February 2017

Issue 2, Vol. VI

5205 Greenwood Ave. Ste 110 West Palm Beach, FL 33407

561-588-3477 www.namipbc.org

The Voice

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT

By Dr. Kelly Everson

Happy February NAMI members and supporters! For many of us time passes by so very quickly, for others it feels much slower. We had a great start to 2017! NAMI hosted many programs and events, spoke at schools and in the community, always try-ing to educate people and reduce the stigma of find-ing help and of mental illness itself.

What did you do this month to support the NAMI mission? Support can be in a small way, perhaps by speaking to a friend or loved one or even someone you have just met about what mental illness means to you and why it’s important to speak about it. Some of us share our own experiences or the experi-ences of a loved one who is living with mental illness and how this affects our daily lives. We now have celebrities coming out and discussing their own anx-ieties, postpartum struggles, mood disorders and more. This month brought us the passing of actress Carrie Fisher who was a strong advocate for mental health awareness and reducing the stigma of mental illness. Ms. Fisher had been living with bipolar disor-der. Then we heard of the sudden passing of her mother Debbie Reynolds, who many say passed of a broken heart. Isn’t this a prime, poignant example of why it is important for us to talk about what emo-tional experiences do to our physical health?

If you asked me what I did this month to reduce the stigma of mental illness in our community it would be this: I spoke to many parents that were struggling with telling their own families about their child’s diagnosis and treatment. I encouraged them to come to terms with these psychological words (that’s all a diagnosis has to be sometimes) and then embrace the strengths their children have. Just recently I had a 14-year-old adolescent boy in the office who was struggling with the fact that he was prescribed an antidepressant and feeling “shame” that he has a “mental illness.” He believed

We answered 226 phone calls

7 attended the Cognitive Enhancement Therapy

18 attended NAMI Ending the Silence

258 attended NAMI Presentations

63 participated in NAMI Peer Council and

N.O.W. activities

45 attended NAMI/PBC Family Support Groups

126 attended NAMI Connection Groups

38 attended the NAMI/PBC Y oung Adults Group

2 attended the NAMI/PBC Adolescent/Teen Sup-

port Groups

22 attended REACH For Teens

In December NAMI/PBC served

805 individuals

no one else he knew was struggling like this. It took me the entire session to help him understand that so many others, and likely so many other ado-lescents in his own school, struggle with similar concerns and take the same medication. I’m not sure exactly how much he internalized this from me that day, but it’s so important to have those conversations with others in the moment that they are struggling. They need to hear they are not alone. So, I would say to you, readers, sup-porters and educators of all levels of mental health awareness, you are not alone in your mis-sion. Let’s have another successful month of con-tinuing our work through NAMI Palm Beach Coun-

THINGS TO KNOW

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CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM By Dorothy Kelleher

If you have a loved one in crisis and need the services of a CIT officer, you should call 911 and give the necessary information to the dispatcher, making sure the dis-patcher understands that you do need a CIT officer sent to the scene. NAMI and CIT work closely together in providing this service.

NATIONAL EATING DISORDERS AWARENESS WEEK February 26-March 4

The goal of National Eating Disorders Awareness Week (#NEDAwareness) is to put the spotlight on eating disorders and improve public understanding of their causes, dangers and treatments. Millions of people across the country suffer from eating disorders, but by increasing awareness and access to re-sources, we can encourage early detection and intervention. Eating disorders have the highest mortality rate of any mental disorder, so early intervention can mean saving lives.

The Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness will host their “Celebrating EveryBODY” walk on March 4, 2017, at Tradewinds Park in Coconut Creek, FL. More than 850 individuals attended last year’s walk. 100% of the proceeds raised at the walk remain in Florida and pay for printing, production, and shipping of the Florida Eating Disorders Referral Guide. For more information on the walk, contact the Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness at 561-841-0900.

MARK YOUR CALENDARS FOR THE FOLLOWING NAMI GENERAL MEETINGS

TAX SAVINGS FOR FAMILIES WITH SPECIAL NEEDS

TUESDAY, February 28, 2O17, 6:00-7:30 PM

Presented by: Karen F. Greenberg, Director, MBA, CFP®, Enrolled Agent and Jaret L. Vogel, Associate Director and Special Needs Advisor

Prosperity Life Planning, Inc.

AND

JFK NORTH MENTAL HEALTH OUTPATIENT SERVICES PRESENTATION

THURSDAY, March 30, 2017, 6:00 PM

More details to follow.

All General Meetings are held at the NAMI PBC Office 5205 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 110

West Palm Beach, FL 33407

WHAT’S COMING UP

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Are You Ready To Catch A Whale…

Of a Good Time!?

Join the NAMI Peer Council Fishing Activity

Saturday, February 18, 2017 11:00 am

Lake Worth Pier: 10 Ocean Blvd, Lake Worth 33460

Reels, bait, pier entry (you don’t have to fish) will be

provided.

Bring: chair, lotion, hat

Registration is Requested By February 15 as space is limited.

Please call the NAMI Office at 561-588-3477.

NAMI PEER COUNCIL MEETING

Friday, February 24, 2017, 4:30 pm to 7:00 pm

Join us for Bingo and Pizza after the meeting

“The best vitamin for a friend…B-1”

NAMI Lake Worth Office, 1520 10th Avenue, N. Suite D, Lake Worth, FL 33460

Call Michael at 561-588-3477 to RSVP

On January 7, 2017, the NAMI Peer Council held its Annual Holiday Party at Tokyo Bay, the “Ultimate Upscale Buffet” with 43 attendees. The event was thoroughly enjoyed by all (photos be-low).

The NAMI on Wednesday (N.O.W.) enjoyed many projects last month, including making pet rocks, cre-

ating collages and learning calligraphy.

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Make sure you “drop in” for Arts & Crafts, Book Club,

Games, Speakers, Advocacy, Movies and more at NAMI On

Wednesdays (N.O.W.), 11:00 am - 4:00 pm. NAMI Lake Worth

Office, 1520 10th Avenue, N., Suite D., Lake Worth, FL.

For more information, call the NAMI office at 561-588-3477.

NAMI On WEDNESDAY (N.O.W.)

If you haven’t attended a NAMI National Convention, consider attending in 2017. The Convention will be held in Washington, D.C. Meet wonderful NAMI people from all over the country, attend stim-ulating workshops, presentations from renowned mental health ex-perts, learn exciting new developments in the area of brain science and research and network with other NAMI members to hear what’s

happening in other parts of the country. Most importantly, NAMI arranges a visit to Capitol Hill so we can advocate for mental health! Registration is easy. Just go to nami.org and click on “convention” at the top of the page. The earlier you register, the lower the rate. NAMI has also arranged to have blocks of rooms available at nearby ho-tels at reasonable rates. Make 2017 the year you Advocate for Mental Health!

THINGS TO KNOW

WHAT’S COMING UP

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NAMI Ending the Silence is a 50-minute mental health awareness program for middle and high school students. Teens learn how to recognize the early warning signs of mental illness and what to do if they or someone they know is exhibiting these signs. NAMI Ending the Silence instills a message of hope and recovery and encourages teens to reduce stigma and end the silence surrounding mental illness. We are available to present NAMI Ending the Silence at your school. Please contact Katherine Murphy at katherinemurphy@namipbc.org for more information.

PALM BEACH GARDENS

NAMI PBC will offer the FREE NAMI Family-to-Family Education Course on Tuesday and Thursday evening from February 21 through March 28, 2017, 6:00 pm-9:00 pm, at NOVA Southeastern Universi-ty, 11501 N Military Trail, Palm Beach Gardens, FL 33410.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

BOCA RATON NAMI PBC will offer the FREE NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program, on Wednesday, March 1 through May 24*, 6:00 pm - 9:00 pm, at Jewish Association for Residential Care (JARC), 21160 95th Ave S, Boca Raton, FL 33428. *NOTE: This course will meet every Wednes-day evening, with the exception of two dates in April. The class scheduled for April 12 will be held on Thursday, April 13, and there will be no class held the week of April 17-21.

REGISTRATION IS REQUIRED

NAMI PBC is pleased to announce it has scheduled two course offerings of the NAMI Family-to-Family Education. One in Palm Beach Gardens and one in Boca Raton, please see details below. For more in-formation or to register, contact Katherine Murphy at 561-588-3477.

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 12-session education program for family, partners, friends and signifi-cant others of adults living with mental illness. The course is designed to help all family members under-stand and support their loved one living with mental illness, while maintaining their own well-being. The course includes information on illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression and other mental health conditions. Thousands of families describe the program as life-changing. The pro-gram is taught by trained teachers who are also family members and know what it is like to have a loved one living with mental illness.

IN THE NEWS

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Remember us for holidays, birthdays and special occasions.

If you shop Amazon, make your purchases through smile.amazon.com and select NAMI Palm Beach County as your charity. NAMI will receive 0.5% of the purchase price with no cost to you!

On January 17, 2017, Donna Gephart received the Community Voice Award at the PBC Action Alli-ance for Mental Health Voice Awards.

Dear Members and Friends,

Thank you again for your participation in the amazing 2016 NAMIWalks event.

As you probably know, volunteers are the lifeblood of the NAMIWalks event. Without Vol-unteers there couldn’t be an event. This year we would like to create a NAMIWalks Com-mittee as soon as possible to get an early start. We are in need of 10 – 12 people, or more, who are willing to devote themselves to the plan-ning, organizing and fundraising efforts that will go into the 2017 NAMIWalks PBC 5K event this November. (Date to be announced.)

If you have an interest and have some free time, please let us know. There are many jobs and details that will need attending to in the coming months. We will be holding a Com-mittee meeting in the near future. Carol Passeser, 2017 NAMIWalks PBC Manager

NAMI PEER COUNCIL PRESIDENT

Michael Garden is resigning from his Peer Council President position effective the end of February. Michael has served with dedication for several years and he now feels it is someone else's turn to take the lead. Michael intends to remain a very active NAMI member. NAMI PBC is extremely grateful for all of his efforts. Michael clearly has gone "above and beyond" for NAMI. We wish him well in his new endeav-ors.

Peer and Family Support Groups

NAMI/PBC Connection Recovery Support Groups

Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D Lake Worth, FL 33460 Sat. 6:00-7:30pm

Delray Beach (Toole Building So. County Mental Health Center) 16158 S Military Trail, Delray Beach, FL 33484

Mon.. 1:45-2:45pm * & Wed. 10:15-11:15am

Hypoluxo (Amigos Group — Jeff Industries) 111 E Coast Avenue, Hypoluxo, FL 33462

Mon. 2:30-4:00pm *

Jupiter (Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network) 140 Intracoastal Pointe Dr., Suite 208, Jupiter, FL 33477 Mon. 5:30-7:00pm

*Groups will not meet on Feb. 20, 2017

NAMI/PBC Young Adults Group 18-35 Year Olds

Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D, Lake Worth, FL 33460 First 3 Fridays of the month 6:30-8:00pm

NAMI/PBC Family Support Groups West Boca (Glades Road Library) 20701 95th Ave., South, Boca Raton, FL 33434 3rd Monday 6:00-7:30pm * Rescheduled in February to February 27, 2017

Delray Beach Fair Oaks Pavilion, Classroom A, 5440 Linton Blvd., Delray Beach, FL 33446 2nd Tuesday 7:00-8:30 pm

Jupiter (Southeast Behavioral Health) 140 Intracoastal Pointe Dr, Ste 208, Jupiter, FL 33477 3rd Wednesday 6:30-8:00pm

Wellington (Wellington Regional Library) 1951 Royal Fern Drive, Wellington, FL 33414 2nd Monday 6:30-8:00pm ON HOLD

Other Local Support Groups for Peers

GROUP MEETINGS

South County Mental Health Center Depression Bipolar Support Alliance 16158 S Military Trail, Delray Beach, FL 33484 1-877-858-7474 for directions ALL DISORDERS (Building E. — Toole Building) Wed. 7:00-9:00pm

Peer Place Support Center 2100 45th Street, Suite B12, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 561-712-0584 for directions and information Schizophrenics Anonymous Mon, Wed, Fri. 2:00pm-3:00pm DRA (Living in the Now) (12 Step Co-occurring) Tues,

Thurs, Sat. 10:30am-11:30am Peer Support Mon.-Fri. 9:00am-4:00pm; Sat. 9am-1pm

Fair Oaks Pavilion (Behind Delray Community Hospital) 5440 Linton Blvd, Ste 1010, Delray Beach, FL 33484 Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) Mon. 7:00 pm 561-716-7511 Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network) 140 Intracoastal Pointe Dr., Suite 208, Jupiter, FL 33477 561-633-7525 for information Depression/Bipolar Thurs. 7:00-8:30pm

West Boca Medical Education Center 21644 State Road 7, Boca Raton, FL 33428 For directions and info: Jason Spielman 954-217-1757 OCD 1st Thurs. 7:30-8:30pm

Trauma Support Group Center for Trauma Counseling, Inc. 801 Lake Worth Road, Suite 101, Lake Worth, FL 33467 Tues. 6:30-8:00 pm, Contact Helya 561-444-3914

Support for Eating Disorders Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness 1649 Forum Place, #2, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 561-841- 0900 Mon. 7:00-8:30pm (Eating Disorders Adult Women) Tues. 7:00-8:30pm (Binge Eating Disorder Adult Co-Ed) Weds. 7:00-8:30pm (Friends & Family) Thurs. 7:00-8:30pm (Eating Disorders Adult Co-Ed) Sat. 10:00-11:30am (Eating Disorders Adult Co-Ed)

Jupiter 50 South US Highway 1, Suite 309, Jupiter, FL 33477 Grades 7-8: Mon. 5:30-6:30pm Grades 9-12: Mon. 6:30-7:30pm

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NAMI/PBC N.O.W. (NAMI on Wednesdays)

Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D, Lake Worth, FL 33460 Wed. 11:00am-4:00pm Drop-in

NAMI Teen Group — Social/Recreation If interested, contact the NAMI office for more details at 561-588-3477.

NAMI/PBC Adolescent Support Group - Registration Required

NOTE: Support groups are subject to change. Please call NAMI PBC at 561-588-3477 to confirm details.

Non-Profit Organization

US Postage Paid

West Palm Beach, FL

Permit No. 1327

National Alliance on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County

Mollie Wilmot Center—Palm Healthcare Pavilion

5205 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 110

West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Or Current Resident

NAMI Membership exists at 3 levels: Affiliate, State & National. NAMI is a 501(c)(3) non-

profit, charitable organization—contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Together, we can continue to fight for all those affected by mental illness. PLEASE NOTE: In

order for NAMI/PBC to receive your full donation, please send your donation to the NAMI/

PBC office. Thank you!

Contributions benefit NAMI|PBC, a not for profit tax exempt organization. A COPY OF

THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF NAMI|PBC

(CH 6498), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SER-

VICES AT WWW.800HELPFLA.COM OR BY CALLING TOLL FREE 1-800-435-

7352 WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY EN-

DORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. NAMI|PBC

receives 100% of each contribution.

Members are NAMI/PBC’s lifeblood; your member-ship helps us continue to

provide free outreach, support & education. In bringing mental health

issues to wider attention, we advocate for better

treatment. As our mem-bership base grows, our voice becomes stronger.

Respect, Compassion & Hope … NAMI Works!

I’d like to support NAMI PBC with a donation of: __ $25 __ $50 __ $100

other: $____

5205 Greenwood Ave., Suite 110, West Palm Beach, FL 33407

T: 561.588.3477 F: 561.588-3499

Email: info@namipbc.org Website: namipbc.org

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