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February 3, 2023

The Ally: Celebrating (and Advocating with) Families and Children

 

There's much to think about, advocate for and act upon this time of the year. The legislature has been in session for a month, and bills are making their way through the House and Senate. We encourage you to stay updated with important issues for you and your family. This week, we share information about bills related to children and also the legislative process itself. Our resource section has additional articles on mental health legislation and issues.

Any day now, the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals will likely rule in Mississippi's appeal in its longstanding mental health lawsuit. I appreciated the Magnolia Tribune asking me to write an opinion piece about the case, and we share it with you in this issue of the Ally. 

I am delighted to share the photo gallery of our Community Partnership Celebration. What a wonderful evening - because of all of you. Thank you again to our silver sponsors, Amerigroup Mississippi and Doctors Chasity Torrence and Corey Jackson. Amerigroup consistently helps us with projects that engage families at all levels of the system. Drs. Jackson and Torrence share our work and mission far and wide in the psychiatry community, and we were thrilled to get to know the trainees they brought to the Celebration.

It was a joy to honor Representative Ronnie Crudup, Representative Keven Felsher, Mr. Imari McDonald and Ms. Isabelle Taft. We were delighted to have Senator Scott Delano and Representatives Kent McCarty and Jansen Owen join us. We appreciate the work all of them are doing to support mental health services in the state.

Don't forget to check out our events section!

Thank you all for being part of us,

Joy Hogge signature
 
[Top Photo: Henry Moore and Coreaner Price of Families as Allies]

NEWS

 
The Mississippi State Legislature introduced over 2,000 bills in this year's legislative session, and Lt. Governor Hosemann and Speaker Gunn then assigned these bills to committees. The deadline for bills to be brought up and voted on in committees was January 31.
 
This week the Magnolia Tribune published an opinion column by Families as Allies Executive Director Joy Hogge. The column is headlined: " Accountability, real-world outcomes needed in Mississippi mental health system."
 
We had a fantastic time with many of you on January 23, 2023, at BRAVO! in Jackson for the Community Partnership Celebration. We'd like to send out a big thank you to everyone who sponsored, attended and supported Families as Allies at this event and throughout the year.

EVENTS

 
For any parents supporting other parents in any system. Parent peer support specialists, parent consultants, parent educators and parents who have completed parent peer support training are strongly encouraged to attend. We will discuss current trends in parent peer support, national standards for...
 
Meeting Location-in person Mississippi State Hospital 3550 Hwy 468 W Whitfield MS 39193 Contact Information Grenaye Sullivan 601-359-6260 grenaye.sullivan@dmh.ms.gov
 
This hour is open for any family member to drop in for all or some of the time to ask questions or get feedback about IEP issues and other school situations. We ask anyone who stops by to respect the confidentiality of the group and not share anything discussed in the group outside of the group.
 
This three-part webinar series will provide an overview of the System of Care Self-Assessment Tool and demonstrate how it can be used to improve outcomes for children and families. Developed by the Wisconsin Department of Health Services over the past five years, this tool is now publicly available...
 
This group focuses on understanding current policy issues and also opportunities for leadership training graduates to serve on decision-making committees. Leadership training graduates are strongly encouraged to attend, but the meetings are open to anyone who is interested in learning more about...
 
Disability Awareness Day at the State Capitol gives people with disabilities and advocates a chance to talk with decision-makers who can preserve or expand services that make a critical difference in the lives of Mississippians with disabilities. Each year approximately 25 organizations participate...

RESOURCES

 
Mississippi Today reporter Isabelle Taft was honored by Families as Allies Monday for her in-depth reporting on Mississippi's mental health system. Families as Allies is a statewide nonprofit that advocates for children with behavioral health challenges and their families.
Frequently Asked Questions about Rights of Children in Homeless Situations
 
District 14 Representative Sam Creekmore has introduced a bill to address a problem that has long plagued Mississippians: dealing with mental health issues.
 
JACKSON, Miss.-Beverly Pool worries about her brother, Marvin Pernell, who was in the Oktibbeha County jail in Starkville, Miss., from July 2021 until January 2023, and is now at the Mississippi State Hospital, a state-funded psychiatric hospital in Whitfield, Miss. Now 48, Pernell is a military...