NAMI Director Visits Jamestown
By Robert Rizzuto rrizzuto@post-journal.comArticle Photos
''The job isn't always easy and is anything but black and white, but it is rewarding,'' said Deborah Faust-Ashline, the director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness-New York Criminal Justice Division.
She appeared at the monthly Chautauqua County NAMI meeting in Jamestown recently, to share her experiences with the group and discuss her perspective on the work that they engage in daily.
NAMI is a grassroots, self-help support and advocacy organization who work to promote a better understanding of mental illness and a better life for those who suffer from one of its various forms.
Ms. Faust-Ashline previously worked on domestic violence and rape cases as a senior legal advocate, providing resources for inmates at the Saratoga County Jail. Those experiences did teach her about the way the criminal justice system works, but she said that nothing could have prepared her for the work she now does.
''With my past jobs, things were pretty cut and dry- there were victims and perpetrators. Working with mental illness isn't that simple because often, my clients are accused of a crime and there is a mental illness at the heart of the issue,'' she said. ''This type of advocacy is so multi-layered and there is a great need for it. Last year alone, I took 1,400 calls from family members concerned about a loved one with a mental illness who was caught up in the justice system, and every case is different.''
She explained how NAMI's Criminal Justice Family Advocacy Training Initiative, which she is coordinating, is aimed at bridging the gap between the law enforcement and mental health communities by steering qualifying offenders into treatment when that is judged to be a more effective alternative to incarceration.
She noted that the Mental Health Court in Jamestown is a good example of bridging that gap, and said that local citizens are lucky to have such a receptive and progressive justice system and advocacy network. Ms. Faust-Ashline said that there are several areas in the state that do not have such a promising situation and commended those in attendance for their work.
''Many places I go do not have law enforcement officials and judges at their meetings, but here you all are,'' she said. ''Good advocacy changes the world and our communities and the only way to do it is by being a part of the community. Things can't be changed from the outside, only from within.''
For more information about NAMI in Chautauqua County, including membership inquiries, call Silvia Trusso at 484-0219.
