nami columbus newsletter - july 2010

8/9/2019 NAMI Columbus Newsletter - July 2010

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Support Education July 2010 ~~~ Page 1 of 8 Advocacy Research

With more than 1,100 affiliates

nationwide, NAMI is America's

largest grassroots mental health

organization dedicated to improving

the lives of individuals and families

affected by mental illness.

Inside This IssueMessage from Mimi 2Road to Recovery 3

Advocacy 4Calendar & Upcoming Events 5Volunteer Possibilities 6This & That 7Membership Application 8

NAMI Columbus, P.O. Box 8581,Columbus, GA 31908

(706) 320-3755Email: [email protected] ~~

www.nami.org/sites/NAMIColumbusGA

Board of DirectorsMimi Marlowe, President

Kristine Walls, Vice President

Doris Keene, Secretary

Mimi Marlowe, Acting Treasurer

Sue Knight

Sue Marlowe

Linda Peters

Steve Scott

Amy Zabel

Perry Alexander, Advisor

Buddy Coiner, AdvisorDavid Wallace, Advisor

Georgia Crisis & Access LineSingle Point ofEntry to access

mental health, addictive disease and

crisis services 24/7

1-800-715-4225

However, we are having a get-together this month. And that event is our

Kickoff Luncheon (KOL) that will be held on Tuesday, July 27. The purposeof the luncheon is to:

1. Bring people together to motivate and inspire them to assist in raisingawareness and money for the NAMIWalks;

2. Give information and training to make them effective at fundraisingfor our Walk; and

3. Distribute the materials they will need to do the job.

NAMIWalks is the largest fundraiser for our affiliate. We need funds to fulfilour mission and provide education and support to those in our communitywho need it. Remember when you needed it and how you felt when youattended Family-to-Family or Peer-to-Peer or one of our weekly supporgroups. We also need money to do our outreach to those who dont evenknow about NAMI Columbus yet. There are too many who dont know of us.

Our goal for the 2010 NAMIWalks is $40,000. That means we need a lot opeople helping to raise awareness which leads to contributions to our Walk.

What Im asking you to do is to think about how you will contribute to ou2010 Walk. You can:

Be a team captain and ask other people to walk and raise money forNAMI Columbus, or

Be a walker on someone elses team and help raise money.

If you want to be a team captain, please mark July 27, 11:00am 1:00pmon your calendar. Well have lunch, training on how to be a team captainand lots and lots of fun. Lets show all these other walk events (for cancer

autism, alzheimers, etc.) that NAMI Columbus cares about our cause andknows how to do it up big. To do that, WE NEED YOU!!!!!!

Please call the NAMI Columbus office (706-320-3755) or email us([email protected]) to make reservations or get more information.

~~ Mimi Marlowe

Our Areas Voice on Mental Illness

July 2010

NO Monthly Education MeetingIn July

Please read Important Membership

Information on page 7 of this newsletter.


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Message from MimiMessage from MimiMessage from MimiMessage from MimiI have belonged to a number of membership organizations over the last 30 years. Im definingmembership as a group of people who get together based on a common interest. I see NAMI as amembership organization with a common interest in mental health. For most of us, this commoninterest is forced by difficult, unwanted circumstances but we are still a group with a bond.

Some of the organizations I have joined in the past were good and some were a disappointment. thought back to those that werent fulfilling to me to see what was lacking. And Ive come up with the

answer. The organization didnt know, or seem to care, what I wanted to get from my membership. So Ive been thinkingabout NAMI Columbus and wondering if our organization is fulfilling your expectations. I cant come up with an answebecause I dont know your expectations.

I could assume that we arent providing what you want because we seem to have such low attendance at some of ourmeetings, such as our monthly education meetings. I have wondered if we are providing the guest speakers you want tohear. But the real question might be Do you even want to have a monthly meeting? How will the leadership of NAMColumbus know what you really want if we dont get your input?

NAMI Columbus is trying to do a lot of things but we have very few people who volunteer. We cant continue or well haveno one to provide the core signature programsour education classes (Peer-to-Peer and Family-to-Family) and supportgroups (Family Support and NAMI Connection). If we dont have the signature programs, we wont survive as anorganization. Then we wont be able to fulfill our mission of helping to alleviate the suffering of those affected by mentaillness. Beyond the signature programs, what else should we provide? What do you want us to do?

We need YOU in order to answer that question. Youll soon be receiving a survey (through email or U.S. mail) askingsome basic questions about what you want. Now, the typical response rate for an online survey is 32% and less than thaif done through the mail. Im asking you to PLEASE spend a few minutes (less than 10) to respond to the survey. If youdo nothing else, please let us know your needs so we can meet your expectations.

~~ Mimi Marlowe, President

Jewel Norman, Georgia MH Ombudsman

We were very fortunate to have Jewel Norman speak at ourNAMI Columbus monthly education program last month.She took time to come from Atlanta to let us know what herrole is and also to ask us to help her. One of the first thingsMs. Norman told us is that people in Atlanta know NAMI andthat we are more powerful than we might know.

Ms. Norman said her responsibility is two-fold. She is to (1)review with a medical team all the deaths (one is too many)that take place in a state hospital or are connected to anyother organization having a contract with the state, and (2)support and protect consumers to the best of her ability.

Most calls coming into her office are from parents of adult

consumers. One of the difficulties with these calls is HIPAA.However, that shouldnt stop us from calling.

Ms. Norman said three databases are kept by theOmbudsmans office. They include:1. Calls from consumers with complaints;2. Stays in the ER which is a serious problem in our state

because of the length of the stay; and3. Deaths of a consumer.

We can really help Ms. Norman right now by providingdata on ER stays. She wants to know of anyone with amental illness or co-occurring disorder that is kept 72hours or longer or is kept in restraints or handcuffs.

You can help by contacting the NAMI Columbus office(706-320-3755 or [email protected]) with the followinginformation:

Name of hospital and city Patients first name and last initial Admission time Disposition time Length of time waiting for a bed Where did the consumer went (shelter, etc.)

We will be the clearing house and forward the informationon to Ms. Norman.

Lets help someone who is trying to do something tochange the mental health system. Heres where we canmake a difference by giving critical information tosomeone advocating for us.

~~ Mimi Marlowe

2010:

Year of the Volunteer


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Is Mental illness a sign of moral weakness?Being a man, I have long held on to the popular misconception that "real men dont get depressed" and if you do, it is a

sign of a character flaw or of being weak. The image of real men that I grew up with is something like what you would see

in a movie starring someone like John Wayne, Clint Eastwood or Sylvester Stallone, in one of their death-defying roles.

This false definition of real manhood states that we are always strong, resilient & able-to-conquer-all-no-matter-what

and by all means, never depressed or suffering from a mental illnesses.

It was not long into my adolescent years before I realized that I was lacking in many of these strength attributes o

manhood, because I was always depressed and felt so hopeless. Unfortunately, I did not know that there was such a

thing as clinical depression, so I just thought that I was some kind of oddball. To be honest, I cant remember a time in my

life when I was not depressed, but I learned to hide my feelings from others, especially since big boys dont cry! I always

knew that I had this hole in my soul that I never seemed to be able to fill. It does not help that I am somewhat of an

introvert, and I have a hard time trusting people. I learned a long time ago that the best way to survive in this turbulent

world is to put on my best mask and to hide my true emotions from people. After all, who wants to see a real man cry in

public or talk about the fact that he thinks about dying so much because the pain of living is just too unbearable.

I tried everything in my power to get rid of the pain, whether it was something positive like religious dedication and

activity, or even the negative like sexual promiscuity or viewing pornography. But no matter what I tried, the hole was stil

there and not only was it making my life miserable, but it was affecting my job performance and my relationships with

other people. The irony is that because I wore the mask so much (and so well) few people knew that I was suffering on

the inside. No one could see how I desperately wanted the pain inside to end and how I would have ended my own life if I

could have summoned the courage to do so. I felt like a complete and utter failure. After all, arent men who ge

depressed morally weak? At least this was the question that I asked myself. It is not socially acceptable for us men toexpress our emotions or feelings of despair; if we do so, and do so too often, we may be deemed weak or worse, a punk,

and this is really not good especially if you want to move up in the corporate world.

It has taken me a long time to realize and start to accept that struggling with a mental illness is not a sin or a sign of weak

character. If anything, it only confirms that I am human. Struggling with a mental illness does not mean I am a failure

anymore than having cancer makes someone a weakling. Thank goodness for NAMI and the work that it does in helping

to overcome the stigma of mental illness.

~~ Anonymous

NAMI is pleased to be working with the College of Psychiatric and Neurological Pharmacists to offer a new section where

Psychiatric Pharmacists write and answer questions that they experience in the course of their work with individuals with

mental illness. We will periodically be posting new questions and answers so be sure to check back frequently. Go to

http://www.nami.org/template.cfm?section=Ask_the_Pharmacist for more information.

THE TO RECOVERYNAMI Columbus C.A.R.E.S.ConsumersAchievingRecovery thruEducation & Support


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AdvocacyAdvocacyAdvocacyAdvocacy NewsNewsNewsNewsThings I learned (or re-learned) at NAMI

Convention 2010

Since Ive attended four NAMI Conventions previously,I wondered before this one if I would learn anything

new or if it would all be a re-hash of things I alreadyknew. The single, most important, thing that Iabsorbed from this years convention was I fell in lovewith NAMI all over again. Watching friends andparents, members of law enforcement, elected officialsand consumers who are in recovery work to helpconsumers achieve recovery and never again getcaught up in the criminal justice system wasinnervating. Innervate means to cause a muscle,organ, or other part of the body to act. NAMI hasbecome one big heart which is acting to helpconsumers of mental health services achieve recoveryand to change the mental health system as we knowit. The theme for this year was "Reform andRecovery: The Road from Here." That was ironic tome as thats what we mean by our name for thesection of the NAMI Columbus newsletter on page 3.The Road to Recovery covers many different pathsand directions. There IS no one way that peoplereach recovery. For each person, it is finding whatworks best and then following that path.

Ever since the Federal Government started emptyingthe mental institutions (with a promise of communityservices), people have been winding up in anotherinstitution, that of jail or prison. There are many, manymore people receiving treatment for mental illness

while incarcerated than there are in hospitals. Lawenforcement recognizes the injustice this has causedand many have become impassioned advocates forCIT or mental health courts in order to try to changethis practice. Law enforcement was at the NAMIConvention working hard to teach NAMI communitiesto spread the message of hope and change that CITand mental health courts bring. I primarily attendedCIT (Crisis Intervention Team) and/or Criminal Justiceworkshops this year.

The Godfather of CIT, Maj. Sam Cochran (retd)presented at two of the workshops I attended. He and

two NAMI Mommies from Memphis began what is nownationally known as the Memphis Model for CIT in1988. Since he retired, he has been devoting his timeto bringing the CIT program to every community inAmerica. He is a lifetime member of NAMI and wasvery vocal about communities should not even thinkabout bringing a CIT program on board unless there isa NAMI there that can maintain a strong presence andensure fidelity to the CIT ideals. I fell in love with CIT

again while listening to Maj. Cochran. He related a few morethings that other CIT programs are doing that I would like toimplement here. A third workshop that I went to was creating aCIT for Youth program. This is primarily a training for schooresource and DARE Program officers.

I attended another workshop called: Decriminalizing Menta

Illness: Making the Case for JusticeReinvestment DuringDifficult Economic Times. Pete Early, the author of CRAZY: AFathers Search Through Americas Mental Health Madnesswasone of the presenters. His was the most impassionedpresentation I saw. I began crying halfway through his talk. Thestatistics he quoted and examples of unfairness wereheartrending. The short piece he showed of Dade County Jailsmental health ward (the Forgotten Floor) was simply awful. Wesaw 3 people in a 1 person cell; freezing temperatures (to keepthe prisoners calm); doctors seeing each patient for an averageof 12- seconds, etc. He said, if we had these conditions in ananimal shelter, the outcry would be deafening. Mr. Early saidone other thing that made me sit up. He said diverting people

from jail is great and its the right thing to do. But, he added, it isnot if theres nowhere else or not enough places to divert themto. We need a system that diverts people to RECOVERY. Go toPete Earlys BLOG to learn more: www.peteearley.comEspecially read NAMI Changed My Life.

I took many more notes than what Ive written about, but theresonly a finite amount of space in our newsletter. If you havenever attended a NAMI Convention, please, please go to nextyears which will be held in Chicago. Going to a NAMConvention is the time you learn where YOU want to make adifference. The road to in-difference is no longer acceptable.

~~Sue Marlowe

Sue & Sam (Sue Marlowe & Major Sam Cochran at

the NAMI National Convention)


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UpcomingUpcomingUpcomingUpcoming NAMI EventsNAMI EventsNAMI EventsNAMI EventsJuly 2010 Minority MH Awareness Month August 2010No Monthly Education Meeting1-3 NAMI National Convention, Wash. DC12-16 Columbus Police Dept. CIT16-18 NAMI GA Facilitator Training, Atlanta (NAMI

Connection and Family Support Group)27 NAMI GA Walk Kickoff Luncheon

9 Mental Health Court Graduation16 Monthly Education Program23-27 Muscogee County Sheriffs Office CIT

September 2010 October 20109 Family-to-Family Week 1 (Ends 11-18)18 NAMI Georgia Walk 2010 (Atlanta)19 Peer-to-Peer Week 1 (Ends 11-21)20 Monthly Education Program

3 -9 MIAW (MI Awareness Week)4-8 Columbus Police Dept. CIT18 Monthly Education Program30 NAMI Cols Semi-annual Yard SaleTBD Georgia CIT Awards Banquet

Support GroupsEvery Monday night, 6:00-7:30 pm Family/Friend and NAMI Connection Recovery Support GroupsEvery Saturday 1:00-2:30 pm NAMI Connection Recovery Support GroupMeeting Location:

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups meets at The Bradley Centers Multipurpose Room(use 22nd Street Parking Lot)

Family/Friend Support Group meets at the CONTACT Training Building, 1520 22nd Street

Whats coming up that we want to highlight

NAMI Columbus Kickoff Luncheon for NAMI Georgia Walk 2010 will be held on Tuesday, July 27, aCONTACT. If youre interested in being a Team Captain, come eat and learn with us. Call the NAMColumbus office at 706-320-3755 to make a reservation.

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), October 3-9,is coming up. It will be here before we know it sowe need to begin planning now. In the past we have had a Prayer Luncheon on Tuesday of this week budidnt have one last year. So I want us to get back to what I consider a very important function. This yeawe can talk with clergy/lay leaders who attend about our Faith Outreach effort. Well talk more about thisnext month but put Tuesday, October 5, in your calendar.

Peer Support Warm Line at 1-888-945-1414 (toll-free)The Georgia Mental Health Consumer Network operates a state-funded, consumer-

directed warm line for anyone struggling with mental health issues, 24 hours a day.


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Were looking for a few good men, or women, to help us in the following areas:

Mental Health Court NAMI representative: NAMI Columbus has supported the MHC since its inception. One way wedo this is by having two NAMI representatives attend each court session to talk with people in the program and their familymembers about our support groups and education programs.

Each court session lasts approximately two hours (1:00-3:00pm) on the first and third Friday of the month. The major responsibility of a rep is to talk to people about NAMI and encourage them to attend a support group

meeting (NAMI Connection for consumers or the family support group). A flyer is available to hand out. Someone experienced will go with you at the beginning so you can see what this is all about. All we need is YOU!

CIT Chef: We have a CIT (Crisis Intervention Team) training class almost every month from now until the end of the yearSue has added a Lunch with a Consumer to our program and you can help. We feed the trainees while they listen to aconsumer tell his/her story. Its amazing the impact this has on the trainees understanding of and empathy for thoseaffected by mental illness. Please call 706-320-3755 if you want to come cook for the cause!

NAMI Columbus Greeter: We want people to have a good experience when they come to a NAMI education meeting.

Do you like people and want to make them comfortable when they come to our monthly meetings? The NAMI ColumbusHospitality Committee could use you as a Greeter. You would be one of two people and your responsibilities wouldinclude: Warmly greeting people as they arrive (wearing one of those famous NAMI smiles). Asking each person to sign in. Connecting new people to NAMI members who can help them become comfortable at our meeting.

Were working diligently on matching NAMI Columbus needs to the

interests of our volunteers. If youre looking for new opportunities, come

to this page each month. Think about it! What are you passionate about?

What are you interested in? How can you connect to NAMI Columbus?

What opportunities does NAMI Columbus have that would fulfill your need

to give back to the organization that helped you in your time of crisis? If you see something that interests you, please contact us (706-320-3755

[email protected]).

SPECIAL VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITYTwo of NAMIs signature programs are the NAMI Connection and NAMI Family Support groups. Many of ournewest members come to us as a result of these well-facilitated groups. We have some facilitators who havegenerously volunteered their time for several years. Now its time to bring in some new people and let others

have a little rest.

NAMI Connection Facilitators are individuals living with mental illnesses and are at a point in recovery where theywant to "give back" to others. They attend an intense training designed to help them develop the skills they needto facilitate a NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group.

As a facilitator, youll be well-trained and follow a model that makes it easy (most of the time) to facilitate asupport group. A training class for both the family and NAMI Connection group is scheduled for July 16-18.NAMI Georgia will pay for your hotel and food. If you have an interest in helping NAMI Columbus and think thismight be something you would like to do, please contact the office (706-320-3755) and we can discuss it infurther detail.

Current NAMI Columbus Volunteer Opportunities


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TTTTHHHHIS ANDIS ANDIS ANDIS ANDTTTTHATHATHATHAT

Cleaning out your house and donating itemsto NAMI Columbus for our October 30, 2010yard sale. If you have unwanted items and cantkeep them until October (particularly furniture), pleasecall the NAMI Columbus office (706-320-3755) tomake arrangements. Weve already received someitems. Thank you.

Using Goodsearch.com as your searchengine. A lot of people ask what Goodsearch is andI tell them what it is and why we want to use it. Ithelps us make money for our affiliate every timesomeone uses this search engine. And you can buythings online with a percentage of the money comingback to NAMI Columbus. Help us make money theeasy way.

What are they smiling about?

Important Membership Information Membership Directory. We are preparing to prin

another NAMI Columbus phone directory this monthand we publish the name and telephone number of alour members. If you do not want to have youname/number included in the directory (which goes tomembers only), please call the NAMI Columbus office(706-320-3755) and let us know before July 15, 2010.

NAMI Columbus Dues. Thank you if you havealready renewed your dues for NAMI Columbus. Be

looking in your email inbox/mail box as well besending our renewal notices soon. If you know youexpiration date and havent renewed yet, please usethe form on page 8 and mail it to us.

Gisela Poesing for your tireless dedication as a NAMIColumbus volunteer. In addition to being a teacher forFamily-to-Family, she also works tirelessly at our semi-annual yard sales. In 2010, Gisela became a greeter at

our monthly education meetings and does a terrific jobof welcoming people to our program meetings.

Donna Cassell for all your support to NAMI Columbus.In addition to letting us use CONTACT for our monthlyeducation and family support group meetings, Donnahas the distinction of having served two home-cookedmeals at every CIT class NAMI Columbus has hostedin 2010. Way to go!!!

Have You Heard Shon Ellis, a new member of NAMI

Columbus, has agreed to chair our2010 NAMIWalks Kickoff Luncheon being held on July27. She is working with Mimi Marlowe to learn abouNAMIWalks and is excited about the possibilities for theluncheon and for the September 18 Walk.

Next years NAMI National Convention will be inChicago, July 6 9. If youve never been to one othese events, youre really missing something. Starsaving your pennies now so we can have a lot of NAMColumbus folks attending in 2011.

Jean Dervan, Program Director for NAMI Georgia, wonthe NAMI National Peer-to-Peer Distinguished Awardfor tripling the number of classes held in 2009 over2008.

Dan Hagaman, NAMI GA President with Mimi &

Sue Marlowe at the NAMINational Convention.

CIT Graduates, June 18, 2010


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Columbus P.O. Box 8581, Columbus, GA 31908, (706) 320-3755The Areas Voice on Mental Illness

Please Cut and Mail

NAMI National, NAMI Georgia and NAMI

Columbus are dedicated to eradicating stigma andimproving the lives of persons with mentalillnesses thereby also benefiting their friends,family and community. Catch the wave and be apart of change.

NAMI Columbus is a 501(c)(3) non-profitcharitable organization. Dues and donations aretax deductible. Your membership includes asubscription to our monthly newsletter,membership directory, and access to immediatenews on advocacy, treatment and support issuesfrom our national, state and local organizations.

Please make checks payable to:NAMI ColumbusP.O. Box 8581Columbus, Georgia 31908

You can also join safely online at www.nami.org/join($35.00 by credit card).

I want to support NAMI Columbusand NAMIs mission.

Name

Address

City State Zip

Phone Numbers

E-Mail (Please include so we can be green and email youour monthly newsletter.)

Please check type of membership desired: Do not include my name in the NAMI Columbus phone

directory (for members only) Individual Membership $30 Dues Professional Membership $50 Dues

(Individual and Professional Dues are for one yearand are tax deductible.)

$3 Open Door Membership (low income) I am not joining at this time, but I would like to make a

contribution of $ ______________. (Thank you!!!)

nami columbus newsletter - july 2010

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