Olutoko by Kathy Tupper, one of 27 artists featured in the book: Stories of Hope in Recovery and the Healing Power of Art from the Creative Arts Project of the Middle Tennessee Mental Health and Substance Abuse Coalition. Find the book at Twist Gallery and Gallery F.

I've been hit up. You? What I mean is spring's here and my wallet's getting thinner. But, actually…it feels good. This time a year my friends come a'callin', asking me to ante up for some very worthy causes.  Marathons for Tennessee Women's Theatre Project, Hooping the Half Music City Marathon for breast cancer awareness, Big Brothers, Big Sisters walk-a-thons, even a gulf coast photography/sailing expedition for the health of America's waterways. I keep a little tithing account. Ten percent. Just for these requests….

Two of my favorite people, one I featured here, and then my friend Sita Diehl came knocking on my virtual wallet for the same cause. Both passionately. So passionate was Sita for her cause, I'm sharing it with you because I think You need to hear what she has to say:

"When confronted with mental illness, it feels like the end of the world.  I know many NAMI [National Association for Mental Illness-Sita & my other friend's cause] members who, based on their hard-won wisdom, take the time to listen and care, offering information and encouragement to others who struggle with confusion and grief.  When individuals and their families are fortunate enough to get effective treatment and can pull together to support recovery, the person affected by mental illness has a much easier time moving forward into a fulfilling life.  NAMI support groups and educational programs have brought healing and insight to hundreds of thousands of families.

"But we have a lot further to go.  I also know many people who don’t get effective treatment, whether because it doesn’t exist yet, or they don’t have adequate health care coverage, or they don’t want to face it. Through advocacy for research, public funding and private health insurance parity, NAMI is making an impact even in these financially troubled times.  NAMI Walks, [Sita's cause for which I pulled upon the purse strings,] raises public awareness of how common and treatable mental illness is and spreads the word that recovery is very possible." [End Quote]

My friend Sita gets around. So much so I can't seem to keep pace with all her personal and professional endeavors to do good in our needy world. When I asked for an update, here's her reply:

"My title is Director of State Policy and Advocacy although under it all, I'm still a Mother from Hell.  Now is the time to act because widespread reductions in state and federal funding.  In Tennessee alone, TennCare will reduce community mental health funding by $25 million in FY [fiscal year] 2012 unless the legislature votes to restore the proposed cut, which would deal a critical blow to a system already weakened to the point of collapse. [Italics mine.] Federal enhanced Medicaid dollars will run out June 30, 2011 causing reverberations throughout the country similar to Tennessee, but much worse in some places. We thought mental health would be minimally affected this year when [Tenn.] Gov. Haslam presented his budget. Turns out the 1.5% TennCare provider rate cut comes ON TOP of the 7% narrowly averted last year with Medicare clawback funds (doncha just love the phrase 'clawback'? Snaaaarl! Hospitals and most types of physicians won't have rate cuts because of the continued 4% 'hospital coverage fee,' but mental health providers, transportation providers, home health, etc. will get the full 8.5% rate cut.

"This is the sound of doors being closed and windows shuttered.  Very sad….

"So if any of your blog readers have friends and neighbors in the Tennessee General Assembly, urge them to do whatever is necessary to keep TennCare whole."

And in the meantime, it's not too late to sponsor Sita. Won't you?

http://www.nami.org/walkTemplate.cfm?section=NAMIWALKS&template=/customsource/namiwalks/walkerpage.cfm&walkerID=151434