In case you missed it, on July 6th, The Advocate published the following letter regarding the futility of creating a “Crisis Intervention Strategy Task Force” as proposed by the New Orleans City Council. Letters: Better treatment, not diversions from hospitals, vital for mentally illBy Janet Hays, Director – Healing Minds NOLA “There is nothing more […]
Handcuffed to Help Read More »
Hello Readers, On July 8th Healing Minds NOLA, in partnership with the Matthew Ornstein Memorial Foundation, hosted a screening of the much talked about documentary “Definition of Insanity”; as well as a panel discussion afterward . We couldn’t have asked for a better turnout! The selfless work of Judge Leifman, and all of our guests who
Recording of July 8th event: “Definition of Insanity” Screening and Panel Read More »
Coauthored by:Janet Hays – Director, Healing Minds NOLA & Robyn Burchfield, RN, NRP A mother was at her wits end. So when a family friend called to say her son had overdosed on one of his medications, she could not bear to hear that he might be dead. “Please call to see if my son is dead”, the
New Orleans Psychiatric Crisis Response: If It Ain’t Broke, Don’t Fix It! Read More »
In a recent announcement by the the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) regarding its solicitation for public comments pertaining to proposed finalized changes to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act of 1996 (HIPAA) privacy rules, the Office for Civil Rights (OCR) (under HHS) has extended the deadline for public comments to May 6th, 2021 at
Deadline Extended! HIPAA Reform – Take Action! Read More »
It’s official, the Senate has confirmed Xavier Becerra as the next Secretary of Health and Human Services. It’s now more important than ever that we band together to urge Secretary Becerra to appoint an Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use who will direct the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to prioritize SERIOUS
Senate Approves HHS Secretary Becerra. Time to ramp up the HEAT! Read More »
Thank you for participating in our February 4th discussion on Housing & Homelessness: Ending Street Suffering. The response was overwhelming and excitement is growing! Interest is pouring in from people all across America who are hearing about Hope Street Coalition, a new initiative addressing the intersection of homelessness, mental illness, and addiction. Hope Street seeks
NEW! Housing & Homelessness: Ending Street Suffering | Video & Recap Read More »
March 18, 2021 Xavier BecerraSecretaryUS Department of Health and Human ServicesHubert H. Humphrey Building200 Independence Ave. SWWashington, D.C. 20201 RE: Appointment of HHS Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use Dear Secretary General Becerra, Congratulations on being selected Secretary of Health and Human Services. We are excited about the future of healthcare in America
Open Letter: SMI Advocates Urge HHS Secretary Becerra to Leave No One Out! Read More »
This year has been super challenging for many but despite the collective obstacles we have faced, there is no doubt we are making progress on changing the status quo of incarceration, homelessness, and death for our loved ones and community members with untreated and under-treated serious mental illnesses. In this communication, we wanted to pause
Healing Minds NOLA Summer/Fall Wrap Up – What’s Next? Read More »
Saturday, October 10, 2020 saw our first “Living with Voices Challenge” co-hosted by New Orleans City Councilmember Jason Williams and facilitated by iDecisiongames. We were joined by a diverse group of participants including family members, service providers, attorneys and policy makers. While we expected that the exercise would touch people and grant them empathy by
“Living with Voices”: Auditory Hallucination Simulation Challenge Read More »
At their regular meeting on Thursday, September 7th, the New Orleans City Council voted on a resolution to investigate the prudence of alternatives to a large Phase III “special needs facility” – (AKA a mental health jail) – for housing people with acute and subacute serious mental illnesses (SMI). We are extremely disappointed and troubled
We Say No To Mental Health Jails. Period. Read More »
