Author: Gunther Stern

Please take a minute to advocate for better laws for people who are struggling with severe mental illness.  We clipped the entire body verbatim from an email from Mental Illness Policy Org.

An exceedingly important bill may get heard in the Senate this week, but only if enough people who care about the seriously ill, call and email the two Senate leaders today and tomorrow.

Please call the Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell at (202) 224-2541 and the Democrat’s Senate Leader, Harry Reid at (202) 224-3542 today. Ask them to pass the Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act (HR2646) which passed the House in a 422-2 BIPARTISAN vote. The Senate can create such a bill by combining the Mental HealthReform Act (S 2680) with the Mental Health and Safe Cities Act (S. 2002).

The point is any mental health bill has to have provisions to help the seriously mentallyill.  That includes more hospital beds, telling the Substance Abuse and Mental HealthServices Administration (SAMHSA) to focus on the  seriously ill, funding Assisted Outpatient Treatment (AOT, Kendra’s Law and Laura’s Law), and fixing problems in HIPAA that allow doctors to shut parents out of helping their loved ones.

After you call, use the email contact form to email your message to Senators Harry Reid and Mitch McConnell. Senator Reid’s is at http://www.reid.senate.gov/contact and Senator McConnells is at https://www.mcconnell.senate.gov/publ…/index.cfm/contactform

Finally, you  can also tweet to Senator Mitch McConnell (@SenateMajLdr) and Harry Reid (@SenatorReid)

Please act today AND tomorrow (Tue./Wed.) Thank you. We are the only ones who care about the most seriously mentally ill so we have to be the ones to make the calls.

Mental Illness Policy Org.
50 East 129 St., PH7
New York, NY 10035
USA

Yesterday one of our amazing volunteers, Nora, was chatting with a guest when she became alarmed at the expressed suicidal ideation.  Staff called 911 and the guest was transported to help.  Often people who are feeling suicidal want help.  Having an alert ear can make all the difference.

Check this out from NAMI about preventing suicide.

This weekend brought us some of the coldest weather of this winter. Be on the lookout for anyone who is not dressed appropriately or who seems to be suffering. Err on the side of safety. Notify authorities. You can call the shelter hotline at 1-800-535-7252. They can send a van to check on the person. If it looks more serious call 911. The police and EMS are happy to check up on people who are out in the cold.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/capital-weather-gang/wp/2016/02/14/d-c-area-forecast-brutal-cold-continues-today-wintry-mess-on-track-for-tomorrow/

Thank you Page Evans, Jocelyn Dyer and Dymenn Sasser for all of your hard work planning this perfect night.  Thank you so much Ellen Charles for hosting the event at your lovely house.  There are many others that were instrumental in the success Thursday evening.  Most importantly thanks to all of the wonderful attendees for supporting GMC’s important work in the community.   For those of you who had asked for a copy of Gunther’s remarks, the only ones we have available to us, you can find them here.  Much more later.

Last Tuesday, ER Nurse Jessica Cook came to the Center and gave a presentation on foot care and trench foot, a disorder not uncommon to homeless people.  She stressed the importance of letting one’s feet breathe and changing into dry socks after spending time in the elements. Afterwards, Jessica check blood pressure and glucose levels for those who wanted the service. Jessica plans on coming back often to provide health talks and basic health screenings.

Last Wednesday, MPD officers Antonial Atkins and Roberto Corchado came to talk about personal safety, public awareness, and working together with all segments of the community to reduce street crimes.