After 30 years, dozens of Mental Health Commissioners and Governors, the Wyatt Case finally comes to a close.  Last Friday, December 5, 2003, Judge Thompson held a public "fairness" hearing from the stakeholders of the system.  There were numerous consumers there to speak about the continued problems in the system and the fears that the state would backslide without a federal judge providing oversight.  Governor Bob Riley attend and stayed the entire time and consequently heard the complaints and the support for dismissal of the case based on the state's performance over the last three years.  State Finance Director also spoke and assured the court that "……there has not been a suggestion or even hint in the budget deliberations concerning the FY 2005 budget to cut the Mental Health budget.  At the very least, the Department of Mental Health will be level funded."
Greg Carlson on behalf of NAMI Alabama also provided testimony at the hearing supporting the termination of the case so that the resources both monetarily and manpower can now be directed to improvement of the services system.  Below are the comments made by Greg:

Good Morning.  Thank you for this opportunity to speak on behalf of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Alabama (NAMI Alabama) and the thousands of our members who have loved ones with serious and persistent mental illness and who must rely on the public system of hospital and community based services.  As the 1^st Vice President for NAMI Alabama, I have the honor of representing our families on many of the DMH Committees including the Management Steering Committee.  I also chair the Alabama Mental Illness Planning Council which is mandated by federal statute to "review, monitor and evaluate" the state's block grant plan and implementation.
First of all, I would like to say that we at NAMI were skeptical and concerned about the settlement agreement just three years ago due to our perception that the state would not be able to fulfill the stipulations of that agreement.  As family members, we have all too often heard promises before, only to feel disappointment when a new administration entered the picture.  We were once again wary of this past election and the advent of still one more new administration.  We praise Governor Riley for his wisdom and courage in retaining Commissioner Sawyer that provided the stability needed to see this settlement to a conclusion.
But it has occurred to us now that even when a new administration and a new commissioner become a reality in the future, the management and planning structure that consumer and family driven will continue because it is now mandated in the Alabama Administrative Code.  We thank Commissioner Sawyer for her intelligence, foresight, and experience in working within a state bureaucracy such that she incorporated the management steering committee structure into regulation so that it will live on beyond us.
The Governor, Legislature and the Commissioner signed on to a set of stipulations three years ago that, in our opinion, have been fulfilled.  This performance warrants closure to this settlement and this court case. 
While we still have much more to accomplish toward improving the lives of persons with serious mental illness and their families, we have made significant progress together over the past decade and especially the last three years.  Are we satisfied with the current system?  The answer is no.  Will we ever be satisfied with the publicly funded system of treatment and care for our loved ones? Probably not.  Not until there is a cure will we ever be satisfied.  However, we are satisfied that the DMH achieved what it had promised three years ago.
NAMI Alabama stands ready to work with the DMH until there is no longer a need for institutions.     Cont'd on pg. 2