A devastating new reality may be quickly approaching for those in St. Tammany Parish who receive free mental health services from the National Alliance on Mental Illness, also known as NAMI.
As negotiations are underway between the organization and parish leaders to keep services on the Safe Haven Campus in Mandeville, peers like Bonnie Tischendorf and Margaret Boston who attend the day center are left in limbo.
“I don’t want to leave,” Tischendorf said.
“I felt angry and disappointed with St. Tammany Parish,” Boston said.
According to NAMI leaders, St. Tammany Parish is asking them to pay around $160,000 per year to stay on the Safe Haven Campus. According to St. Tammany Spokesman Michael Vinsanau, the cost is market value for the eight buildings NAMI is currently operating out of. He claims if NAMI doesn’t want all eight buildings, the cost per year will be less.
“It’s not a philosophical issue with rent; I don’t have it.” Nick Richard, NAMI’S executive director, said. So, proposing something to me, knowing because they have our financials, knowing that I’m unable to do it, is not intellectually honest in the negotiation.”
Tuesday, Boston and Tischendorf explained what losing NAMI could look like for them.
Tischendorf told WDSU she’s been a participant of the program for ten years. She said during that time she worked through a haunting past.
“My mother and father were abusive to me, I dealt with an uncle who had sex with me, and I had a child at 13,” Tischendorf said. “It’s helped me sit here and be able to talk to people and tell them how I feel and what’s on my mind. They don’t judge you because of what you been through.”
As NAMI pours into her, Tischendorf said she pours back into NAMI, assisting them with cleaning and maintaining the garden.
“President Mike Cooper believes in what NAMI does, and we need mental health services in this parish, maybe now more than ever.” Vinsanau said, “but again you have to juggle the fiscal responsibility of it.”
READ MORE:‘I don’t want leave’: NAMI peers brace for eviction from Safe Haven Campus
