As I have stated many times in my local, state and national speeches and presentations, "I am a recovering angry mom and I will partner with anyone who is willing to shatter the status quo." That includes people who may not always agree with my views but who may be willing to have a civil conversation. That includes people who may not understand my “lived experience” and who think I don’t understand their experiences. That includes Mary Giliberti and the NAMI Board of Directors. I recently wrote a letter to Pete Earley that he posted to his blog here: http://www.peteearley.com/2018/01/01/a-recovering-angry-mom-encourages-building-bridges-not-walls-in-2018-a-reader-responds/. I wrote this as a response to a blog he wrote the previous day, http://www.peteearley.com/2017/12/31/dr-mccance-katz-nami-director-giliberti-my-choices-for-most-impactful-in-2017/m where he named his choices for the “most impactful in 2017.” Pete's blog touched off a flurry of feelings by families like mine, advocates like me who felt that Pete had mischaracterized the intent of our petition. I was so grateful that he was willing to hear my concerns and allow me to help correct the record. I wrote to Pete Earley because I have deep respect for him and know that he is fighting for families like mine, families like his, to receive treatment, not jail. I don’t always agree with him but I know that his intentions are pure. I also assume good intentions of Mary Giliberti and the NAMI National Board of Directors. However good intentions can still lead to pain, harm, and suffering. So I hope that there will be opportunities to challenge the status quo and suffering together in 2018. We must ALL continue to have uncomfortable conversations, civil conversations that are focused and truthful about serious mental illnesses. The National Shattering Silence for Serious Mental Illness Coalition (NSSC) is focusing on truth-telling and collaboration in 2018. We have opened a dialog with Dr. Mc Cance-Katz, the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use, and other federal leaders and stakeholders. Soon the NSSC will be communicating their system priorities to the Federal Interdepartmental Serious Mental Illness Coordinating Committee, ISMICC. The NSSC is welcoming new members who can support their “Points of Unity.” Please go to the home page of their website, http://nationalshatteringsilencecoalition.org/, and click “Become a Member” if you would like to join the “chorus of concern.” Help us tell the ISMICC and other policymakers what we still want and need. We have to move beyond walls of anger and unite in action that does not divide our morals. So, I will continue looking for opportunities to have crucial conversations in 2018. Those conversations will include the issues that I raised in this NBC Bay Area interview that aired a couple of years ago. Sadly, our system has not improved much since it first aired. We still have to slay the monster and it is not my son. Soon I will post an update about my Danny and where he is today and how he is surviving solitary. Hope lives when we work together and provide treatment, not jail.