CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — The frigid weather is impacting the NAMI Greater Corpus Christi's mission of bringing attention to mental illness at the legislative session in Austin Texas this week.
NAMI member Heather Loeb and chapter administrator Angela Horner planned to rally at the steps of the Texas capitol this Wednesday -- until mother nature interrupted.
While the group had to cancel their trip to Austin, they said they will not stop until they receive more resources and funding for mental health programs.
The local NAMI members were set to take 40 people from the Coastal Bend and meet up with chapters from across the state.
"Angela and I both have severe mental illness but who would think that," Loeb said.
When it comes to mental illness, Loeb said it is about putting a name to the face. The organization has a long list of of what they would like to see become legislative priorities like what's called non-medical switching.
"Like a volunteer tell a story of a family member who died by suicide because an insurance company switched medications without them knowing because they would not approve the medication that was actually working," Horner said.
NAMI is also fighting to make sure residents are properly connected through to suicide crisis call centers like 988. Residents who need the help are connected with a trained counselor who can talk them through a mental health crisis.
Loeb said that there are not enough counselors to pick up the phone, something she found out herself when faced with her own crisis a few years back.
"I couldn't get through, " Loeb said. "I remember being so upset, I look down and it said there were 76 people ahead of you in the cue. I did give up, I didn't do anything rash that night, but this is why we need more crisis centers and call centers."
Monday, the women presented a crisis intervention training for a group of police cadets. Loeb said she never thought she would be in an advocacy role that would allow her to help put on a training -- let alone work on her own piece of legislation to introduce. Something that was inspired by a situation involving her own daughter.
"Last year when my daughter was seven, she came into the room she was just sobbing. I asked her what was wrong, she said 'so and so has COVID, and I don't want to get it and kill grandma,' grandma is immunocompromised," Loeb said.
She added that she gave her daughter a mental health break from school to speak with her about it.
"I thought 'wow' you know with everything these kids are going through, they need mental health breaks," Loeb said.
Loeb is now working with NAMI as well as state senator Judith Zaffirini from Laredo to try and get a bill introduced to allow mental health days for kids in school.
"We have a whole team of people fighting to make these laws better, who may not feel they have a voice," Horner said.
NAMI said the meeting with law makers now most likely won't happen until April or May, which is near the end of the legislative session.