Creation of NC-CANSO, NCConsumer Advocacy, Networking, and Support Organization: BECAUSE THE CFACS HAVE FAILED ACROSS THE BOARD
NC Mental Health Reform associated law has written into it the creation of the CFAC's (Consumer and Family Advisory Council). Each LME has a CFAC whose purpose is to provide a voice to family members of consumers and consumers----those people with the mental health issues.
(Forget the providers concerns; there is no place anywhere for them except in association with their professional organizations which have no apparent impact on NC mental health reform)......
(not to mention): HEEEELLLLOOOO NAMI: WHERE ARE YOU?
However, the CFAC's do not function. They are cut out of the process of working w/ the LME and/ or they simply do not pay any attention to the concerns of the public.....and so the river jumped its banks and simply moved around the useless CFAC roadblock.
Here is the statement online as associated with the functioning of the Smoky Mountain Center (SMC) LME CFAC:
*********************
"While SMC has had several projects that have involved consumer and family advocates, the CFAC represents a more focused and structured way for SMC and other local management entities, to work in “constructive partnership” with consumers and families to infuse their experiences into service delivery models and community collaboration.
**********************
"CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP"= NO COMPLAINERS
Thus, do the LME's truncate what the CFAC's can do. Are you a complainer about the lack of services? Why, we'll have to bounce you out of the CFAC.
This psychologist, last year, contacted via US mail and phone the Smoky Mountain Center LME's CFAC Haywood members (Betty Lane, Haywood County; Dan Lane, Haywood County: http://www.smokymountaincenter.org/partners/cfac.asp) re: state funded client 040974 who was being denied mental health services due to SMC LME's non-availability of Basic Services, with therapy services being placed under Community Support Services (CSS) which is constantly being defunded and underpaid.
No one ever responded to me.
I called Mike Mosley who intervened and at least got SMC LME to put their CFAC minutes online.
What did that reveal? That the CFAC meetings were mostly not attended by the members.
So, it appears, that out of desperation, consumers and family members of consumers have created a parallel system OUTSIDE of the non-functionoing CFAC's at the LME's.
Their 'mission statement' indicates a desire to concern themselves w/ people of ALL disabilities; however, they specifically outline this as their agenda: "to strengthen advocacy, networking, and support among people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse problems.
Yes, this is what the CFAC's were supposed to do
What's that system functioning outside of the LME's (necessarily so): NC-CANSO.
NICE TO SEE YOU ON BOARD, NC-CANSO
It would be even nicer to have functional CFAC's.
This mental health reform is evolving in such a way that we seem to have had to create organizations that can impact the LME's OUTSIDE the LME's. What a lot of work when the CFAC's should function----but do not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NC-CANSO
NCConsumer Advocacy, Networking, and SupportOrganization
Interested in a fresh start?
NC-CANSO is a newly formed organization with a mission to strengthen advocacy, networking, and support among people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse problems. NC-CANSO is being organized as a result of action taken by the North Carolina General Assembly (HB 1888).
In September 2007, a group of interested people formed an organizing committee that has been working to establish the new organization. It is the intention of the NC-CANSO organizing committee to create something new. NC-CANSO wants to create new ways for people from all disability arenas to communicate and self-organize. It is also the intention of NC-CANSO to strengthen the consumer movement by adding value to existing organizations and groups that are interested in the needs and wishes of people with disabilities
(Forget the providers concerns; there is no place anywhere for them except in association with their professional organizations which have no apparent impact on NC mental health reform)......
(not to mention): HEEEELLLLOOOO NAMI: WHERE ARE YOU?
However, the CFAC's do not function. They are cut out of the process of working w/ the LME and/ or they simply do not pay any attention to the concerns of the public.....and so the river jumped its banks and simply moved around the useless CFAC roadblock.
Here is the statement online as associated with the functioning of the Smoky Mountain Center (SMC) LME CFAC:
*********************
"While SMC has had several projects that have involved consumer and family advocates, the CFAC represents a more focused and structured way for SMC and other local management entities, to work in “constructive partnership” with consumers and families to infuse their experiences into service delivery models and community collaboration.
**********************
"CONSTRUCTIVE PARTNERSHIP"= NO COMPLAINERS
Thus, do the LME's truncate what the CFAC's can do. Are you a complainer about the lack of services? Why, we'll have to bounce you out of the CFAC.
This psychologist, last year, contacted via US mail and phone the Smoky Mountain Center LME's CFAC Haywood members (Betty Lane, Haywood County; Dan Lane, Haywood County: http://www.smokymountaincenter.org/partners/cfac.asp) re: state funded client 040974 who was being denied mental health services due to SMC LME's non-availability of Basic Services, with therapy services being placed under Community Support Services (CSS) which is constantly being defunded and underpaid.
No one ever responded to me.
I called Mike Mosley who intervened and at least got SMC LME to put their CFAC minutes online.
What did that reveal? That the CFAC meetings were mostly not attended by the members.
So, it appears, that out of desperation, consumers and family members of consumers have created a parallel system OUTSIDE of the non-functionoing CFAC's at the LME's.
Their 'mission statement' indicates a desire to concern themselves w/ people of ALL disabilities; however, they specifically outline this as their agenda: "to strengthen advocacy, networking, and support among people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse problems.
Yes, this is what the CFAC's were supposed to do
What's that system functioning outside of the LME's (necessarily so): NC-CANSO.
NICE TO SEE YOU ON BOARD, NC-CANSO
It would be even nicer to have functional CFAC's.
This mental health reform is evolving in such a way that we seem to have had to create organizations that can impact the LME's OUTSIDE the LME's. What a lot of work when the CFAC's should function----but do not.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
NC-CANSO
NCConsumer Advocacy, Networking, and SupportOrganization
Interested in a fresh start?
NC-CANSO is a newly formed organization with a mission to strengthen advocacy, networking, and support among people with mental illnesses, developmental disabilities, and/or substance abuse problems. NC-CANSO is being organized as a result of action taken by the North Carolina General Assembly (HB 1888).
In September 2007, a group of interested people formed an organizing committee that has been working to establish the new organization. It is the intention of the NC-CANSO organizing committee to create something new. NC-CANSO wants to create new ways for people from all disability arenas to communicate and self-organize. It is also the intention of NC-CANSO to strengthen the consumer movement by adding value to existing organizations and groups that are interested in the needs and wishes of people with disabilities
posted by Marsha V. Hammond, PhD at 1:13 PM
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