By-Laws of the NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council
Article I: Name:
The name of this organization is the NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council, hereafter referred to as NAMI-NC-PLC or the PLC.
Article II: Mission Statement and General Purpose:
The NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council was formed to advance the activities and involvement of those NAMI-NC members who have personally experienced a serious mental illness, hereafter referred to as peer members, at the local and state levels by actively participating in advocacy issues and program development.
This will be achieved by:
a) Working to enhance the respect, dignity, and civil/human rights of mental health peers.
b) Supporting the mission of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.
c) Communicating and advancing the mission of NAMI North Carolina through active participation in the peer movement.
d) Advising the NAMI-NC Board of Directors of the perspectives of their peer members.
e) Support our individual Affiliates with NAMI Signature trainings, NAMI Education Programs, and Signature support groups
f) Empowering and educating mental health peers to address their issues around care, treatment, services, mutual support, and peer rights.
g) Disseminating information and providing skills training to and for peers attending events such as the NAMIWalks, the Annual NAMI-NC Fall Conference, the CIT Conference, the Annual PLC Fall Retreat, and any other mental/behavioral health/recovery oriented conferences that reflect the mission of NAMI NC and that of the NAMI NC PLC.
h) Educate all our Peers on taking leadership roles within their respective local Affiliates.
Article III: NAMI Code of Ethics:
All NAMI North Carolina Peer members agree to be familiar with and abide by the NAMI Code of Ethics.
Article IV: Business Year:
The business year of the NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council shall begin on the first day of July of each year.
Article V: Membership:
All Peer members of the NAMI North Carolina are eligible for membership in the PLC. Members must be in good standing with their local NAMI-NC Affiliate, and have lived experienced a mental illness.
Article VI: Meetings:
Section 1. Meetings and Notice of Meetings
a) The Annual Business Meeting of the PLC should be held at the Annual NAMI-NC State Conference. Alternatively, it should be held as soon as is reasonably possible, post the annual conference, such as at the PLC annual Fall Retreat.
b) Regular meetings of the PLC may be called at the discretion of the PLC Executive Committee. An email notice (alternatively, a phone call/voicemail message, in the event a member does not have ready access to the Internet) will be discharged to each member at least 14 days prior to the date of such other regular meeting.
c) Emergency meetings may be called at the discretion of the Executive Committee Chair, the Executive Committee, or by petition of a minimum of ten (10) Peer member of the PLC Emergency meetings shall be called with 72-hour telephone or email notice.
d) All meetings of the PLC may be held either in-person, by video conferencing, by tele-conferencing, or hybrid conferencing.
Section 2. Quorum.
A quorum shall consist of a minimum of ten (10) PLC Members as is necessary to conduct any and all business of the NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council.
Section 3 Voting:
All qualified Peer members shall have voice and vote at all PLC Business Meetings.
Article VII: The Executive Committee of the NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council.
Section 1:
The North Carolina Peer Leadership Council Executive Committee shall conduct the business of the PLC between general meetings.
Section 2:
PLC Executive Committee shall consists of the Chair, Vice-Chair, Secretary, and three (3) “At –Large” Peer members for a total of six (6) members. All committee members are elected by a majority of Peer members voting at the PLC Business Meeting in September if a quorum is present.
Section 3:
All Executive Committee members serve a two-year term. Executive Committee members may not be elected to serve more than three (3) consecutive terms in any one office. Candidates must have six (6) months experience (membership) on the Peer Leadership Council or six (6) months of membership within a NAMI NC Affiliate. Nominations will also be accepted from the floor at the September PLC Business Meeting.
Section 4:
If an Executive Committee member cannot carry out their duties, the Executive Committee will notify the officer by email, or US mail, of a meeting to discuss the situation. The Committee member must receive the written notification at least two weeks prior to the meeting. After the meeting to discuss the situation, the PLC Executive Committee may decide, by two-thirds majority vote, to either continue the Committee member in that position; grant a leave of absence not to exceed four (4) months, during which time a replacement will be appointed by the Executive Committee; or vote to remove the Committee member from office. If the Executive Committee votes to remove the Committee member, said member may first be given the opportunity to resign by submitting a written resignation. Any Committee member may resign by informing the Chair in writing, with the exception of the Chair, who may resign by informing the PLC Executive Committee, as well as the NAMI-NC Board of Directors, in writing.
Section 5:
If an elected Committee member’s seat is vacated, the Executive Committee may vote to fill that position until the expiration of that position’s term. In the case of the Chair, the Vice-Chair shall assume the role of Chair and a new Vice-Chair shall be appointed until the next PLC Business meeting.
Section 6: Duties of the Chair.
(a) The Chair shall be the chief executive officer of the PLC.
(b) The Chair shall preside over all meetings of the PLC.
(c) The Chair shall be the primary liaison between the PLC and the State Office and the Executive Director of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of North Carolina.
(d) The Chair shall serve as a voting member of the Board of Directors of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of North Carolina as per the Bylaws of NAMI- NC. Appointment to the State Board of Directors shall be the length of the Chair’s term. When the Chair’s term of office on the Council expires, the newly elected Chair shall immediately fill that seat on the State Board of Directors.
(e) Attend the Annual NAMI National Convention.
(d) The Chair is an ex-officio member of all other committees, statutory, standing and ad hoc.
(f) The Chair will serve as the official spokesperson for the NAMI-NC Peer Leadership Council.
(g) The Chair will represent the NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council as voting
representative to the NAMI National Peer Leadership Council.
Section 7: Duties of the Vice-Chair
(a) The Vice Chair shall assume all the duties of the President should the President be unable to perform their duties.
(b) The Vice Chair shall perform any other duties assigned to the office by the President, the Executive Committee, or the PLC as a whole.
Section 8: Duties of the Secretary
(a) The Secretary shall be responsible for managing the records of the PLC.
(b) The Secretary shall send a notification to all PLC members of all upcoming meetings, teleconferences, videoconferences, and webinars.
(c) The Secretary shall also oversee the taking of minutes of all Council meetings, teleconferences, and video conferences and shall publish the same to the Council membership.
Section 9. Duties of the ‘At-Large” Members
The “At-Large“ members of the Executive Committee shall be assigned those duties as seen fit by the PLC Chair, the Executive Committee, or the PLC as a whole.
Article VIII: Committees.
Section 1.Statutory Committees
(a) Statutory Committees shall be permanent committee created by the PLC and codified in these by-laws. Chairs and committee members shall be designated by these by-laws.
(b) The following Statutory Committees are established:
The Executive Committee as per Article VII of these by-laws.
Section 2. Standing Committees.
The PLC Executive Committee may create standing committees, as deemed necessary, and designate a Chair for each committee. Standing committees shall exist for the entirety of the business year and most be re-appointed on July 1st. of each year.
Section 3. Ad Hoc Committees.
The PLC Executive Committee may also designate ad hoc committees to address important issues as they arise. Ad hoc committees will be terminated upon completion of the task. The Chair of the PLC will designate a Chair for any such ad hoc committee. Members of the Committee shall be appointed by the Committee chair with the approval of the PLC Executive Committee.
Article IX: Funding:
Section 1: The NAMI-NC Peer Leadership Council recognizes its responsibility to work with the local Affiliates of NAMI-NC to raise funds to their support programs and activities. To this end, The PLC shall not raise funds in competition with the local Affiliates.
Section 2: The PLC shall be given a yearly budget in the NAMI North Carolina State
Budget to defer expenses. The PLC representative to the State Board of Directors shall work with the NAMI North Carolina Budget Committee to secure this funding.
Section 3: Funds expended in the name of the NAMI-NC PLC shall be done by vote of either the Executive Committee or the PLC as a whole.
Article X: Amendments:
These by-laws shall be adopted by majority vote and amended by a majority vote cast at any business meeting of the NAMI-NC Peer Leadership Council if a quorum is present. Notice of proposed changes/amendments to the by-laws shall be sent with notice of the Annual Business Meeting.
Article XI: Rules of Procedure:
The rules contained in the current edition of Robert's Rules of Order, newly revised, should govern this council in all cases to which they are applicable and in which they are not inconsistent with the NAMI National By-Laws, NAMI North Carolina By-Laws, and NAMI North Carolina Peer Leadership Council By-Laws.