Please forward this information to consumers, family members, community
stakeholders and others.


***************************
Community Meetings to Explore How Alabama Department of Mental Health
Can Better Serve Consumers and Their Families

Stipends Available for Consumers/Family to Attend

The Department of Mental Health (DMH, formerly known as DMH/MR) is
coordinating a series of county-based planning meetings to be held in
August and September.

Consumers, family members, providers, community stakeholders and other
interested parties should attend these meetings. At these meetings,
DMH will:

* Review its planning process
* Review local needs and state-level priorities in services for
adults and children with intellectual disabilities, mental illnesses or
substance abuse issues
* Provide an overview of the budget outlook
* Review data for the mental illness, substance abuse and
intellectual disability divisions

A directory of all local planning meetings is available in PDF format at
a link on DMH's homepage: http://www.mh.alabama.gov/
<https://webmail.ua.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=3054fa05b6554322a6716d706274d38
c&URL=http%3a%2f%2fwww.mh.alabama.gov> . This directory provides
dates, times, and locations of each local planning meeting and is sorted
by county. Please visit often as the document will be updated as new
planning meetings are scheduled.

DMH will pay $25 stipends to consumers and family members to help them
pay for expenses (travel, child care, etc.) they incur to attend these
meetings. Information about the stipend can be found in the meeting
directory.

If you have any questions about these meetings, please contact ADAP at
800.826.1675 or via email at adap@...
<https://webmail.ua.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=3054fa05b6554322a6716d706274d38
c&URL=mailto%3aadap%40adap.ua.edu> .

Or, contact Michelle Vilamaa, Strategic Planning Specialist with DMH.
Ms. Vilamaa can be reached at 334.353.7257 or via email at
Michelle.vilamaa@...
<https://webmail.ua.edu/owa/redir.aspx?C=3054fa05b6554322a6716d706274d38
c&URL=mailto%3aMichelle.vilamaa%40mh.alabama.gov> .



Nancy Anderson

Staff Attorney
Alabama Disabilities Advocacy Program
University of Alabama
526 Martha Parham West
Box 870395
Tuscaloosa, AL 35487-0395
205-348-4928
205-348-3909 (fax)
1-800-826-1675 (toll-free)





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