ADVOCACY NEWS FROM NAMI NEW JERSEY
1. NAMI WALK'S GOAL IS TO END THE STIGMA
2. "FREEDOM FROM STIGMA CAMPAIGN" ON RADIO
3. REPORT: JAIL WHERE INMATE WAS SLAIN NEEDS TO REDUCE
CROWDING
4. OFFICER KILLS MENTALLY ILL MAN
5. AGENCIES FACE 10% CUTS AS N.J. BUDGET FLOUNDERS
6. 2006 FALL REGIONAL BUDGET FORUMS
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NAMI WALK'S GOAL IS TO END THE STIGMA
As a part of its "Freedom From Stigma" campaign,
NAMI NEW JERSEY hosted the "NAMI Walks for the Mind
of America" yesterday at Liberty State Park in Jersey
City. Approximately 3,000 people participated in the two-mile
walk. Tara DiMilia, a spokeswoman for NAMI, said the main
purpose of the walk was to eliminate the stigma associated
with the mentally ill and help fight discrimination.
"The goal of the walk today is to raise awareness
of the prevalence of mental illnesses and what surrounds
it," DiMilia said.
The walk, the culmination of a year-long campaign, was
the second statewide walk for mental illness. The first
took place last year and had the largest number of participants
of any of the group's events nationwide.
Read more from the Jersey Journal:
www.nj.com/news/jjournal/index.ssf?/base/news-3/109748596516790.xml
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"FREEDOM FROM STIGMA CAMPAIGN" ON RADIO
Sylvia Axelrod, executive director of NAMI NEW JERSEY and
Robin Cunningham discuss the cost of this stigma to our
society, and what is being done to remove it on WHYY radio's
"Voices in the Family".
http://www.whyy.org/91FM/Voices.html
Listen via Real Audio http://realserver2.whyy.org:8080/ramgen/VOICES/VOICES20041004_20.rm
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REPORT: JAIL WHERE INMATE WAS SLAIN NEEDS TO REDUCE
CROWDING
The Camden County jail should change the way guards are
trained and supervised and the way they keep records, said
a panel convened after an inmate was beaten and stomped
to death in the overcrowded facility last year. The study
group report also recommended that staffing levels be increased
and that some low-level offenders be released on electronic
monitoring instead of incarcerated.
County officials ordered the review after the beating death
last year of Joel Seidel, a former Cherry Hill stockbroker
who was locked up for violating a restraining order against
his estranged wife.
Read the Newsday report:
http://www.newsday.com/news/local/wire/ny-bc-nj--inmateslaying0930sep30,0,2160629.story?coll=ny-ap-regional-wire
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OFFICER KILLS MENTALLY ILL MAN
Mt. Olive police officer kills mentally ill man who turned
violent in episode at home
With his father screaming "Don't shoot him!"
a 34-year-mentally ill man was shot and killed early yesterday
by a Mount Olive police officer after the man lunged at
him with a knife. The shooting occurred moments after 72-year-old
Sumandor Alli had called 911, just as he had done before
whenever his son, Gregory, stopped taking his medication
and acted out.
Read the full Star Ledger story: http://www.nj.com/news/ledger/jersey/index.ssf?/base/news-7/1097556972159550.xml
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AGENCIES FACE 10% CUTS AS N.J. BUDGET FLOUNDERS
Shortfall of $5 billion, court decision challenge lawmakers
Faced with a bleak financial outlook for next year and
a dwindling list of options to brighten it, state agencies
are being directed to cut spending by 10 percent. The state
is staring down a budget shortfall of up to $5 billion,
officials said, prompting Treasurer John McCormac to send
a letter to heads of all agencies urging the cuts. State
Senate President Richard Codey, D-Essex, who becomes acting
governor Nov. 15, has endorsed the cuts, a spokeswoman said.
Read the Express report:
http://www.nj.com/news/expresstimes/nj/index.ssf?/base/news-6/1097485567321100.xml
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2006 FALL REGIONAL BUDGET FORUMS
The Department of Human Services (DHS) has scheduled two
Fiscal Year 2006 Fall Regional Budget Forums, which will
provide input from the community on DHS budget planning
efforts. The dates and locations are as follows:
October 19, 2004 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
Kessler Institute for Rehabilitation - West
1199 Pleasant Valley Way
West Orange, New Jersey 07052
October 29, 2004 1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
University of Medicine and Dentistry of NJ -
42 East Laurel Road
Stratford, New Jersey 08084
Written comments may be forwarded after the forums to Jeffrey
R. Schwartz, Coordinator, Department Representatives Unit,
Office of External Relations and Constituent Affairs, NJ
Department of Human Services, PO Box 700, Trenton, NJ 08625-0700
or by e-mail to Jeffrey.Schwartz@dhs.state.nj.us.
