Voluntary Admission

If you think you need to be in the hospital, we strongly recommend that you first visit your Local Management Entity (LME) or local provider for a mental health screening. If your mental health worker agrees with you, he or she will call the hospital’s Admitting Office.

When you arrive at the hospital, you will go to the Screening and Admissions Unit where you will be asked to sign a “Voluntary Evaluation/Admission” form. Next, you will be examined by a hospital physician.  If the physician agrees that you should be hospitalized, you will be admitted.

If you are under 18, or over 18 with a court-appointed guardian, you can be admitted on the application of your parent or guardian and with the consent of the hospital admitting physician.  You must have a court hearing, however.  At the court hearing, which must be held within 10 days of your admission, a judge will decide whether you remain in the hospital.

If you are voluntarily admitted and you think you no longer need treatment, you can ask to be discharged by completing the Request for Discharge form.  You will be allowed to leave within 3 days (72 hours) unless your doctor feels you need further treatment.  If this is the case, the process for involuntary commitment may be started.

Involuntary Commitment

If someone else has decided that you need to be in the hospital, these are the steps that must be followed:

• An affidavit must be filed with the Clerk of Superior Court or Magistrate of District Court.  The Clerk or Magistrate may issue an order to a law enforcement officer to take you into custody for examination by a qualified professional.

• If the qualified professional finds that you are mentally ill and dangerous to yourself or others, you will be taken to a hospital.

• Shortly after arrival at the hospital, you will be examined by a hospital physician.  If the hospital physician agrees with the first examiner that hospitalization is necessary, you will be admitted for observation and treatment.  If the physician does not believe you should be in the hospital, you will be released.

• A court hearing must be held no later than 10 days after you are taken into custody.  The hearing can be held either in the county where the commitment was started or at the hospital.  Within a few days after you are admitted, a lawyer from the Office of Special Counsel will contact you.  He or she will be your lawyer at the initial hearing.  You may also hire a lawyer at your own expense.  At the hearing, the judge will decide whether you should be treated in the hospital or in the community and discharged.  The judge also will decide how many days you may be kept in the hospital before another hearing must be held.

If you wish, you may retain your own lawyer at your expense. At the hearing, you may exercise the following rights.

• The right to an attorney. You may have your own, or an attorney can be provided for you. You can reach an attorney by calling 733-5544.
• The right to be present at the hearing.
• The right to speak for yourself.
• The right to challenge what is said about you.

If you leave the hospital without authorization, your physician may notify law enforcement agencies and request that you be returned.

Beginning on February 21, our support groups on the THIRD TUESDAY OF THE MONTH for both consumers (those with a mental health diagnosis) and family members/caregivers from 6 – 7:30 pm (groups held separately) will no longer be followed by an education program.

Beginning on Tuesday, March 6 we will have an education program/general meeting only on the FIRST TUESDAY OF THE MONTH from 6 – 7 pm.

The new ongoing schedule will be:

Third Tuesday, Feb. 21 – 6pm – 7:30 pm – Support groups only

First Tuesday, March 6 – 6pm – 7 pm – Education program/general meeting only. Speaker: Sara Cranford of Our Voice on domestic violence and sexual trauma

Third Tuesday, March 20 – 6pm-7:30 pm – Support groups only

First Tuesday, April 3 – 6pm – 7 pm – Education program/general meeting only. Speaker: Leslie Gaidi, M.A., LP on housing in the Asheville/Buncombe area

Third Tuesday, April 17 – 6pm – 7:30 pm – Support groups only

And so on………………

ALL OTHER SUPPORT GROUP SCHEDULES REMAIN THE SAME:

First Saturday of each month 10 am – 11:30 pm – Consumer and family/caregiver support groups

Second and fourth Mondays 11 am – 12:30 pm – Consumer only support group

All groups and meetings are held at 356 Biltmore Avenue, Suite 207, second floor. We are located next to the St. Joseph Hospital campus of Mission Hospital. Please call 828-505-7353 or email us at namiwnc@yahoo.com if you have questions.

The full support group schedule through June appears on our website support group page.

Work is now being done to secure a location and to decide on the focus of our fundraiser. A circus/carnival theme has been suggested with a WALK and consumer art exhibit as a part of that. It has been pointed out, however, that a circus theme could be difficult to pull off because of a shortage of elephants in the Asheville/Buncombe area! Well, that will be part of the discussion! We do know that there are many talented artists here and we would like to give them a spotlight to show their work. If you have any ideas for a fundraising event, please let us know! We want your input!

Some of you may be receiving invitations to attend the WALK in Raleigh, and there is no date conflict with our event.

Harriett Davis Penny, 88, who died September 2, 2011 in Canton, was among the 13 charter members who organized The Western Carolina Alliance for the Mentally Ill on March 2, 1985 in Asheville.  On February 2, 1987, the Alliance was chartered as Western North Carolina Alliance for the Mentally Ill, Inc.   The title later changed to NAMI Western Carolina, Inc.

Doris Bell Goewey, 88, of Arden and formerly of Austin TX, died December 5, 2011.  She had served as a U.S.Navy Lieutenant, taught elementary school, was an accomplished artist and served on many non-profit boards including NAMI Austin, Texas where she taught NAMI Family-to-Family.  Survivors include her daughter, Susanna and son-in-law, Andrew Euston of Arden and son, Andrew Goewey of Sanford, Fl.

Donations to NAMI Western Carolina have been made in their memories.

This will be an annual recognition of individuals who exemplify the spirit of Dr. King by giving unselfishly of themselves for the betterment of the community and others. Dr. Jim Pitts, former president of NAMI North Carolina and NAMI Western Carolina, Family to Family teacher and current ex officio on our WC board of directors,  has been nominated to receive an award.

Please join the community in this celebration. For more information, please call Karen Cowan at 828-768-8599 or Oralene Simmons at 828-281-1624.

Happy Hanukkah!

Happy Winter Solstice!

Happy Kwanzaa!

And a very Happy New Year!

Very best wishes from our Board of Directors and Staff:

Bill, Jim, Tracey, Bob, Mark, Bob, Jesse, Karen and Christine

From our amazing office volunteers:

Justin, Kevin, Kristi, Barbara, Luna, Jamil, Matt, Greg, Jesse, Chelsea

From Support Group Facilitators:

Jim, Paulette, Judy, Bill, Leslie, Eddie, Gene, Charmaine, Christine, Justin, Tracey, Jesse, Greg, Kevin, Dawn, Cindi, Jamil, Marlene

From Family to Family Facilitators:

Jim, Sharon, Florence, Jim, Bill, Bonnie

From our speakers at Neil Dobbins,  ADATC and throughout the city and county

And from all of the committee members and supporters who help us to help each other during the year!

North Carolina’s long and inexcusable reluctance to fund appropriate housing options for those living with mental illness has finally caught up with the state.

The lack of action over the years has resulted in another self-inflicted crisis within the mental health care system.

For complete article go to www.naminc.org

LINK: http://www.ncga.state.nc.us/EnactedLegislation/Statutes/HTML/ByChapter/Chapter_122C.html

Asking to review NC statute 122c from a consumer/family perspective

Statute 122c is the overarching governance statute for the Mental Health System of Care

The NC Legislature will be reviewing 122c for LME/MCO governance

From every corner of the State

WE WOULD ASK THE LEGISLATURE TO REVIEW 122c FROM A CONSUMER/FAMILY PRESPECTIVE

• Recovery and self-determination for ourselves and loved ones
• Ensure MCO office of consumer affairs
• Ensure Consumer and family representation on MCO boards

Be sure to include your contact information – name, address, phone number, email address.

Send to:

Sen. Martin L. Nesbitt, 29 N. Market Street  7th floor, Asheville, NC 28801

Sen. Tom Apodaca, 1504 Fifth Avenue West, Hendersonville, NC 28739

State Rep. Susan Fisher, 7 Maple Ridge Way, Asheville, NC 28806

State Rep. Patsy Keever, 17 Braddock Way, Asheville, NC 28803

State Rep. Tim Moffitt, 3182 Sweeten Creek Road, Asheville, NC 28803

State Rep. Chuck McGrady, P.O. Box 723, Hendersonville, NC 28793

State Rep. Ray Rapp, 133 Quail Ridge Road, Mars Hills, NC 28754

State Rep. W. David Guice, 297 Cardinal Drive, Brevard, NC 28712

State Rep. Phillip Haire, P.O. Box 727, Sylva, NC 28779

Our goal is 500 letters so every letter will help this important and historic effort!

Do you or someone you know have a story that involves the justice system? Whether it was pre or post jail diversion, an arrest that involved regular or CIT trained officers, a situation involving mental health courts,  or your story of how you were able or unable to transition smoothly back into your community We want stories of how the criminal justice system got it right or how it could have been handled differently. Please send questions and/or stories to Jennifer Rothman at jrothman@naminc.org or 800-451-9682