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 governor. 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.
These members serve for a single four-year, non-renewable term.
IPAS Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness Advisory Council (MIAC)
Ronda Ames - Member 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.
Misty Hollis - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Misty has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since the beginning of 2006.
She is the executive director of Wayne County Vision, a local nonprofit organization. She worked three years for the city of Richmond in the mayor's office and also served as the director of membership for the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce for three years.
Misty is a board member of Wayne County's Dunn Mental Health Center; Waynet, the community Web site; the YMCA; and the Indiana Leadership Association. She also serves on the executive committee of the Wayne County Chamber of Commerce. In the past, she was involved the local Disability Awareness Council and worked to bring countywide transportation services to Wayne County.
Misty holds a bachelor's degree in political science from Indiana University and is a graduate of Leadership Wayne County.
Jane Horn - Member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council
Jane Horn has been a member of the Mental Illness Advisory Council since 2005. An officer of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) East Central Indiana, she is a member of the teaching panel for NAMI's Indiana Provider Education. She was a social worker at Richmond State Hospital from 1990 until 2000 and is still active with support groups in the Richmond area.
Jane is also involved with KEY Consumer Organization, the Department of Mental Health and Addiction (DMHA) Planning Council and the Mental Health Association.
Jane received her bachelor's degree from Bryn Mawr College, her master's degree in psychology from Teachers College, Columbia University; and her Master of Social Work from Indiana University School of Social Work. She is a graduate of KEY Consumer Leadership Academy and NAMI courses for leadership education and support programs.
Kim Williams of Marion Co.
Kim Williams comes with varying experiences in the community. Originally, she was introduced to Choices as a consumer, when her son was in the Dawn Project as a client. Through that experience, she became involved as a participant in Families Reaching for Rainbows, then moved onto becoming a peer mentor, a program that has become a billable service to the Dawn Project. Additionally, Kim, as a Program Support Specialist for the TA Center, became part of the TA Center trainings as a trainer identifying and sharing the family perspective as it relates to a system of care community.
Prior to joining the Choices, Kim’s background includes administrative, accounting and sales experiences at companies such as Thomson, Inc., Pepsi-Cola and RTM (a local Arby’s Restaurant franchisee). Kim also served in the U.S. Air Force for 8 years, attended DePauw University and is a native of Indianapolis.
When Families Reaching for Rainbows, Inc. reorganized in October 2003, Kim became its Executive Director. Over the past year, Rainbows has expanded in several areas. The anchor program, the Lutherwood support gathering, has maintained an average growth of participants to 45% over the past year, and has spawned three other, smaller groups in the IPS school district. Rainbows now offers, as a paid provider, mentoring services to the Dawn Project for peer-to-peer support. In addition, Rainbows has successfully filed for it’s 501(c)(3) status, on both the federal and state levels, to become an individual entity, able to apply for its own government and private funding. Kim now manages a staff of three full-time employees, three subcontracted employees and numerous volunteers throughout the year.
In 2005, Rainbows also acquired two new contract initiatives, providing caregiver/parenting training for the Indiana Division of Child Services and providing consumer-driven technical assistance to state funded systems of care communities with the Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addition.
Kim is the Lead Family contact for the Dawn Project, the local systems of care program, and represents the community, in that capacity at local, state and federal conferences and functions. Kim also is the point of contact for the organization to provide contract, marketing and any other business information regarding Rainbows.
In 2005, Kim was selected as a member of the Indiana State Transformation Work Group and is the Chairman of the Workgroup's Family Sub-Committee. Additionally, Kim is also a participant in the family subgroup of the Indiana Interagency Workforce. The Indiana Division of Mental Health and Addition, a division of the Family and Social Services Administration, manages both initiatives.
Donna M. Yancey - 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.
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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