Mental Illness Advisory Council
The Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness (PAIMI) Act of 1986, (42 USCA 10801 et seg). The Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness regulations (42 CFR 51.8), mandates that an Advisory Council (MIAC) exists to advise the IPAS Commission concerning those policies and priorities that affect the rights of individuals with mental illness. The Mental Illness Advisory Council (MIAC) helps the IPAS Commission best meet the needs of people with mental illness eligible under the PAIMI Program.
The MIAC has 10 members, appointed by the Commission. All of the members must be knowledgeable about mental illness, and must have demonstrated a substantial commitment to improving mental health services.
To best give voice to mentally ill clients of IPAS, at least six members of the MIAC must be receiving or have received mental health services, or have a family member who is receiving or has received mental health services, and at least one member must be the parent of a minor receiving mental heath services.
All MIAC meetings are held at 1pm at the Indiana Protection & Advocacy Services Office located at 4701 N. Keystone Ave., Suite222, Indianapolis, Indiana. The next upcoming meeting is scheduled for February 9th, 2012.
These members serve for a single four-year, non-renewable term.
Public Policy Advocacy Opportunity Available - Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission (IPAS) is seeking individuals who have received mental health treatment services, or family members of such persons, to serve on their Mental Illness Advisory Committee (MIAC). The MIAC helps shape IPAS services for individuals with mental illness and reports annually to the IPAS federal funding source. The MIAC meets once per quarter, expenses are reimbursed and members are appointed by either the Governor or the IPAS Commission. Persons interested in applying for consideration should contact Karen Pedevilla, Education and Training Director, at 1-800-622-4845, ext. 232, or by emailing kpedevilla@ipas.in.gov. Click here to view a brochure that gives more information on both the Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services Commission and Mental Illness Advisory Council.
IPAS Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Advisory Council (MIAC)
Ronda Ames of Marion Co. - Chairperson of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Ronda has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since the beginning of 2006.
She is the manager of patient accounts for Clarian Health Services' Indiana University Hospital and the director of financial services at the Indiana University School of Medicine.
In addition to her other work, Ronda is the executive director of KEY Consumer Organization, an advanced trainer for Mary Ellen Copeland's Wellness Recovery Action Plan, and a Certified Trainer for the Indiana Leadership Academy and Self-Advocacy Training.
Ronda's board-level community involvement is extensive. She serves on the Depression/Bipolar Support Alliance Board for the Mental Health Association in Indiana, the Advisory Board for Supported Employment Consultation and Training, the Midtown Advisory Board and the Assertive Community Treatment Board.
Ronda is a member of the Division of Mental Health and Addiction Mental Health Planning Council and the Division of Metal Health and Addiction Advisory Council. She is a member and chairwoman for the Division of Mental Health and Addiction State Consumer Council. In addition, Ronda is a member of the FSSA Transformation Work Group to reform the mental health system. In this function, she is actively involved in working with all the state hospitals to change the culture to one of recovery, rather than the strict medical model.
Ronda holds associate degrees in human resources and office administration.
Sandra Currie of Marion Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Sandra has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since October 2007. Sandra has worked for three years at Key Consumer Organization. In her role as the Peer Support Specialist she facilitates both the Depression Support Group and the Bipolar Support Group.
Sandra’s commitment to helping individuals with mental illnesses motivates her to learn all she can in regard to disability rights laws and resources.
Nancy F. Slater of Hamilton Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Nancy has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since October 2007. She is a self employed attorney with Slater Law Office, LLC, and has focused her law practice on disability law, elder law and special needs trusts. She has a strong interest in mental health law.
Nancy is a board-certified developmental pediatrician. She closed her medical practice in June, 2006 after practicing medicine for 25 years, to practice law full time. She specialized in primary care pediatrics and completed a 3 year fellowship in developmental-behavioral pediatrics.
Her memberships in groups and organizations are many. She is an active member of the American Bar Association (2000-present), Indiana State Bar Association (1999 to present), the Hamilton County Bar Association (2006 to present), and is a member of the Academy of Special Needs Planners, a national attorney group specialized in disability planning and special needs trusts, (2006 to present).
Nancy is also a current member of the Indiana State Medical Association (1981 to present), Fellow, American Academy of Pediatrics (1982 to present), and the Indiana Chapter American Academy of Pediatrics (1982 to present), where she served as the Chair of the School Health Committee from 1990 to 2005. Nancy has been a Volunteer Assistant Professor of Clinical Pediatrics at Indiana University Medical Center since 1991.
Nancy is a member of both the Indiana and Indianapolis chapters of the National Association for Mental Illness (NAMI), C.H.A.D.D. (for children and adults with ADD), and Mental Health Association of Indiana.
Lynda Snider of Porter Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Lynda has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since October 2007.
Lynda is a member of Fifth Freedom. She has been an InSource Regional Parent Resource (RPR) since 2000, is a Lake County FSSA Educational Surrogate Parent and is a graduate of Partners in Policymaking class of 2003. Lynda is the Founder of Parents for Parents (PFP), Special Education Advocates for the Porter, Lake and LaPorte County areas. Parents for Parents focus is special education. PFP has been assisting special education students since 1995. Lynda returned to the work force as a home healthcare worker in 2007. She currently works with individuals that are aging and individuals with mental illness.
Lynda has been committed to advocating for people of all ages for over 15 years. She has completed many hours of training regarding disability rights, assistive technology, available services, surrogate parent training and special education.
Larry Wiesenauer of Madison Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Larry has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since October 2007. He comes with varying experiences both personally and in the community. Bipolar disorder, PTSD, ADHD and depression has affected six generations of his family.
Larry has served on numerous boards and committees, including NAMI Indiana Consumer Council Executive Committee, Key Consumer Organization Board of Directors, and Stepping Stones for Veterans Board of Directors. He served as the first NAMI Indiana, Consumer Council Chair.Larry currently is active with NAMI Madison County, where he is currently 2nd Vice President. He previously was President of the Bipolar Support Group of Madison County. Larry facilitated an adult bipolar support group in Anderson with approximately fifty active members and published “The Bipolar Bear”, a monthly newsletter.
Larry’s commitment to helping veterans comes from a long history of family and personal involvement with the military, with generations serving in every war including his own experience in Vietnam. He served on the NAMI National Veterans Council and has met with members to review current NAMI programs (Vet to Vet, Family to Family, In Our Own Voice) and petition the NAMI Indiana Board to seek alliances with Indiana VA Healthcare Systems for Veterans Family Support programs for adults experiencing PTSD, bipolar disorder and major depression.
Larry is a 1993 graduate of Partners in Policymaking and is a retired construction engineer from LeFebure Banking Equipment.
Donna M. Yancey of Hamilton Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Donna has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since the beginning of 2006. Her family history and experiences with mental health care sparked her interest in serving on the Mental Illness Advisory Council; her brother has schizophrenia and her 2-year-old grandson is receiving early intervention therapy for apraxia.
Donna is retired from many years of teaching nursing at Indiana, Ball State and Purdue Universities. She has been an active member of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) in Indianapolis for seven years, first as a member and then as a board member and officer. As a board member, Donna helped the organization to implement the Memphis Model of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) for the law enforcement agencies in and around Marion County. NAMI in Indianapolis, along with key members of the mental health community and law enforcement agencies, was able to start CIT in Indianapolis in 2003. Donna continues to be responsible for organizing the 40-hour training sessions, and to date has trained more than 450 law enforcement officers in and around Marion County.
Donna is a member of the board of directors of BehaviorCorp of Community Mental Health Center, and serves as secretary for Prevent Child Abuse of Hamilton County and the Stress and Coping section of the Midwest Nurse Research Society. Other past and current memberships include Sigma Theta Tau International; Alpha Chapter, national honorary nursing organization; Pi Lambda Theta national honorary teaching organization); Mental Health Association of Hamilton County; Oncology Nursing Society, national and local chapters; and the National Hospice Association.
Donna holds a bachelor's degree in nursing from the College of Mount St. Joseph in Cincinnati, Ohio and master's and doctoral degrees in nursing from the Indiana University School of Nursing.
Al Edyvean of Johnson Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Al has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since February of 2011.
Al is a graduate of Indiana University in Bloomington, where he received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees. He spent most of his early career working in broadcast media and communications for stations and programs across the country.
For most of the last 20 years, Al has run his own business, called Image Master, where he helps marketing and public relations professionals “master their image” with a variety of products and services, such as image campaigns and marketing plans.
After becoming a parent of a daughter with special needs, Al’s interests focused on helping other families find the resources they needed. As a motivational speaker, Al now does presentations to parents of children with special needs. His topics are based on his own parenting experiences and working with other families that have struggled and succeeded through perseverance. Additionally, Al presents lectures to high school and college students on entrepreneurship and business.
Joan Nelson of Tippecanoe Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Joan has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since February 2011. She is a Registered Nurse, licensed in both Illinois and Indiana. Joan is currently a graduate student at Purdue University. Joan’s nursing career has provided her with extensive contact with patients who have mental illness. She has worked in occupational health nursing for several large Indiana companies. Additionally, Joan has experience with the Family Medical Leave Act (FMLA) from her work at a community health center, where she worked in managed care for an insurance company. Her career has included working for nursing agencies, travel nursing organizations and several hospitals in various care areas in four different states. Joan also has experience in psychiatric nursing.
Pam Kiser of Tippecanoe Co. – Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Pam has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since February 2011. Pam actively began speaking, mentoring and advocating on behalf of others who have mental illness in 1987. She continues to advocate for mental illness and recovery today in memory of her youngest son. Pam is a certified recovery specialist and peer-to-peer program director for the National Association of Mental Illness-West Central Indiana. She is also a group facilitator for Key Consumers and chair of the Consumer Council Executive Committee.
Craig Andler, LSW, CADAC IV, CCS of Marion Co. - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Craig is the Director of the Indiana Counselors Association on Alcohol and Drug Abuse since May 23, 2011. Craig brings 30 years of person centered services to children, youth and adults with addictions, mental illness, intellectual disabilities and multiple challenges. As Project Manager of an award winning National Exemplary Program in Indianapolis known as the ACES Project for homeless persons with co-occurring disorders, this program pioneered strength based care that led to outstanding outcomes and new levels of how we understand recovery. Craig has provided leadership, training, consultation and advocacy across the continuum of professional disciplines. As a trainer, educator and consultant, Craig has presented and published, at the international, national, regional and state levels. He is the 2005 recipient of the Heroes in the Fight Award presented by Eli Lilly and Mental Health America Indiana.
To contact an Advisory Council member, please send your comments to IPAS in care of the Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Program Coordinator. He can be reached by e-mail, mail or phone.
Mr. David Boes, Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Program Coordinator
Indiana Protection and Advocacy Services
4701 N. Keystone Ave., Suite 222
Indianapolis, IN 46205
Voice 1-800-622-4845 or TTY 1-800-838-1131
e-mail dboes@ipas.IN.gov
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