NAMHC August 2025 Recap
Advocating for Change in Montgomery and Confronting Gaps at Home
The North Alabama Mental Health Coalition met on August 12, 2025 at Wellstone, bringing together more than 40 leaders, advocates, and service providers from across North Alabama. The meeting spotlighted key updates from community organizations, a presentation by State Rep. Marilyn Lands on mental health policy advocacy, and a moving personal story from a local mother navigating the system for her son. Together, these moments highlighted both the progress being made and the urgent gaps families continue to face when seeking mental health care. For full meeting details, you can also read the official minutes here.
Coalition Updates
Meeting recaps are published each month in the Community section of the Little Orange Fish Substack.
The NAMHC is Here for You app is now powered by the GPT-5 model, an update that should bring noticeable improvements in how the app helps users search resources and review past minutes.
GRAMI’s fundraiser happened August 15 at The Ledges, with proceeds supporting counseling for first responders and CIT training.
Salvation Army shelter services officially reopened June 15.
UAH’s Health Equity Symposium is set for October 21.
The Back-to-School workshop from the Kiss Your Brain Initiative was a success, with Harris Home youth participating.
Featured Presentation: Advocating for Change
Rep. Marilyn Lands (District 10), a licensed professional counselor, shared her priorities in Montgomery:
K–12 prevention – Lands described her push for prevention programs in K–12 schools, noting she had advanced a resolution through the Alabama House but it stalled in the Senate. She stressed that prevention education is key, and that trauma-informed programs in classrooms could relieve pressure on teachers while giving kids tools to manage stress.
Youth suicide – She expressed heartbreak over Alabama’s high adolescent suicide rates. She believes children should learn about neuroscience and brain chemistry early, so they can normalize emotions and practice self-regulation skills like breathing techniques. Without these tools, too many students remain in “fight or flight” mode.
Veterans & first responders – Lands highlighted gaps in care for veterans and first responders. She sees opportunities to follow models from other countries that provide stronger healthcare and family supports, and she wants to bring those lessons home to Alabama.
System gaps – Shortages of school counselors and psychiatric beds mean many youth and adults go without help. Too often, people with serious mental illness end up in jail when they should be in hospitals. She is working with coalition members to raise awareness of these critical shortages.
Policy reform – She introduced HB14, a ballot initiative bill that would give citizens a direct way to bring issues forward when the legislature does not act. She encouraged coalition members to support it and to reach out with other policy priorities, especially around mental health and maternal health.
She urged coalition members to contact legislators directly, combining data with personal stories. Rep. Lands can be reached through her official contact page.
Real-Life Gaps: A Mother’s Story
One coalition member shared the story of her son’s 18-year struggle with bipolar and schizoaffective disorder. Her experience revealed painful systemic failures and offered a firsthand look at how families can be left without support:
Families face confusing probate procedures. In her case, repeated trips to the probate office brought conflicting answers about how to seek an involuntary commitment. Instead of clarity, she often encountered delays and frustration, leaving her son without needed treatment. (Madison County Probate Office).
Police often respond first, even when families request a mental health crisis team. On one occasion, she specifically asked for a Crisis Intervention Team officer but armed police were dispatched instead, further escalating the stress of the situation.
Guardianship laws are poorly understood by many responders. Despite holding guardianship, she was told she had little authority to direct her son into treatment. Frontline workers disagreed about what guardianship meant, leading to inaction until his behavior worsened.
With limited psychiatric beds, jail too often becomes the default “treatment.” After a manic episode, her son was eventually taken into custody and incarcerated rather than hospitalized, highlighting how correctional facilities are absorbing cases that should be in clinical care.
She emphasized the urgent need for better communication, training, and access at every level of the system. She also pointed members to McLean Hospital’s free online resources as a valuable tool for families trying to understand mental illness and advocate for their loved ones.
Closing Notes
Efforts are underway to restart NAMI Huntsville. Interested? Contact Suzanne Katschke.
Daniel will continue posting monthly recaps on the LOF Community blog.
Next NAMHC meeting: Tuesday, September 9, 2025 at 11:00 AM at Wellstone.
Resources Mentioned
NAMI National | Contact Suzanne Katschke
Reflection:
This month’s meeting made clear how state-level advocacy and legislative efforts—like Rep. Lands’ push for prevention programs and HB14 - intersect with the real-life struggles of families trying to navigate probate courts, emergency response, and a shortage of psychiatric beds. The combination of policy discussions and a parent’s lived experience provided a fuller picture of where North Alabama’s mental health system stands today, and the specific areas where change is most urgently needed.
Stay Connected with NAMHC
✉️ Contact: Daniel@LittleOrangeFish.org
🗓 Next Meeting details posted monthly on the LOF Community blog
‘A strong community is built of healthy individuals,
and good health starts with a healthy mind.’
Stories and opinions shared in these recaps reflect the voices of participants and guest speakers, and do not necessarily represent the views of Little Orange Fish. Open dialogue of this kind is at the heart of the NAMHC and the Here for You effort. Creating space for honest stories and diverse perspectives is essential to truly understanding and addressing the mental health needs of our community.
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Content generated by Gabrielle Paige Thales, an editorial AI voice developed by Little Orange Fish. All posts are fully outlined, directed, and human-reviewed by Daniel Adamek prior to publication. Thanks for reading Little Orange Fish! Subscribe for free to receive new posts and support our work.