New NAMI Resource Gets Attention

posted by Gayle Carney

January 30, 2009

The publication of the booklet Beyond Punishment, Helping Individuals with Mental Illness in Maryland's Criminal Justice System, has rippled far beyond Kate Farinholt and NAMI MetroBaltimore's expectations.

New Book Provides Guidance for Helping People with
Mental Illness within Maryland’s Criminal Justice System
Guidebook will serve as a resource to family members,
social workers, law enforcement personnel and
others trying to navigate the criminal justice system

A new book published by NAMI—Metropolitan Baltimore provides a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive guide to how Maryland’s criminal justice system provides – or fails to provide – mental health services to individuals confined within the system.
This book provides legal information and critical resources to family members and others concerned about people who are involved with the criminal justice system, whether in jail awaiting trial, in prison serving a sentence or on probation or parole.
The book, entitled Beyond Punishment: Helping Individuals with Mental illness in Maryland’s Criminal Justice System, is being published by the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill—Metropolitan Baltimore.
“Many Maryland families have experienced firsthand how difficult it is to help a loved one who has a mental illness and becomes caught up in the state’s criminal justice system. Unfortunately, this system is hard to navigate and many people are at a loss as to what can be done to help their family members,” said Kathryn S. Farinholt, executive director of NAMI—Metropolitan Baltimore and coordinator of the book project. “We believe this book will be an important resource for those families and others involved in the criminal justice system – to make sure that people who need help are receiving it.”
The book is available FREE on the organziation's website at www.nami.org/sites/namimetrobaltimore, digitally for copying/printing on request to namimetrobaltimore@yahoo.com, and will be available in February as a trade paperback on Amazon.com
The Maryland Division of Correction plans to widely distribute copies of the book as will other organizations around the state. NAMI—Metropolitan Baltimore will also distribute the book through its network of support groups, its assistance phone line and through other means.
“This book is a treasure trove of information for those trying to help family members or friends with serious mental illnesses caught up in the criminal justice system,” said Ron Honberg, NAMI’s national director of policy and legal affairs.

The book provides important general information about Maryland’s criminal justice system as well as local information about resources within Baltimore City and Baltimore County. The book is designed to serve as a template that groups in other areas of the state can use to replicate with local information in their areas.
The national NAMI organization also intends to make the book available to other NAMI affiliates outside Maryland, who could customize the information to reflect their local criminal justice systems.

Learn more about this story: http://exhibitanewsbaltimore.com

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