I
had already asked Jim Pitts, NAMI NC
president, if he would introduce me to
Lanier Cansler if I hadn't already done
so myself when the two were part of a
mental health panel March 14 in
Asheville.
Sponsored by the League of Women Voters,
the panel included Sen. Martin Nesbitt
and Ross Dillingham from the Buncombe
County Sheriff's Department.
It was a cold, rainy day and as I waited
for a left turn that took forever, I
caught a glimpse of a black jeep behind
me and idly wondered if it was someone
else attending the forum. As I parked
and got out, the Jeep passed by and
catching a glimpse of the driver, knew
that he was indeed heading to the same
place as I. The car circled and parked
on the other side of a large hedge.
As opportune time as any to introduce
myself, I thought, and so I stood in a
light rain waiting for the
door
on the other side of the hedge to open
and close. And I waited. And then I sat
in the van with door cracked and waited.
It was apparent Secretary Cansler had
more important business to finish up on
his cell or Blackberry than play into an
ambush by a mental health advocate.
But finally, I heard the door close,
crossed the parking lot and introduced
myself, saying I hoped he had been
getting North Carolina Mental Hope's
emails on inclusion of consumers and
family members and telling him the tone
and actions of his first couple of
months had certainly been encouraging.
He gave a warm, genuine greeting, and
although we didn't walk far before we
needed to go our separate ways, he
seemed to earnestly listen to what I had
to say. In the questions that followed
the panel, Sec. Cansler again listened
and seemed to honestly and fully answer
questions from both advocates and
providers.
I again commented on the need for mental
health systems nationwide to be consumer
and family member driven, a conclusion
of the recent NAMI "Grading
the States 2009" report and echoed
the report's finding that creating an
environment of consumer respect was
essential to success.
And now there's good reason to believe
that Sec. Cansler will indeed work
toward that end.
In a recent email from the Secretary to
long-time advocate Jeff McLoud, board
president of the North Carolina Mental
Health Consumers Organization and a
North Carolina Mental Hope board member
(click
here for full email passed along with
Sec. Cansler's permission), the
Secretary wrote:
"To avoid mistakes of the past, I
clearly understand that our efforts must
include input and close cooperation with
all stakeholders in mental health care
including close involvement of mental
health consumers."
The email was in response to a March 19
article in the Carborro Citizen Jeff had
sent. The article, "Mental
health advocates say consumer voices go
unheard," featured North Carolina
Mental Hope's petition for inclusion.
The public recognition of that need by
Secretary Cansler should give hope. It
should give hope that he understands
fixing our state's ailing mental health
system is more than efficient
administration, more than budgets,
statistics, brick and mortar. It gives
hope that he understands or is trying to
understand the despair and the passion
of those affected by mental illness, the
sleepless nights, the fatigue, the
frayed nerves, the economic drain, the
hopelessness of being trapped and
tangled in a maze of laws and situations
where finding help in crisis is often
impossible.
And while it's an intangible, passion,
constructive passion, has got to be a
part of the fix. More people need to be
passionate about mental health and
zealously evangelize against the
injustices and the horrid misperceptions
surrounding issues of mental illness.
But how hard for so many to lift
themselves from beneath the weight of
despair that crushes the life out of
them, an image captured so graphically
by Depression Bear, part of NCMH Board
Member Tracey Turner's
The Emotion Project.
Thank you Secretary Cansler for
recognizing the need for inclusion. It
gives hope and helps lift that weight
just a little, a weight that has for far
too long held our state and citizens
down.
David Cornwell