Heads up! On March 7-9, Community Resource Alliance (CRA) is presenting a three-day conference early this spring that will offer topics so timely to North Carolina right now! The conference is co-sponsored by NC CANSO, NAMI North Carolina, The North Carolina Council on Developmental Disabilities, and several other organizations. NC CANSO is offering a topic presentation (more on that later). The conference will be in Durham.

The buzz across North Carolina about Critical Access Behavioral Health Agencies (CABHA) these past few weeks is setting mental health, developmental disabilities, and substance abuse system stakeholders on edge. There are concerns from many different perspectives, but here are some of the common concerns I am hearing among others who are customers of the system or who otherwise have been personally affected by how services are developed.
* 1. The lack of inclusion of the consumer voice.
* 2. An implied disregard for the human and civil rights of citizens who have no input and who will have no choice in how the system serves them.

Though this article, written by Marianne Clayter, was written in March, its reading may help all of us count our blessings--and be thankful!
________ ________

I work. I volunteer. I have friends and family. I have a cat to care for. I care for myself and others. Does this sound familiar? My days are filled with business and living life. Yet, are my days living life to the fullest? Many people would say, "yes,” “no,” and probably more often, “maybe.”

Contributed by Ms. Marianne Clayter, NC CANSO Board of Directors

". . . having to be transported in handcuffs by sheriffs . . . to hospitals outside of the area I live in is in itself traumatic while I try to handle the trauma that brought me to the crisis services."
- M.Clayter _______________________________________________

With all the debate going on these days about medical hospitals needing to add psychiatric units to their facilities, I want to write a few thoughts about my personal experiences.

WHAT DOES NC CANSO PROMOTE?
* Supportive networking across the community of persons who have lived with the experience of psychiatric illness, substance addiction, and developmental disorders.
* The voices of persons who use services in the development, oversight, and implementation of our human service initiatives.
* A unified effort to promote the personal self-responsibility, empowerment, and well-being (including physical wellness) of persons who live with impairing conditions.

YOU CAN HELP US ACCOMPLISH THESE AIMS!
Let's head in to 2010 with a new vision! Help NC CANSO with YOUR SUPPORT! You may send tax-deductible contributions to us through the Winston-Salem Foundation 860 West 5th Street, Winston-Salem, NC 27101.