Alternatives Conference

We were guests at the Alternatives Conference held in Omaha in October.  Alternatives is a national organization for people with chronic psychiatric challenges.  It was an inspiring conference.  Over 900 people attended with 200 of those being Nebraskans! 

The focus of the conference was recovery and wellness, what makes a person get better and stay well.  The recurring theme was transforming our mental health care system into one that is recovery oriented and consumer centered. 

We were especially proud of the many Nebraskans who were part of the programs.  J. Rock Johnson, a breakfast keynote speaker, encouraged consumers to become involved in changing the system of care, to know their strengths, and to become an agent of change.  Kasey Moyer presented a great program encouraging others to promote honesty and self determination for individuals so that choice in services is more the option and outcomes are vastly improved. 

We were especially proud that the Heartland Crisis Intervention Team was recognized.  Aimee Folker, Jason Vance, Michael O’Mera, and Norma Schaffer demonstrated the effectiveness of the CIT program for law enforcement, utilizing local consumer leadership and knowledge to eradicate discrimination in both law enforcement and consumer populations.