PORT ANGELES — Port Angeles has been chosen to host the state conference for the National Alliance on Mental Illness on Sept. 30-Oct. 2.
This will be the first time Port Angeles has hosted the conference for the alliance, which is known as NAMI, said Lauren B. Simonds, the state executive director for the group, during a recent visit to Port Angeles.
“We are really excited,” Simonds said, adding that the conference is expected to draw up to 200 attendees, including Mary Giliberti, the national chief executive officer of the alliance.
“The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the country’s largest grass-roots mental illness advocacy organization, and we are a three-tiered organization,” Simonds explained.
“We have a national office, most states have a state office and every state has a number of local affiliates. Every year, the NAMI state office partners with” one of 23 affiliates across the state to host the annual conference.
Three-day conference
The three-day conference at the Red Lion Hotel, 221 N. Lincoln St., will begin the weekend of Sept. 30, Simonds said.
The theme of the conference will be “The Road to Recovery.”
“The first day will feature members from our government,” Simonds said.
“They come and give an update on issues that are very relevant to the care and treatment and the state of mental health care provision and service in our state.”
Past speakers
In the past, “we have had the secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, representatives of the Washington State Health Care Authority [and] the secretary and medical director of the Washington State Department of Corrections,” Simonds said.
Gov. Jay Inslee also will be invited to the conference, Simonds said, but is not guaranteed to attend.
Four 90-minute breakout sessions are planned each day.
An art display will feature pieces crafted by mentally ill patients across the state, Simonds said.
NAMI Washington
NAMI Washington’s mission is to improve the quality of life for all those affected by mental illness through advocacy and programs.
NAMI Washington trains affiliate volunteers to teach and lead the programs in their communities.
“One of the things that is very interesting about NAMI as an organization is that the people who participate are not only mental health care providers, but they are people living with mental illness who are in recovery and they are the family members and caregivers of people living with mental illness,” Simonds said.
NAMI affiliates offer free peer support, education and outreach programs, she said.
48th in rankings
“Washington is ranked 48th in the nation for access and provision of community-based mental health care by Mental Health America, so we have a lot of work to do to improve our mental health care system in our state,” Simonds said.
For information on the state conference, go to www.namiwa.org/index.php and look in the drop-down menu under “Programs.”
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Reporter Chris McDaniel can be reached at 360-452-2345, ext. 56650, or cmcdaniel@peninsuladailynews.com.
