The PAIMI (Protection and Advocacy for Individuals with Mental Illness) regulations require the PAIMI program to have an advisory council to "advise the system on policies and priorities to be carried out in protecting and advocating the rights of individuals with mental illness."

PAIMI Advisory Council Members

Aleya Siegel
PAIMI Advisory Council Chair
Tamarac

Frank Blankenship
PAIMI Advisory Council Vice-Chair
Gainesville

Maria Bardo-Colon
Jacksonville

Lindsey Betterman
Key Largo

Enrique Escallon
Miami

Deborah Larew
Oviedo

Ariel Parets 
Valrico

Alvin Romer
Margate

Karina Smith
Boca Raton

Danielle Tate
St. Petersburg

Takita Williams
Jacksonville

About the PAIMI Advisory Council and How to Apply

The PAIMI Advisory Council is comprised of at least 60% primary mental health consumers with the chairperson being an individual who has received or is receiving mental health services or who has a family member who receives such services. Additional members of the PAIMI Advisory Council are family members of mental health consumers, attorneys, mental health professionals, providers of mental health services, and individuals from the public who are knowledgeable about mental illnesses.

If you are interested in applying for membership to the PAIMI Advisory Council, you can complete an online application. Or you can download the application as a Word document and mail it to:

PAC Application
Disability Rights Florida
2473 Care Drive, Suite 200
Tallahassee, Florida 32308