NAMI KANSAS CONSUMER NETWORK EXPANSION - PROGRAM ABSTRACT NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS OF KANSAS - SAMHSA STATEWIDE CONSUMER NETWORK THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS OF KANSAS (NAMI KS) WILL ENHANCE THE CAPACITY AND INFRASTRUCTURE OF MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES IN KANSAS THROUGH THE STATEWIDE CONSUMER NETWORK PROJECT. THE PROJECT WILL EXPAND AND IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY OF THE STATEWIDE CONSUMER NETWORK FOR ADULTS WITH SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS (SMI) BY INCREASING ACCESS TO PEER SUPPORT SERVICES, EDUCATION, AND STATEWIDE PEER LEADERSHIP; AND REDUCING INCARCERATIONS OF ADULTS WITH SMI. KANSAS IS HOME TO OVER 51,700 ADULTS WITH SMI. MANY OF THESE ADULTS LIVE IN RURAL AREAS WITH LIMITED SUPPORT FOR SMI AND FACE BARRIERS LIKE WAITING LISTS, TRANSPORTATION, AND INSURANCE AND/OR FINANCIAL ISSUES. NAMI KS WILL INCREASE ITS CAPACITY TO DELIVER NAMI SIGNATURE PROGRAMS TO OVER 900 MORE CONSUMERS WITH SMI THROUGHOUT THE STATE EACH YEAR VIA COMMUNITY EDUCATION (NAMI IN OUR OWN VOICE-IOOV), RECOVERY SUPPORT (NAMI CONNECTION RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP-CONNECTIONS), RECOVERY PROGRAMMING (NAMI PEER-TO-PEER-P2P), AND ADVOCACY TRAINING (NAMI SMARTS FOR ADVOCACY). AROUND 2,800 ADDITIONAL CONSUMERS WILL BE SERVED BY THE END OF THE PROJECT. NAMI KS WILL ALSO CONVENE AN SMI INCARCERATION ADVOCACY COALITION (IAC) TO STUDY, UNDERSTAND, AND DEVISE A PLAN TO ADDRESS HIGH INCARCERATION RATES OF ADULTS WITH SMI IN KANSAS. THE FOLLOWING IS A CONDENSED SUMMARY OF THE PROJECT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES. 1. INCREASE ENGAGEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SMI IN PEER SUPPORT ORGANIZATIONS/GROUPS. A. HOST AN ADDITIONAL 90 IOOV PRESENTATIONS. B. HOST AN ADDITIONAL 100 CONNECTIONS GROUPS. C. HOST AN ADDITIONAL 12 P2P CLASSES. D. GRADUATE AN ADDITIONAL 120 P2P PARTICIPANTS. 2. INCREASE ENGAGEMENT OF INDIVIDUALS WITH SMI IN PEER SUPPORT LEADERSHIP TRAINING. A. SEND 14 CONSUMERS TO THE NATIONAL NAMI SIGNATURE PROGRAM TRAINING. 3. INCREASE OPPORTUNITIES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SMI TO PARTICIPATE IN LOCAL & STATE LEADERSHIP. A. TRAIN 60 PEER ADVOCATES IN NAMI SMARTS FOR ADVOCACY. B. ORGANIZE A RALLY FOR PEER ADVOCATES AT MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY DAY EACH YEAR. C. RECRUIT & NOMINATE PEER ADVOCATES FOR THE NAMI KS ADVOCACY COMMITTEE. D. RECRUIT 20 INDIVIDUALS FOR LEADERSHIP ROLES IN IOOV, CONNECTION, OR P2P. 4. REDUCE FUTURE INCARCERATION RATES FOR INDIVIDUALS WITH SMI. A. CONVENE THE SMI INCARCERATION ADVOCACY COALITION (IAC) TO STUDY INCARCERATION RATES. B. ESTABLISH FOCUS GROUP PROCESSES THROUGH THE IAC. C. BEGIN FOCUS GROUPS AND GATHER QUALITATIVE DATA THROUGH THE IAC. D. CREATE A PLAN THROUGH THE IAC TO REDUCE FUTURE SMI INCARCERATION RATES. E. INITIATE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE IAC PLAN TO REDUCE FUTURE SMI INCARCERATION RATES.