August 21st
General Meeting

Join NAMI-CC
Today

Contra Costa County
Behavioral Health Court:

Successes and Updates

Martha P. Wilson, Ph.D., Forensics Community Liaison, Lt. Mitch LeMay, Contra Costa County Sheriff’s Dept. and others will be giving an update on the Behavioral Health Court. The Behavioral Health Court helps the mentally ill in the criminal justice system “get out of the revolving doors”.

E-mail your questions to:
xnamicc@aol.com
You will be assured of an answer
when the meeting starts.

If your family has a problem
with mental illness,
JOIN NAMI-CC TODAY!
You will get information,
education and support
…Now!

NAMI-CC is effective and immediate.
Download the application form,
send it by e-mail or snail-mail,
and you will have put
a process in motion that will
change the life
of you and your loved one
...forever!

Two Family to Family
Classes Starting Soon

First Tuesday
Support Group

Lafayette Class Starts September 8th
Richmond Class Starts September 4th

Have you taken the free 12 week Family-to-Family course? This course covers the symptoms and treatment of major mental illnesses, as well as skills to help family members communicate with and advocate for their loved one(s) more effectively.

If you have a loved one with a severe and persistent mental health issue, the the 12 free classes are for you? This is not a support group but a one night a week, 2.5 hour long, 12 week course!

For the Richmond Class:
Call Dr. Sumchai at 510.237.9277
Email: family2familyrichmond.nami@gmail.com
Class normally enrolls 20 family members so reserve your spot soon.

For the Lafayette Class:
Call Thomas Cloney at 510.705.2608
Email: famtofamcc@gmail.com
Class normally enrolls 20 family members so reserve your spot soon.

The First Tuesday Support Group is now in its 10th year of helping people. It is a very effective resource that can organize you and send you in the direction you need to help your loved one.

E-mail your questions to:
xnamicc@aol.com
You will be assured of an answer
when the group meets.

Location:
Hillcrest Congregational Church
404 Gregory Lane, Pleasant Hill
Time: 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
For more information please contact:
Dave Kahler at
xnamicc@aol.com or 925-676-5771

What You Need to Know About
California AB 1424

On October 4, 2001 Assembly Bill 1424 (Thomson-Yolo D) was signed by the Governor and chaptered into law. The law became effective Jan. 1, 2002. AB 1424 modifies the LPS Act (Lanterman-Petris-Short Act), which governs involuntary treatment for people with mental illness in California. The legislative intent of the bill is quoted as follows:

"The Legislature finds and declares all of the following: Many families of persons with serious mental illness find the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act system difficult to access and not supportive of family information regarding history and symptoms. Persons with mental illness are best served in a system of care that supports and acknowledges the role of the family, including parents, children, spouses, significant others, and consumer-identified natural resource systems. It is the intent of the Legislature that the Lanterman-Petris-Short Act system procedures be clarified to ensure that families are a part of the system response, subject to the rules of evidence and court procedures."

More specifically, AB 1424 requires:

• That the historical course of the person's mental illness be considered when it has a direct bearing on the determination of whether the person is a danger to self/others or gravely disabled.
• That relevant evidence in available medical records or presented by family members, treatment providers or anyone designated by the patient be considered by the court in determining the historical course.
• That facilities make every reasonable effort to make information provided by the family available to the court.
• That the person (a law enforcement officer or designated mental health professional) authorized to place a person in emergency custody (a "5150") consider information provided by the family or a treating pro¬fessional regarding historical course when deciding whether there is probable cause for hospitalization.

Upon the signing of AB 1424, several W&I Codes were amended to permit relevant information about the historical course of a person's mental disorder from any source to be considered at all stages of the involuntary hospitalization process. For example, W&I Code 5150.05 was added to 5150. It says:

When determining if probable cause exists to take a person into custody, or cause a person to be taken into custody, pursuant to Section 5150, any person who is authorized to take that person, or cause that person to be taken, into custody pursuant to that section shall consider available relevant information about the historical course of the person's mental disorder if the authorized person determines that the information has a reasonable bearing on the determination as to whether the person is a danger to others, or to himself or herself, or is gravely disabled as a result of the mental disorder.

Next General Meeting: August 21st, 2008, 7:00 pm

Meetings are held at the John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus.
(Formerly Mt. Diablo Medical Center)
2540 East St., Concord 925-682-8200

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