RIGHTS of PERSONS SERVED
http://www.namicollier.org
Mission: NAMI of Collier County’s mission is to improve the quality of life of persons affected
by serious mental illnesses and their caregivers
through support, education and advocacy.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Collier County, Inc. (NAMI CC) is a grassroots advocacy organization providing support, education, and advocacy for people and families impacted by serious mental illnesses. Members of NAMI CC are typically consumers of mental health services, family members, and professionals working together toward common goal. NAMI CC believes when we are free of depression, anxiety, excessive stress and worry, addictions, and other psychological problems, we are more able to live our lives to the fullest.
Purpose of this Document
This document is presented to provide answers to common questions about participating or volunteering in programs offered by NAMI of Collier County. Our goal is to provide you with some basic information about our programs and to provide you with information about your rights as a member of the NAMI CC community. Please review this information and discuss it with those close to you. As you read, write down questions you may want to ask.
How to use this Guide
This document provides an overview about the various support groups available and the programs available. This is only an overview; if you are interested in learning more about any program or support group, please contact NAMI CC at 239-260-7300. Our receptionist will guide you to the appropriate Program Manager who can provide you with greater information and details on participation.
What are the Possible Financial Costs?
There are no costs associated with any support group or program offered by NAMI of Collier County.
Choice
NAMI CC believes in personal choice and the rights of all people to make informed decisions. NAMI CC personnel are trained to respect your rights and to listen to your needs and requirements.
NAMI CC believes optimal mental health strengthens our ability to:
- Have healthy relationships
- Make good life choices
- Maintain physical health and well-being
- Handle the natural ups and downs of life
- Discover and grow toward our potential
Rights
As a person served by NAMI CC, you have a right to be treated with dignity, gentleness, courtesy and respect. The staff at NAMI CC is dedicated to providing the best possible service while you participate in our programs. It is every employee’s responsibility to ensure that NAMI CC conducts business in a legal and ethical manner, consistent with federal and state statutes and regulations, as well as the ethical standards of the professions represented by NAMI CC’s staff. You have the right to:
- Be informed both verbally and in writing of your rights as a participant
- Be treated with dignity and respect
- Have care that is considerate and respectful of your belief system, personal values, and right to self determination
- Access to services regardless of religion, race, ethnicity, marital status, age, disability, sexual orientation or gender
- Freedom from abuse, exploitation, retaliation, humiliation and neglect
- Quality services provided by experienced and appropriately supervised staff
- Receive instructions on how to file a complaint
Responsibilities
NAMI CC requests that all persons participating in its services please:
- Respect others privacy and confidentiality
- Be courteous and respectful
- Smoke or use tobacco products only in designated areas
- Do not use inappropriate verbal or sexual behaviors
- Do not use verbal or physical aggression
- Do not bring weapons or sharp objects on the premises
- Keep medication (including over-the-counter) in a safe, secure place while on the premises
- Do not use or bring alcohol or illegal substances on the premises
- Do not loiter or sleep in the buildings or on the premises
- Do not sell, loan, borrow or steal items
- Place clutter and trash in proper containers
- Keep scheduled appointments, or cancel at least 24 hours in advance
Confidentiality, Privacy, and Security
Federal law requires that your services be kept confidential. NAMI staff are not allowed to tell anyone outside of the agency that you receive services here, or that you have a mental illness or substance use problem, unless one or more of the following is true:
- There is an executed court order
- If you threaten to harm yourself or others, and we have reason to believe your threat is serious, we may find it appropriate to take whatever action necessary to protect people from harm.
- If we have reason to believe that you are being abused, neglected, or exploited; if you are abusing or neglecting someone; or if you tell us someone is being abused, by state law, we are required to report this to the appropriate agency.
- In a situation of a medical emergency that poses immediate threat to your health, we may provide information to the medical personnel to meet the needs of the emergency ONLY
All information in any written record is confidential. NAMI adheres to the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act 1996 (HIPAA), The HIPAA Privacy Rule as amended August 2002 and the HIPAA Security Rule as amended February 2003.
All Releases of Information forms signed by the Participant will be good for one year unless other stated by the Participant. In group and drop in center setting, we request that all Participants respect the privacy and confidentiality rights of the others. NAMI does not participate in Research Projects.
Mental Health Advanced Directives:
You have the right to give written instructions called Psychiatric Advance Directives when you receive services from NAMI or any other mental health provider. Advanced directives allow you to state your preferences for future care, should you be unable to communicate your decisions or preferences. Directives may include a living will, power of attorney or other care instructions. Before deciding to have advance directives, you should discuss the matter thoroughly with family members, you doctor and your counselor and/or case manager. NAMI staff can guide you through the process and help you ensure your wishes are honored to the extent possible.
Accommodations and Feedback
You have a right to file a Concern/Accommodation Request as a formal notice of dissatisfaction with services or staff, or to request any special help you need to fully participate in the services offered by NAMI. The program staff will assist you in resolving your issues or accommodation request. If you feel that further assistance is needed, you may file a formal grievance and/or have your concerns reviewed by the administrative staff. Any staff member can help you fill out this form if assistance is needed. After you put your concern/request in writing, give the form to any NAMI employee. It will immediately be forwarded to the Performance Quality Improvement team. Your concern/request will be reviewed and a supervisor will meet with you to discuss solutions to the problem within ten days. If you are still dissatisfied, other administrative staff will meet with you until an agreeable solution is found.
NAMI continuously improves the effectiveness of its services and how we deliver them. The most important information we receive is from the people we serve; therefore, we receive information from you in the following ways:
- Your participation in consumer satisfaction surveys and focus groups
- Review of your concerns regarding services or service delivery
- Staff reporting of unusual incidents at NAMI
- Your meetings with staff regarding progress in meeting services or service objectives.
NAMI of COLLIER COUNTY SERVICES
SUPPORT GROUPS
NAMI Connection is a recovery support group for adults living with mental illness and is led by trained individuals who are also in recovery – people who understand the challenges facing those with a mental illness diagnosis. NAMI Connection offers a flexible and casual environment without an educational format. Groups meet on Tuesday afternoons at the Sarah Ann Drop-In Center and on Tuesday evenings at Saint John’s Episcopal Church.
- Parent/Youth, for children and adolescents, along with their parents, led by a licensed mental health counselor meeting every other Tuesday. The evening starts with dinner (provided by NAMI) and child care provider is engaged so that siblings may also attend. The young children, who need this service, often do art with our child care provider. The age range is from newborns to 19.
- Family Members/Caregivers is for family members, caregivers and friends of persons with a diagnosed mental illness. This group meets the second Wednesday of the month and is led by a NAMI trained professional.
- Hearing Voices, Seeing Things is a NEW support group that meets weekly. Led by staff from NAMI and the Drop-in Center, it provides coping skills for those who manage auditory and visual hallucinations while providing close-knit support.
- Mindfulness is a workshop for participants at the Sarah Ann Drop-In Center. Individuals focus their awareness on the present moment, while calmly acknowledging and accepting one’s feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a therapeutic technique. Mindfulness practice allows you to “let go” and be present in the moment. In the fast-paced world that we live in, we often do not take the time to clear our heads and be truly present in our surroundings. This can be especially true if you live with mental illness, experiencing high levels of anxiety and/or constantly racing thoughts.
PROGRAMS
HEALTH UNDER GUIDED SYSTEMS (H.U.G.S.)
Health Under Guided Systems (H.U.G.S.) is a community based children’s behavioral health program funded primarily by the Naples Children Education Foundation. HUGS addresses the prevention and early intervention of social, emotional, behavioral, and mental health challenges for children ages 3 months to 18 years. HUGS is part of a broader children’s mental health initiative, called Beautiful Minds that includes the David Lawrence Center and Healthcare Network of Southwest Florida. Beautiful Minds provides a responsive, culturally competent system of care for children and youth with behavioral health needs. The initiative facilitates collaboration across agencies, schools and childcare centers to improve access to culturally and linguistically competent services for families. HUGS provides coordinated, universal screenings and system navigation to facilitate early identification and access to behavioral healthcare to mitigate the effects of untreated problems later in life.
In addition, HUGS offers the NAMI national signature program, Ending the Silence, for children in the Collier school system. This program strengthens the work of the HUGS team by helping to break down barriers and establishes a natural feed to the NAMI CC children/adolescent support group.
SARAH ANN DROP-IN CENTER (SAC)
The Sarah Ann Drop-In Center (SAC) is a safe, welcoming, confidential, supportive and recovery–oriented place to go, be accepted, receive support and work toward recovery. It is a peer-operated, community-based program for people 18 years of age and over, serving 300 persons per year. Participants are able to do many things together, such as socialize, attend in-house support groups, plan activities, go on outings, work on art projects, celebrate birthdays and holidays, watch movies, and play pool, dance and exercise. There is a monthly calendar of events. The SAC employs two part-time co-managers and three part-time drivers who are Certified Peer Recovery Specialists, or persons in recovery. Participants have a mental health diagnosis. The Drop-In Center provides a safe haven Monday through Saturday for persons who would otherwise be isolated. Three days a week, a hot lunch is provided. SAC also operates a food pantry and a clothing closet, open daily. Activities support recovery, and decisions are made by the participants, not by the staff regarding choice of outings, physical/exercise opportunities, art projects and support groups. All activities are free of charge to members.
SELF DIRECTED CARE (SDC):
Self-Directed Care is a service delivery model in which program participants make their own healthcare choices and actively participate in their recovery from serious mental illnesses. Life Coaches assist participants in establishing measurable and time-limited recovery goals and serve as accountability partners along the way to important and lasting life changes. Public financial resources are used for self-selected mental wellness services and supports to address the barriers that serious mental illnesses can pose to a productive lifestyle, and can include both traditional and complementary mental health services. In addition, funds may be used to support goals toward the person’s productivity such as taking educational classes, starting a business, obtaining gainful employment or working as a volunteer in the community. The Florida SDC program support up to 82 people at a time and covers a five-county area including Collier, Charlotte, Lee, Hendry and Glades counties.
CLEAR: CONNECTING LEADERSHIP, EDUCATION, ADVOCACY AND RECOVERY
Sponsored by the Florida Department of Children and Families, C.L.E.A.R provides the statewide behavioral health training by peers for peers (persons or family members having lived experience of mental illness). Trainings include train-the trainer programs for Certified Recovery Peer Specialists (CRPS) and Trauma Informed Care training. CLEAR also provides a peer-run statewide Warm Line which provides peer support to callers in sub-acute crisis and refers them to community based resources. The line has live operators from 4p.m. to 10:00 p.m. daily. All calls received during non-live hours are directed to a voicemail system that is closely monitored and all calls are returned during the next live shift. No call goes unanswered.
CLEAR also provides a statewide Born Drug-Free Information and Referral Line (BDF Line). The BDF line is a joint initiative of the Florida Department of Children and Families, Florida Office of the Attorney General and the Florida Department of Health to raise awareness about babies being born exposed to prescription drugs. The campaign educates expectant mothers about the importance of discussing prescription drug abuse with their doctors and to offer assistance to the women. Callers are provided education, referrals to services, and a peer to speak with during a difficult period in their life.
CONSUMER CARE
NAMI CC provides discretionary funding to help ease the burden of unexpected expenses. NAMI CC may assist individuals who have no other alternative or means to pay for the needed item or service that will help them maintain optimal mental wellness. This may include but is not limited to food, electrical bills, medical / mental health co-pays, and medication costs.
GUIDE
GUIDE is a monthly outreach/education program that is open to the community. Each month a qualified speaker presents information on his/her area of specialization with the aid of a PowerPoint presentation and handouts. This 1.5 hour seminar includes a variety of topics, from the latest research on medications and services and the importance of therapy to nutrition, Forensic Programs, including Mental Health Court, Dual Diagnosis, and more. Time is allowed for a Q&A period at the end of each presentation. Reservations are required as space is limited.
Notice of Privacy Practices
THIS NOTICE DESCRIBES YOUR PRIVACY RIGHTS AS A CLIENT OF NAMI Of COLLIER COUNTY, INC. AND HOW YOUR PERSONAL INFORMATION MAY BE USED AND DISCLOSED. PLEASE REVIEW THIS NOTICE CAREFULLY AND LET YOUR SERVICE PROVIDER KNOW IF YOU HAVE ANY QUESTIONS.
THE TERMS OF THIS NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES APPLIES TO ALL SERVICES PERFORMED BY NAMI OF COLLIER COUNTY, INC. THIS ORGANIZATION AND ITS EMPLOYEES WILL SHARE INDIVIDUAL PATIENT HEALTH INFORMATION AS IS NECESSARY TO PROVIDE QUALITY CARE. THIS AGENCY IS REQUIRED BY LAW TO MAINTAIN THE PRIVACY PRACTICES WITH RESPECT TO YOUR INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INFORMATION. WE RESERVE THE RIGHT TO CHANGE THE TERMS OF THIS NOTICE OF PRIVACY PRACTICES AS NECESSARY.