issue that is a civil rights issue. Its about the discrimination against our brothers and sisters simply because of immunable fact that theyre illness [ applause ]. That their illness, as immunable as the color of their skin, is an illness of the brain as opposed to an illness of any other organ in the body. Shortly after president kennedy put the civil rights bill before congress, he took on another civil rights bill, the community Mental Health act and he said the mentally ill need no longer be alien to our affections or beyond the help of your communities. [ applause ]. Have you ever heard something so clear in terms of what we need today . The mentally ill need no longer be alien to our affections or beyond the help of our communities. Pretty simple, isnt it . Pretty basic. Now, youre all going to go up to the hill today and youre going to advocate for simple things, making sure that families are part of the treatment plan, planning for their loved ones, just as they would be if their loved one was coming out of the hospital for any other physical illness. [ applause ]. Youre going to go up there and say, dont those with brain illnesses deserve the same coordinated care as any other chronic illness that is out there . And why shouldnt our Health Care System reflect the desire to optimize care by making sure that its coordinated for the benefit of the patient . This is Pretty Simple stuff, my friends. [ applause ]. Youre going to go up there and talk about the fact that this is simply about treating the brain like any other organ of the body. [ applause ]. Now, i could we could spend all day, as you often do at your nami meetings, going through the litany of discriminatory practices embedded in federal law and federal regulation. I mean, its replete with discrimination. So, rather than letting the congress get lost in the details, make sure as mary did in her article in role call we keep it simple, my friends. This is not complicated. Treat Mental Illness the same as every other illness and we will make an enormous difference in tackling the challenges that face us. [ cheers and applause ]. But how do we treat it . If this were cancer, there would be a revolution in this country. This would be if this were diabetes, there would be a revolution in this country. The way we pay for Mental Health care today is we say to the mentally ill and those with addictions, come back when you have stage 4 cancer. Thats what we would be saying to them. Say, come back for treatment when you need your legs amputated as a diabetic. We wouldnt think of saying that to anybody with diabetes or anyone with cancer. And we shouldnt think of saying it for those who are suffering from Mental Illness and addiction. [ cheers and applause ]. And then and then we say, well, these problems are too great. We cant get our arms around them. Theyre intractable and theyre uncurable. Wait a second here. If you let cancer metastasize to stage 4, yes, its pretty difficult to treat. If you let diabetes get to be where you need an amputation and e you lose your sight, yes, its a pretty terrible disease to cure and fix. But if you intervene on first on set of schizophrenia, first on set of addiction and put in place the kind of preventive measures that we would put in place if it were any other chronic illness, we would have a different trajectory and people would not be forced to have their illness pathologized because of lack of care and the untreatment of the mentally ill that goes on for too long and creates too much disability and too much mortality. This is a simple issue. [ applause ]. So, we need to be clear with congress on our vision for a new Mental Health system. We cannot allow them simply to move deck chairs on the titanic. You understand what im saying . We cant let them make this decision about commitment and forced this or that. You know what, if you treated someone early in their illness, they wouldnt be forced to take the high levels of medication that they end up having to take because you never take care of them until their illness becomes pathologized and then they wouldnt have the side effects and then they wouldnt have the compliance issues. This is a simple issue. Treat it like every other issue. Treat it early. Treat it aggressively. Youll save lives. Youll save disability and well all as a society be better off for it. [ cheers and applause ]. Now, on the commitment issue, because its the most controversial out there, commitment to what . Okay. Why dont we have the same expectations and standard for care for the mentally ill that we expect for every other physical illness . We shouldnt be committing people to substandard care or lack of evidencebased treatment. But on the issue of commitment, i know about it personally. My brother and sister took guardianship of our mother. So no one needs to talk about these issues to me because like my mother, i have serious depression and bipolar and like my mother, i struggle with addiction and alcoholism, and like my mother, some day, god forbid, my children have to save my life, i want them to step up to the plate and save their fathers life like i saved my mothers life. [ cheers and applause ]. So, i come back to it. You got my refrain. This is simple. Just treat these illnesses as if they were any other illness and apply those standards to this set of illnesses. The biggest challenge were facing and ill wrap up with this is political will. And that political will is a reflection of the lack of understanding and its the result of cultural indifference and bigotry, which feeds the prejudice and discrimination that effects those with Mental Illness, like myself. So, my proposal would be lets, like the Civil Rights Act, we had to pass the Voting Rights act to define what we meant by civil rights, then we had to pass the Fair Housing Act to define what we meant by civil rights, then we had to pass the fair employment act to define what we meant by civil rights. I hope we dont have to go around and begin to define what is common sense, what is basic, and that is like my friend tim murphy said, treat one another with dignity and respect. If you do that, the rest of it will fall into place. [ cheers and applause ]. And ill conclude with this my father was known for compromises. Now, no one said that my father okay . My dad was a champion and a stalwart for the liberal cause. But when it came to advancing the national interests, not just his party interests, he worked with orin hatch and mike dempsey and john mccain and all of them. Because at the end of the day this is about making progress. Not making perfection the enemy of the good. So i would say lets make sure hhs and departmental labor enforce, okay, implement. Monitor compliance of. Health insurance plans to make sure that they are meeting the federal laws requirement. This is simple stuff. Follow the law. Okay . And lets make sure the federal government follows the law. So not only are we going to hold Insurance Companies accountable to law, we need our own medicaid and public Health System accountable to the federal law. So you know, to my republican friends, this is easy. Just do what everyone says. Follow the law. You know, you pass laws now you got to live by them. Apply it to medicaid. If youre you know, my democratic friends say apply the law to these managed Care Organizations who like to impose higher treatment and financial limitations on those suffering from Mental Illness. Follow the law. Lets implement it. Lets monitor compliance. And then lets do the other things that we know is going to make a difference in deinstitutionalizing people from the new institutions. The jails and the prisons so that we can finally treat people with the dignity and the respect that they deserve. And we have a moment of time now because the newest population that are within our ranks are returning veterans from iraq and afghanistan suffering from the quote unquote invisible wounds of war. So any member of congress who said oh, well, those are the mentally ill and those people with addiction, they are not a very Popular Crowd around here. Because you know, they dont stack up in the measurement of political, you know, power in this town. Tell them that what we have been fighting for our whole lives is now what is necessary to save the lives of our returning heroes. And there should not be a democrat or republican out there who says no to the agenda that you take up to capitol hill today. Thank you very much. Thank you so much, patrick, i told you our speakers today were going to be inspiring. And im happy to introduce to you now, a wonderful leader, namis leader, jim payne. Good morning, im so happy to be here, and i join Patrick Kennedy on behalf of the board and say how glad we are that you are serving as executive director. Im very indebted to our special guest here and of course saddened that circumstances at times bring any of us in this room together. I will say that i am happy at this particular moment to in a moment to introduce my dear friend, betsy greer, i do serve as the interim president of nami, i am from virginia, hello to everybody out there from virginia, and betsy, the lo longtime leader, affiliate, im going to introduce betsy to take it from here, to jointly introduce our next speaker. Named in honor of betsys late husband who was namis first legislative director. Good morning. 2014 marks namis 35th anniversary. Richard greer served as snai na fulltime employee, back when nami was a onebedroom apartment on massachusetts avenue. Those were the days when our loved ones were being discharged from state Psychiatric Hospitals and returned to their home communities. They were extremely ill but their families had no skills or support to care for them. In those times, Richard Greer usually didnt come home for supper until 8 or 9 00 in the evening, answering calls from across the nation for people seeking help for their loved ones, what do i need . Where do i find services . What programs help . Whom should i call . It was through those phone calls that Richard Greer found nami foot soldiers to carry the message for better needs for services and programs. He sent them to capitol hill just as you are being asked to go today. Are you ready . This year, through the award is Virginia State senator using the power of his own familys story as a force for change. He used it to educate the virginia General Assembly about the need for better services. He has spoken out national ly hs wo words helped with nami. He lost his son, gus, who struggled with bipolar disorder. As with many families, he tried to get help for his son, but not in time. I want you to know, creigh, i will work hard to help support you and other families. I will work with you so that loved ones in our community with live safely and to their highest level of independence possible. Nami and i share your loss and we honor your courage. Welcome to the nami family. As Richard Greer would say, you are not alone. Congratulations, you are a worthy recipient of Richard Greer advocacy award for your outstanding work, your leadership and service for all People Living with Mental Illness. Smirm. Thank you all so much, i just have a couple of things to say, and before i get started i want to acknowledge my wife, chavon, and my partners in the legislatpr virginia, i see George Barker in the senate with me, ken plum and charnell herring and ken pope, who are in the house of delegates. And don bauer right here. I hope i havent missed anybody. But thank you so much, thank you to the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Thank you, jim payne and betsy greer, im honored to receive the award and im humbled. Although i never met mr. Greer his reputation lives on and his commitment endures through the work of everyone here. I served in the state legislature for almost 23 years, hard to believe, don bauer, you were there at the beginning, it is hard to believe it has almost been 23 years, throughout my tenure i fought for help for the mentally ill. And was always ashamed by virginias lack of funding and help. Mental health was never my top priority, i was involved in economic development, education, transportation, public safety, environmental issues. There were lots of things that were at the top of my heap. I promise you that i would do anything, i would give anything to not be in this position today. When my world changed forever last november i knew that i had to do something to make a change, to prevent future tragedies. My family had been dealing with my sons illness for some years. But i never truly understood what gus was going through or how he suffered. I determined to devote my life and my efforts to change the law to reduce the likelihood that such tragedies would occur in the future, to discuss Mental Health openly and honestly in an effort to remove the stigma and to work to ensure that my son was remembered for who he was and what he did. Not how he died. I couldnt do that while sitting on the sidelines or working behind the scenes. My son was unbelievable. He remains in every respect my hero. Gus was exactly what i wanted to be. He was smart, and handsome, strong, and inquisitive. Confident. Such confidence. He was helpful and kind and generous, he was brilliant. And he was so talented. He could master any musical instrument, he could sing and dance and had deep faith in god and was indeed his brothers keeper. He could do anything he wanted to do and do it well. His life was just not long enough. I determined to make what changes i could this past legislative session in the crisis intervention area of the law and the things that immediately failed gus just trying to his death. But i know that so many people and families live in crisis or live crisis to crisis. And as you in this room know the problems inherent in the system in virginia are not unique. People have reached out to me, desperate for help, desperate for help from throughout the country. I know that many people are engulfed in Mental Illness, including our neighbors and friends and coworkers and they have so much to share and so much to contribute to society. Who knows whether the cure for cancer or the next big idea to save the earth or unlock the secrets of the universe is locked in the mind of someone who now struggles with a disease of the brain. And how many of those bright minds are locked away in our criminal justice system. You know, i represented five people recently one afternoon in the Circuit Court of Allegheny County in a small rural area that i represent in the legislature, but also im a lawyer. Because legislative services are parttime in virginia, five people charged with criminal offenses, three of them went to the penitentiary that afternoon. All five struggled with three of them had serious Mental Health diagnoses, one was less serious but not unserious at all. Depression, and also had an addiction problem and another was just a complete alcoholic. All five struggled. It is just unconscionable that so many people are locked away in institutions that simply struggle from Mental Illness. Im not finished with the work weve done in virginia, what weve seen is the beginning of the work that must be done, not the end. In the words of mike scott of the water boys, that was the river. This is the sea. Im determined to make virginia the leader in Mental Health. Im determined that everybody in virginia who is in need, no matter who they are, no matter what they look like, no matter what the circumstances of their birth. No matter whether they have health insurance, every virginian will receive the services they need and we intervene as quickly as possible to make sure they can lead the life they need to live and families can feel safety and real hope. This morning you will depart to visit your congressional representatives on the hill. Dont stop there, take this conversation back to your state capitals, to your governor, to your state representatives. Share your stories and experiences, continue to shed light on an issue that is too often left in the shadows. Everyone in this room knows at a personal level just as i do that people remain ignorant about Mental Illness. Rather than responding with compassion and understanding, people fear and minimize and deny that which they do not understand. The stigma that results from this illness holds us back. We have to educate and put names and faces on the issue. They will remember you. Help me to help others understand that the time to act is now. We cannot afford to wait for another crisis or tragedy. Too many lives have been lost, too many families changed forever already. We need to be in the prevention business and longterm recovery business. We need to provide as wide a range of services as the uniqueness of the individual warrants. The Current Crisis system is failing. The energy, innovation and ideas to fix the system are here in this room. We have no other option but to act. Thank you for your excellent work, thank you for this tremendous honor. The work goes on. Thank you so much, senator deeds, as the speakers have shown this morning, the power of our advocacy flows. The next speaker is an especially powerful voice participating in namis call to action. Recording artist, author, actress and advocate. Demi lovato is an incredible talent, like her current album, unbroken, last year she was honored for her mentorship of young adults with Mental Illness and Substance Abuse issues. And this year, her book, staying strong 365 days a year made the the New York Times best seller list. This year she embarked on a tour to share her story and to learn from leaders in the Mental Health advocacy community. We are especially grateful to her for coming here today, because in just two days she starts a world tour and will make stops in 28 cities, across the u. S. And in candidate. Yes. Her fan base includes over 24 million diehard twitter followers and 36 million facebook fans. Many of whom we hope will join us today in our day of action. And two of those millionings of fans live in my home in arlington, virginia, and are ages 12 and 15. And i am very grateful to demi as a Mental Health advocate, but im especially grateful to her as a mom. I cant tell you how much it means to have a celebrity who is a real role model. Who takes her fame and uses it to help others, to raise awareness. To help young girls and all of us battle the prejudice that keeps so many from speaking out and getting help. Demi is one of us at nami, she brings help and hope to all of those affected by Mental Illness and were thrilled to have her here today. Thank you so much. The introduction was really overwhelming. And in the most positive way. So thank you. Hi, everyone, my people. It is an honor and a privilege to be here today. At namis national day of action. Looking out at all of you is so inspiring. It is great to see so many people that are dedicated to improving Mental Health and lives of others. Seeing people of all ages from all over the country come together gives me so much hope that change is really possible. Those of us here today know that Mental Illness has no prejudice. It affects people of every race, age, gender, religion and economic status. It doesnt discriminate between republicans or democrats either. That is why we are here today. We need to send a simple message to our nations leaders. Mental Health Matters and needs and must be taken seriously. It is time to act for Mental Health. And pass comprehensive Mental Health bills this year. Were here because groups like nami help us understand that our voices really do matter. Our stories really do matter. We have the power to make a difference and we have the personal experience needed to be taken seriously. We know what it means to have our lives or the lives of people we love get off track because of Mental Illness. We understand that Mental Illness is serious and can be absolutely devastating. We also know that Mental Illness can be treatable when we have the access to appropriate comprehensive care. I know that it is largely because of our personal experience with Mental Illness that each of us is here today. As i learn more about my own illness and the experience of others i realize how much we all have in common. Even if Mental Illness has made a few headlines because of my career. There is a number of ways in which i have been very lucky. Yet, even with access to so much my journey has not been an easy one by any means. During my darkest times i didnt know why i was alive and i definitely didnt like myself. I had very low periods that were so emotionally draining that i couldnt find the strength to crawl out of bed in the morning. I was withdrawn, disconnected and very angry. There were stretches of time where i felt nothing but shame. I would medicate myself with alcohol and drugs in order just to feel normal. Not better, just normal. I didnt understand why somebody like me with all the resources and reasons in the well to be emotionally well i couldnt find happiness. When i finally got diagnosed with bipolar disorder it was a relief in so many ways. It helped me to start making sense of my bipolar depression and all the harmful things i was doing to cope with it. Getting the right diagnosis didnt happen overnight. Through the process of being misdiagnosed and misunderstood i learned how important it was to be open with your doctor so you could get to the root of what was going on as soon as possible. The treatment involved a therapist, being honest with myself and others, following my treatment plan and taking care of my body. It requires comprehensive care. Living well with bipolar disorder takes work and it doesnt all happen at once. There was not one day when the lights simply came on and i said im cured. Im better. Sometimes the first, second or even third medication we tried is not one that works the best. But we owe it to ourselves to keep trying. The reality is that youre not a car who goes into the shop and gets fixed immediately. You need ongoing maintenance. There will always be work left to do. I can only do the work now because i truly believe that im worth it. And today, im so grateful for my life and i want to preserve and protect it. It is my personal mission to share with others of all ages, people who are children that are fans, people that dont know my music at all but hopefully my speech today can have some impact. Its my mission to share this with the world. And to let them know that there is life on the other side of those dark times that seem so hopeless and helpless. I want to show the world that there is life, surprising, wonderful and unexpected life. After diagnosis. Im proud to say that im living proof that someone can live, love and thrive with bipolar disorder if at tthey get connec with professional resources and accept support as soon as possible. That is why im participating in a Mental Health listening and engagement tour, by getting to meet people like you im learning more about the issues that face the Mental Health community. I hope to do my part to make things a little easier for others and to reduce the shame associated with Mental Illness. I want to do what i can to make things better for others by becoming the most strong, informed Mental Illness advocate that i can be. Today we have a chance to make history with nami. An organization that has been the forefront of advancing Mental Health in this country for decades. Weve seen increased attention to our countrys broken mental it system in the past few years, but weve seen very if little action. Today, our message is very clear. Its time for congress to act for Mental Health by supporting the passage of a comprehensive Mental Health care bill this year. I understand that the details around comprehensive Mental Health care are complex. I am not a policy expert in any way shape or form but i do know that the basis of comprehensive care make good sense, common sense, comprehensive care means that as a nation we step up our efforts to prevent suicide which is currently the second leading cause of death for young adults in the united states. Comprehensive care means that if a man with Mental Illness gets diabetes or cancer his doctors Work Together to determine what the best approach for his mind and body. Comprehensive care also means that when a woman leaves the Psychiatric Hospital there is a process in place to make sure she gets the care that she needs so she doesnt end up back in jail, hospitals, or on the street. Or worst of all, even death. At the heart of it, comprehensive care means that our Mental Health system reaches people early and far more often so that fewer people fall through the cracks and suffer alone. Im so proud to be here with you today. Together as Mental Health advocates we can make our voices heard. Our shared message is simple. Like you said, keep it simple. Support passage of a comprehensive Mental Health bill this year. So go out there, and make today count. Together we can make a difference as we act for Mental Health. Dont forget to tweet, the posts are up today, we all know that gets the word going. Im about to right now, once im not sitting on an important panel. Im so proud, but i want the entire world to know that im proud of everyone in here. And im also proud of myself for getting the help that i need, and you can have that, too. Throughout campaign 2014, cspan has brought you more than 100 debates, and this tuesday night, watch cspans live election coverage to see who wins and loses and which party will control the house and senate. Our coverage begins at 8 00 p. M. Eastern with results and analysis. You will also see candidate victory and concession speeches in some of the most closely watched senate races throughout the country. Throughout tonight and in the morning we want to hear from you with your calls and tweets. Cspan campaign 2014 coverage. Here are just a few of the comments we recently received from our viewers. I want to comment on a debate i saw between a man named john u. Regarding the declaration of war and the war powers act. It was quite interesting to watch the legal debate, and it also demonstrated some of the ine ineptitude of the proposition, in the beginning of the world the president is the ultimate hearsay of the countrys ability to go to war. I would like to commend cspan 2 for airing the information from the writers on grief and the military. It was excellent information that gained a level of interaction and dynamics and nuan nuances. And the reality, for instance, that posttraumatic stress disorder can climb up and can be resolved if you continue to try various interventions. I think American History tv on cspan is one of the best programs available. I wish we could do it more than once a week. And continue to let us know what you think about the programs youre watching. Call us at 2026263400, email at at cspan. Org. And more on the transition for veterans back to civilian life and the Services Available to them and their families from various organizations. Specialists with the american red cross, and the Veterans Affairs department talks about unemployment, homelessness, Mental Health, and suicide prevention, the National Alliance hosted this event in septembe september. Good evening, everybody, im mike guns, the chair of the council who is bringing this presentation to you today to help you and all the nami folks to help you understand there are resources out there in the community for all the veterans and active duty that are having trouble with this very long war they have had to endure. We know that for some veterans it is a real task and a real struggle to t