Sister of Navy Yard mass shooter speaks out about untreated mental illness

Janet Hays interviews Naomi Alexis, Sister of Navy Yard mass shooter Aaron Alexis, about her brother's untreated serious mental illness [SMI].
Aaron Alexis showed symptoms of mental illness throughout his life but his illness went undiagnosed and ignored for years. The result was that he was violent toward his sisters and later became a danger to himself and others. He shot and killed 13 people including himself at a Navy Yard in Washington D.C. in the fall of 2013.
Discussed are issues of stigma, the broken mental health care system and advocacy for legislation that is meant to specifically address people impacted by untreated serious mental illness through providing more funding for Assisted Outpatient Treatment and hospital beds, and policy changes that put medical professionals at the helm of federal agencies that distribute dollars meant to help SMI people.
On July 6th, the House passed H.R. 2646 - "The Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act" with a vote of 422 - 2. http://www.graydc.com/content/news/Comprehensive-mental-health-bill-heads-to-the-senate--386702681.html
Families across the nation who are advocating for their loved ones are now urging that the Senate adopt and pass H.R. 2646 (or some sort of companion bill) before the end of the summer.

For more information about proposed federal legislation folks should visit:
Treatment Advocacy Center's website: http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/

and, on Facebook, Mental Illness Policy Org: https://www.facebook.com/Mental-Illness-Policy-Org-323404203517/?fref=ts

For more information about how to get involved with local New Orleans' advocates, email: HealingMindsNOLA [at] gmail.com