I hope this note finds you well and ready to help as we work to urge state lawmakers to bring Senate Bill 40 / House Bill 81 to a vote right away! This important bipartisan legislation exempts people with the most severe mental illness from being sentenced to the death penalty.

Ohio does not sentence minors or people with intellectual disabilities to death; the state shouldn't execute citizens with the most severe mental illnesses.  To find out even more about this legislation, go to: http://oamie.org. If you don't know the name of your state representative or senator, please click here.  

We're a few weeks into the New Year and I'm pretty sure you're thinking that this year will be better than last, meaning that if last year was good, this year will be even better. And if last year wasn't what you'd hoped, then perhaps this year will be better.

At NAMI Franklin County we use the word -hope- a lot. For many of us it means that no matter what we or our loved one is going through, we don't give up. We continue to do our best to help them however we can. Continue reading. 

NAMI Franklin County Board Member Scott Kirkendall  has been an advocate and supporter of NAMI since taking a Family-to-Family class in 2014.  He gained valuablele insights and discovered he was not alone.  Joining the NAMI Franklin County Board gives Scott an opportunity to continue working to end the stigma around having and living with mental illness. Scott has also started a NAMIWalks Team!

Professionally, Scott is a Marketing Analytics Consultant at Nationwide providing direction and guidance in data governance, a Certified Professional Coach (CPC) and, an Energy Leadership Index - Master Practitioner (ELI-MP) receiving both designations in 2015.   He is also active in the LGBTQ community currently focusing on transgender and gender variant challenges such as health care and equality.