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NAMI CENTRAL MIDDLESEX, MA
October 2014
Vol. 31 / No. 2
Becky Hadden, Editor
NAMI Connections—a Recovery Support Group
If you are facing a mental health
challenge, you will be pleased to
know that NAMI (National Alliance
on Mental Illness) now has two Connections groups starting: one in
LITTLETON and the other in
WEST CONCORD. These are for
people with lived experience.
What can you expect? The structure of Connections, led by trained
NAMI peer facilitators, allows participants to bring a topic to the table,
always focusing on the present. How
are you feeling today? Is there something you need right now?
It is common that one or more people in the group are able to talk
about how they manage a particular
situation or what coping skills they
use. If not, the group uses active
brainstorming and sharing of resources.
Connections offers help and hope
by focusing on the value of every
person’s contribution to the group.
Participants can also simply listen.
Sharing and support helps to break
down the walls of isolation and
stigma, normalizes people’s feelings. By sharing, each person can
provide practical support to all in
the group and leave the meeting
feeling empowered.
These programs are sponsored by
NAMI Central Middlesex
www.nami.org/sites/
namicentralmiddlesex and NAMI
Mass www.namimass.org.
Go to the left column on page 5 of
this newsletter to see maps, times,
directions, and contact information.
DON’T MISS The 32nd Annual
NAMI Massachusetts Convention
Saturday, October 18, 2014  8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
UMass Lowell Conference Center and Inn
50 Warren Street, Lowell, MA 01852
http://namimass.givezooks.com/events/2014nami-mass-convention
Register early — space is limited
Inside This Issue:
Local Support Groups
President’s Message
NAMI Basics Course
NAMI Nat’l Conference
Panel on Bridgewater
Connections Groups
Webinars
Veterans’ Night
Me2Orchestra
Recovery Workshop
Public Policy/Legislation
Vision Board Workshop
MH Referral Service
NAMI State Convention
Depression/Bipolar Video
Parents Helping Parents
MH First Aid Training
Calendar/Membership
Keynote Speaker: Russell Pierce
Director of Department of Mental Health’s
Office of Recovery and Empowerment
Weaving Together The Threads of
Recovery
For details on the day’s activities
go to page 7 of this newsletter.
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Local Support Groups
NAMI Connections: recovery support group for individuals in recovery facilitated by NAMI-trained peers
Marlboro: 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month, 7-9 p.m., meets same time as family/friends support group, Employment Options, 82 Brigham St. Call Tina at
(508)272-9061, website http://www.employmentoptions.org.
*Littleton:1st & 3rd Thursday each month, 10-11:30 a.m., Reuben Hoar Library, 41 Shattuck St. Contact Rosemarie at [email protected].
*West Concord: 2nd & 4th Thursday each month, 10-11:30 a.m., Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main St. Contact Eliza at
[email protected] or 617-733-7627.
NAMI Family/Friends: support groups for family/friends facilitated by NAMI-trained peers
*Acton/Littleton: 2nd &4th Tuesday each month, 7-9 p.m., St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Acton, 435 Central Street, Acton MA 01740. Contact Susan McDougall at [email protected] or phone (978)263-8830, or Clare Cooper at [email protected] or phone (978)692-8994.
*Bedford: Last Tuesday each month, 7:30-9:30 p.m., First Church of Christ, 25 Great Rd. With questions or for more info, call the NAMI Central Middlesex helpline (781)982-3318.
Fitchburg: 1st & 3rd Thursday each month, 7-8:30 p.m., Messiah Lutheran Church, 750 Rindge Rd. Contact Maryann Fairbanks at (978)342-0988 or
[email protected].
*Lexington: 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month, 6:30-8 p.m., Edinburg Center, 1st floor training room, 1040 Waltham St. Call Janet at (617)816-5856.
Marlboro: 1st Tuesday each month, 7-9 p.m., meets same time as recovery support group, Employment Options, 82 Brigham St. Call Tina at (508)2729061, website http://www.employmentoptions.org.
Newton: 2nd Tuesday each month, 7 p.m., Newton-Wellesley Hospital, 2nd floor, room #2. Contact Tricia Silverman at (617)232-5694 or
[email protected].
*Stow: 3rd Saturday each month, 10 a.m., Fellowship Hall, First Parish Church, near the intersection of Rt. 117 and Rt. 62. Call Trish at (978)897-2962.
NAMI Caring & Sharing: support groups for family/friends facilitated by NAMI volunteers
Cambridge: 1st & 3rd Monday each month, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Cambridge Hospital, 1493 Cambridge St, 3rd floor of main building, Learning Center/
Conference Room A. Call Elizabeth at (781)646-0397 for more information.
Lowell: 3rd Wednesday each month, 7 p.m., Solomon Mental Health Center, 391 Varnum Ave. Phone (978)677-0618 or email [email protected].
*Wakefield: 2nd Monday each month, 1-2:30 p.m., Beebe Memorial Library, 345 Main St, for the winter. If Wakefield schools are closed, meeting cancelled. Contact Kay at (781)438-1851 or Diane at (978)658-3567 or [email protected].
DBSA Support Groups: sponsored by Depression Bipolar Support Alliance for individuals in recovery or family/friends
Belmont: Every Wednesday, 7-9 p.m., McLean Hospital, Demarneffe building cafeteria. 2nd & 4th Wednesdays include lecture 7-8 p.m. followed by
support groups. Additionally there are drop-in groups on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1:30-3:30 p.m.in room 132. Phone (617)855-2795,
email [email protected], website http://www.dbsaboston.org.
Lowell: Every Thursday, 6-7:30 p.m., Lowell First Church of the Nazarene, 1195 Varnum Ave. Email [email protected].
Wayside Parent Groups: support groups for parents of children/adolescents with mental health challenges, sponsored by
Wayside Youth and Family Support Network
Framingham: 2nd & 4th Monday each month, 2 meetings, either 10-11:30 a.m. or 7-8:30 p.m., 88 Lincoln St. For more info contact Ann Killion at
[email protected].
Waltham: 1st & 3rd Monday each month, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, and 3rd Wednesday each month 7-8:30 p.m., 118 Central St. For more information contact
Kelley Daron at [email protected] or call (781)891-0555 Ext. 58.
Peer Support Groups: support groups for individuals in recovery facilitated by peers
Wakefield: Contact Mary Jo Fortes at (781)606-2042 before coming to any of the following groups.
“Peer Friendship Group”– Fridays, 11 a.m.-12 noon. DMH Site Office, 27 Water St., 3rd Fl, Suite 301.
“Striving for Happiness” – Tuesdays, 12-1 p.m., Horizon House, 78 Water St.
“Art & Music Appreciation” – Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m., Horizon House, 78 Water St.
“Come Together” - Wednesdays, 3-4 p.m., Horizon House, 78 Water St.
Somerville: Every Wednesday & Friday, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, Cambridge-Somerville Recovery Learning Center, 35 Medford St, a big red brick building,
first floor, suite 111 behind the elevator. For info and further directions, contact Janel at (617)863-5388 or [email protected].
*Indicates sponsored by NAMI Central Middlesex
Other Support
Peer Warm Line: Friendly phone lines run by peers for peers, (877)733-7563, hours of operation: Tuesday thru Sunday, 4-8 p.m., and (800)243-5836, a
peer-run call-in service, hours of operation: 5-10 p.m. weekdays and 4-9 p.m. weekends
Psychiatric Emergency: Instead of calling 911 or using the local hospital emergency rooms, call the Emergency Service Provider (ESP) at (877)382-1609
and enter your zip code. This is a 24/7/365 toll-free line.
NAMI Central Middlesex Helpline: (781)982-3318 is covered by trained volunteers. Leave a message and someone will return your call within 24
hours.
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: [email protected] or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 2
NAMI Central Middlesex President’s Message by Judy McKendry
October 5 – 11 is Mental Illness Awareness Week. There
are some related events and
initiatives organized for this
month of October, but if you
personally would like to do
something to help raise awareness in your community, place
of worship, or a local organization, that would be great. For ideas, there are some resources available online at http://tinyurl.com/yef4huf.
On the state level, the Department of Mental Health and
the Department of Transportation are collaborating to display messages about mental health on electronic billboards along our highways. These signs will be visible
during the months of October and November. Watch for
them, but please – focus on your driving – no accidents.
Another initiative is coming from SAMHSA, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration.
It is called Community Conversations. SAMSHA has created a toolkit. The Department of Mental Health is encouraging its citizen boards to use the toolkit and organize
events to open up dialogue about mental health in their
communities. One such event is coming up soon on the
7th of October, 7-9 p.m., at Northern Essex Community
College. See the information on page 5 entitled Mental
Health and Recovery Through the Lens of Education. I
will be going and am willing to provide a ride to a few
other people who might be interested in going.
Also on the state level, our state NAMI convention is
coming up soon: October 18. The keynote speaker and
workshops sound very interesting. If you plan to go,
please register soon. If you need a description of the
workshops and an application, let me know. If you are
an individual in recovery, have a limited income, are
current with your membership, and have a means to get
to the convention in Lowell, you are eligible to apply for
a scholarship from our affiliate. At the time of this writing, we still have a few available. Contact me at
[email protected] or (978)897-9541.
Our own affiliate is involved in a unique mental health
awareness event this month. Board member Tom Raposa is spearheading an event this month focused on
mental health for veterans and military families. This is
a collaboration among the American Legion in Burlington, the Bedford VA hospital, and NAMI Central Middlesex. This is occurring on Thursday evening, October
16, at the American Legion in Burlington. It is the second year for the event. See page 5 for more details.
On another note, I hope you received the notification we
sent out via email alert about the new Connections Recovery Support Groups starting up late September. We
are very pleased to have these groups starting up in
Littleton and West Concord! We welcome Rosemarie
DiGianvittorio, Eliza Williamson, and Karen Reedy as
our team of facilitators. For more information, see pages
1 and 5.
There is much going on this month. It is reassuring to
know there are a lot of people out there trying to make a
difference.
Is Your Child Struggling with Behavioral Challenges? by Dee Febba
NAMI Basics is a very special program designed for parents and caregivers of children and adolescents living
with emotional issues and behavioral challenges identified before age 13. The class is peer-led, meaning that the
trained teachers are themselves parents/family caregivers
of children living with difficulties. This structure creates
an intimacy that few programs possess and whose capacities are unparalleled. The program is offered at NO
COST to participants.
The course consists of 7 classes, each lasting 2 ½ hours
over 7 consecutive Tuesdays. Current information about
ADD, ADHD, Depression, Mood Disorder, Anxiety,
Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Childhood Schizophrenia, Reactive
Attachment Disorder, PTSD, and Substance Abuse Disorder will be covered. In addition, the program focuses
on the biology of these conditions, current research, and
effective treatment protocols. Workshops in problem
solving, listening, and communication skills are highlighted. We provide a “record keeping” strategy that will
offer much assistance. We also provide help working
with schools and the mental health systems. This can be
a daunting task when you’re on your own.
In situations where there is something that affects people
deeply, people connect to one another and a trust builds.
In this trusting environment complete confidentiality is
observed. Join us as we work together to gain the tools
needed that will greatly assist you in making the best
decisions for the care of your child. This course begins
on Tuesday, October 7th from 7-9:30 p.m. in Acton,
MA. For registration and location, contact Dee at (978)
697-3441 or [email protected] or Cara at (978)
760-2455 or [email protected].
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: [email protected] or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 3
NAMI 2014 National Conference an Inspiration! by Tom Scurfield & Dee Febba
This year was an inspiration for all of us who
attended the NAMI National Conference in
Washington, DC. It was
also a wonderful networking experience with
NAMI members from all
over the country. We came home with plenty of educational material. With 1500 people attending, the daily
lectures and workshops were packed with eager volunteers and staff members exhibiting that familiar NAMI
enthusiasm. Massachusetts was well represented with 27
members strong including our own Eliza Williamson
(IOOV Presenter), Laurie Martinelli (moderator for one
of the workshops), and Massachusetts native Ken
Duckworth (Medical Director for NAMI National). Ken
was everywhere! He played a key role organizing the
event and recruiting many of the speakers.
The highlight of the 4 days was our day on Capitol Hill.
It was kick-started by a rousing call to action by Patrick
Kennedy, followed by Creigh Deeds (the Virginia Senator who lost his son to suicide), and then an electric performance by Demi Lovato, a young recording artist, author, actress, and mental health advocate. Laurie Martinelli had prearranged our schedule of visits and led the
troop from Massachusetts to three of our representatives
and both of our senators. At each office we received
warm welcomes and had extremely meaningful exchanges in which staffers demonstrated great understanding of the issues around mental health. They were very
clear on the need to take action, pass legislation, and support those living with mental illness and their families.
Educationally the conference was a multitude of opportu-
Save the Date! November 17
Panel Discussion on
Changes to Bridgewater State Hospital
What has happened since the scathing Disability Law Center
report published in the Boston Globe in July? Panelists are:
Christine Griffin, Executive Director of the Disability Law
Center; Will Brownsberger, Senate Chair of the Joint Committee on the Judiciary; and Debra Pinals, Assistant Commissioner of Forensic Mental Health Services. Marylou Sudders,
former Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of
Mental Health, will moderate. To be held at Temple Isaiah,
55 Lincoln Street, Lexington, starting promptly at 7:30pm.
More details to follow.
nities for learning with special interest presentations,
poster sessions, workshops, and research updates. It
was hard to choose among all the options!
Friday evening, warm and balmy, most of the Massachusetts attendees shared a leisurely dinner together
at a local Lebanese Taverna getting better acquainted
and sharing ideas from our experiences during the
conference. The ideas were flying table-to-table; the
excitement was palpable.
The most inspiring presentation was the Research
Plenary presented by Dr. Thomas Insel (Director of
National Institute of Mental Health), bringing us
hope for the future. He spoke on the status of scientific knowledge and how it has changed in the past
few years. This view has been enabled by the increasingly cost-effective growth of genetic information
which was only a dream a few years ago. Identifying
the many bio-indicators and bio-markers of mental
illness is wonderful but a double-edged sword. The
upside is the increase in our knowledge of the biological causes of mental illness. The downside is the
increase in research paths as we battle to further define those causes. Genomics and neuroscience will
eventually come together to change the focus from
the “treatment of symptoms and idea of chemical
imbalance” to “treatment based on neuroscience and
fine-tuning of the brain circuitry.” The bottom line
for us was the message that psychiatry is moving
away from the behavioral model of treating symptoms to defining and treating the causes. Ultimately,
like all the other major illnesses, such as heart disease
or cancer, future treatment will focus on the causes
and not the symptoms! Dr. Insel closed saying,
“Science = Recovery”!
During our networking at the conference we were
struck by how many of the participants were very
enthusiastic about the quality of the conference this
year. The organizational aspects appeared to go without a hitch. The presentations and the workshops
were extremely professional both in content and in
manner. We highly recommend that all our members
consider booking a place for the NAMI National
Convention on July 6th – 9th 2015 in San Francisco.
We’ll see you there!
NAMI Central Middlesex Board meetings are
OPEN for ALL affiliate members. You are invited
to attend and add your ideas to the discussions. If
you would like to receive minutes of the meetings,
let Judy McKendry know.
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: [email protected] or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 4
Education and Activities
Webinars
Families for Depression Awareness
Go to: http://www.familyaware.org/trainings
In the fall lineup:
Teen Depression
Webinar for parents, teachers, and other caring adults who
work with youth, presented by Nancy Rappaport, M.D., on
Thursday, October 30 at 7:00 p.m. ET.
Coping with Stress and Depression
Littleton Connections Group (map above)
Meetings: 1st & 3rd Thursday of each month, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
Starting date: September 18
Location: Reuben Hoar Library, 41 Shattuck St, Littleton, MA
(Next to a string of town buildings, including town hall)
Parking: Library has a parking lot out back
Facilitators: Rosemarie DiGianvittorio and Eliza Williamson
Contact: Rosemarie at [email protected]
Webinar for adults, family caregivers, human resources
managers, and EAP professionals, presented by Annelle B.
Primm, M.D., MPH, on Thursday, November 20 at 7:00
p.m. ET
2nd Annual Military and Veterans
Family Community Night
Meetings: 2nd & 4th Thursday of each month, 10 – 11:30 a.m.
October 16, 5 - 7:30 p.m.
American Legion Post #273
162 Winn St
Burlington, MA
Children’s activities and education about mental health.
Starting date: September 25
A free spaghetti dinner prepared and served by veterans.
Location: Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main St, West Concord, MA (on route 62, near the 99 Restaurant in the middle of
West Concord)
Informational tables and speakers.
West Concord Connections Group (map below)
Parking: Park on one of the nearby residential streets that run
parallel to route 62(Main St)– Central Street or Highland Street
Meeting room: Downstairs, to the left of the stairway
Facilitators: Eliza Williamson and Karen Reedy
Contact: Eliza at 671-733-7627 or [email protected]
For information or to RSVP, call Andrea at 781-687-2031 or email at
[email protected] by October 10.
Music for Mental Health: Me2Orchestra
New to Boston: Weekly rehearsals Mondays 7-9 p.m.
Hope Central Church in Jamaica Plain ( 85 Seaverns Ave.)
No auditions or cost to join this orchestra designed for
people with mental illnesses and those who support them.
For more info: http://me2orchestra.org/
Call (802)238-8369 or [email protected]
Mental Health and Recovery
Through the Lens of Education
Tuesday, October 7, 7- 9p.m.
NORTHERN ESSEX COMMUNITY COLLEGE
TECHNOLOGY CENTER
EVENTS ROOM
HAVERHILL CAMPUS
100 ELLIOTT STREET
HAVERHILL, MA
This free workshop is open to everyone: Families, Students (High School and College), Professionals, Veterans,
Employers, Individuals with Lived Experience, Educators,
Mental Health Providers.
For information contact [email protected]
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: [email protected] or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 5
Public Policy and Legislation by Rita Sagalyn
At the NAMI National Convention:
Former U.S. Rep. Patrick Kennedy, VA
Senator Creigh Deeds, and other Mental
Health Advocates urge Congress to pass
comprehensive Mental Health Reform
Legislation as part of a NAMI initiative
"National Day of Action" for Mental
Health. "It has been two years since the
tragedy at Sandy Hook elementary school. There are reminders everywhere of the critical need to address mental health
reform in this country," said NAMI Executive Director,
Mary Giliberti. While there has been some progress since the
White House Conference on mental health last year, the
country and those living with mental illness are still waiting
for Congress to act.
Connect 4 Mental Health (C4MH) is a nationwide initiative calling for communities to prioritize mental illness and
advocate for new approaches that will make a difference for
individuals living with these conditions, their families, and
their communities. The campaign encourages collaboration
among the mental health community and other communitybased organizations such as emergency services, law enforcement and public housing to develop localized interven-
tions. These will provide additional support for those with
serious mental illness and may also help address larger community problems. C4MH was launched nationally in November 2013 with a Community Collaboration Summit in Washington, D.C. Mental health advocates, criminal justice, housing and community-based stakeholders introduced several
comprehensive, integrated approaches aimed at helping the
one in seventeen Americans living with serious mental illness.
C4MH is an alliance between the National Alliance on Mental
Illness (NAMI), the National Council for Behavioral Health,
Otsuka America Pharmaceutical Inc., and Lundbeck.
Mental Illness and Employment: A NAMI report deplores
the national 80% unemployment rate for individuals receiving
public mental health services and proposes model legislation.
It is well-known that one of the most important factors in recovery from mental illness is a job. State by state data shows
Maine has the highest unemployment rate at 92.6 % and Wyoming has the lowest at 56.1%. The Massachusetts unemployment rate is 89.1%. The report recommends that each state
focus on individual placement and support, increase vocational support including supported education, and increase
opportunities for work to help people with mental illness recover.
Vision Board Workshop at PERC by Valerie Hadden
“As a group we affirm each person’s efforts and recovery,”
says Mary of the peer-run Peer Education Resource Center
(PERC), the Metro Boston Recovery Learning Community
in Jamaica Plain.
The workshop ended, Mary put away most of the supplies,
and still she didn’t put any pressure on me to hurry up and
finish. Finally I finished a Board that is meaningful and beautiful to me.
Mary says, “I’ve always used images and art as a
expressing my feelings. It’s easier for me to share
have something to point to.” On Thursday, August
led a Vision Board workshop, a collage-style art
based on this idea.
When I had glued my last flower Mary told me about the first
time she participated in a Vision Board workshop. “People
would pick out images, and that would help them talk about
their feelings. I was really impressed.” In that case, the emphasis of the workshop was on team-building and getting to
know one another. In this one, “the main purpose was to inspire ourselves, to have something to take away, to look at.”
way of
when I
21, she
project
She showed us her personal Vision Board and told us the
theme: “recovery.” She explained that many people like to
put inspirational sayings and images of their wellness tools
on their Boards. With this in mind, she had hand-picked hundreds of clippings from magazines for us. She added stickers
and additional magazines, and turned us loose to create.
For over an hour we worked hard on our individual images
of recovery. I chose flowers to represent joy and beauty, and
found enough to cover my whole Board.
Shortly before the workshop was scheduled to end, Mary
suggested we share with the group. People spoke about their
Boards while others listened. (I listened while still gluesticking madly; I wasn’t finished yet.) We discovered that while
some of us had, like myself, chosen one theme and used
many images of that one thing, others had chosen many different aspects important to their recovery (exercise, friendship, restful sleep) and had made a collage of images and
words representing all these things.
It certainly achieved that for me. It is one thing to sit in a
workshop and say you are working on your recovery; it is
another thing to actually do that work when you are home and
the demons come out of the corners of your mind. I am grateful to Mary and everyone at PERC for creating a space in
which I could make a Vision Board to help me through such
times.
Mary and the other peer workers at PERC are considering
planning another Vision Board event, perhaps one where the
whole group would create one large mural-like Board. If you
want to see it happen, email or call and let them know you are
interested!
To learn about PERC and its upcoming workshops, see http://
www.metrobostonrlc.org/perc.html or call (617)788-1034.
All workshops are free and open to anyone who self-identifies
as having experience of mental issues.
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: [email protected] or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 6
Mental Health Referral Service: MSPP Interface
The Massachusetts School of Professional Psychologists
has a referral service known as MSPP Interface which
can be purchased by a town for the benefit of its citizens.
MSPP Interface is an initiative to improve the integration
of mental health and wellness services within school systems and their greater community. The primary goal is to
enhance, improve, or develop collaborative efforts between school-based mental health and wellness services
and community mental health and wellness systems and
services.
MSPP Interface is a free, confidential referral service for
the general public as well as educators and mental health
professionals in participating communities. Each caller is
by Judy McKendry
matched with licensed mental health providers which meet
the location, insurance, and specialty needs.
Has your town purchased these services? According to
the MSPP Interface website, the communities/schools
which they now serve are Acton-Boxborough, AyerShirley, Boston, Chelmsford, Concord-Carlisle, GrotonDunstable, Harvard, Lincoln-Sudbury, Littleton, Milford,
Needham, Newton, North Middlesex, South Shore, Southern Berkshire County, Waltham, and Westford.
For more information, go to http://msppinterface.org.
Citizens of communities without access to the referral services may find the website a good resource for information.
NAMI Mass Convention Workshops
Register Now!
1) When Someone is in Crisis, Who Do I Call? Cuando Al6) Best Practices in the Criminal Justice System for
guien Esta en Crisis, A Quien Llamo? (Workshop in Spanish) People with Mental Illness & their Families
2) The Teenage Brain: What’s Going on in There?
3) This is How it Feels: A Memoir of Attempting Suicide &
Finding Life
4) Talking About Thinking: DBT & CBT as Two Threads in
the Recovery Process
7) Introducing Peer-to-Peer: A Path to Wellness
5) Advocacy: How to Promote NAMI’s Legislative Priorities
10) NAMI, Veterans & the Communities They Live In
8) Addressing the Substance Use Crisis in Adults
9) Housing First: Home is Where Recovery Lives
Directions to the Convention: http://www.acc-umlinnandconferencecenter.com/umass-map-directions-en.html
VIDEO From Huffington Post
published August 26, 2014
Mental Health First Aid Training
As part of a week-long series about mental health in
America, HuffPost Live takes a deep dive into depression
and bipolar disorder. See those people who struggle with
this issue and hear their stories.
This information is just in from the National Council
for Behavioral Health (National Council). The U.S.
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS)
granted through project AWARE (Advancing Wellness and Resilience in Education) $48 million dollars.
This money will be used to support many state educational entities in Mental Health First Aid.
Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour course that
teaches people how to identify mental illness, provide
initial help, and get people in crisis to appropriate
care.
Since 2008, when the National Council and a few state
agencies launched Mental Health First Aid, over
250,000 educational, community, and business professionals have taken the course. This new initiative will
focus on youth, serving 120 state and local educational
agencies including MA DMH and Newton, Foxborough, Brockton, and Lowell Public Schools.
Video: http://tinyurl.com/depression-and-bipolar-disorde
Parents Helping Parents is expanding its network of Family Resource Centers in Massachusetts. Several of their
groups already meet at some of the existing FRC's. To
learn more about this go to: http://tinyurl.com/kb65occ
See announcements about group openings and group closings as well as upcoming training dates for volunteers at:
http://tinyurl.com/kd5j76k
by Helene Semchenko
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: [email protected] or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 7
Calendar of Upcoming Events
Thursday, October 2: NEW Connections Group, 10-11:30 a.m., Littleton (see pages 1 and 5)
Monday, October 6: NAMI Central Middlesex Board of Directors meeting, 7 p.m., Edinburg Center, Lexington
Tuesday, October 7: Mental Health and Recovery Through the Lens of Education, Haverhill (see page 5)
Tuesday, October 7: NAMI Basics course starts in Acton (see page 3)
Tuesday, October 7: Family support group, Lexington (see page 2)
Thursday, October 10: NEW Connections Group, 10-11:30 a.m., West Concord (see pages 1 and 5)
Tuesday, October 14: Family support group, Acton/Littleton (new location-see page 2)
Thursday, October 16: Military and Veterans’ Family Night, Burlington (see pages 3 and 5)
Thursday October 16: NEW Connections Group, 10-11:30 a.m., Littleton (see pages 1 and 5)
Saturday, October 18: Family support group, Stow (see page 2)
Saturday, October 18: Annual NAMI Mass Convention, Lowell (see pages 1 and 7)
Tuesday, October 21: Family support group, Lexington (see page 2)
Thursday, October 24: NEW Connections Group, 10-11:30 a.m., West Concord (see pages 1 and 5)
Tuesday, October 28: Family support group, Acton/Littleton (new location-see page 2)
Tuesday, October 28: Family support group, Bedford (see page 2)
Monday, November 3: NAMI Central Middlesex Board of Directors meeting, 7 p.m., Edinburg Center, Lexington
Board of Directors
NAMI Central Middlesex
Monday, November 17: Panel Discussion on Changes to Bridgewater State Hospital , 7:30 p.m., Lexington (see page 4)

President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
Auditor
Newsletter Editor
Community Outreach Coordinator
Legislative Coordinator
Membership Co-Coordinator
Membership Co-Coordinator
Programs Committee
Programs Committee
Programs Committee
Walk Coordinator
Walk Assistant
Veterans Outreach Coordinator
Board Member At-Large
Board Member At-Large
Judy McKendry
Jennie Payne
Lynda McCumber
Liz Watson
Janet Hodges
Lynda McCumber
Becky Hadden
Susan McDougall
Rita Sagalyn
Dee Febba
Ivy Pompei
Billie Drew
Francine Stieglitz
Janet Hodges
Tom Scurfield
Billie Drew
Tom Raposa
Francine Stieglitz
Helene Semchenko
(978)897-9541
na
(978)250-1509
na
(617)816-5856
(978)250-1509
(978)886-5666
(978)263-8830
(781)538-5102
(978)697-3441
(978)667-4543
(781)799-4744
(781)862-9171
(617)816-5856
(978)618-7521
(781)799-4744
(508)326-3220
(781)862-9171
na
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
[email protected]
NAMI of Central Middlesex Annual Membership Form
NAMI Annual Membership: Obtaining a NAMI membership gives you membership in our local NAMI affiliate, the NAMI Mass organization,
and the NAMI National organization. Please join by completing and mailing this form.
Name:____________________________________________________ Phone: (_____)_____-_______ Email:__________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________Town:_____________________________Zip Code:_____________
New members, please tell us how you learned about NAMI: ___________________________________________________________________
I prefer to receive the affiliate newsletter, The Bridge, via
□ Post Mail
□ Email (preferred due to cost savings)
Check only one membership choice below:
Individual/Family membership:
□New □Renewal
$35.00
Open door membership for people of limited
means:
□New □Renewal
$3.00
Individuals with lived experience:
□New □Renewal
FREE
Check below only if you wish to receive our
affiliate newsletter but do not wish to have a
membership:
The Bridge only:
□New □Renewal
Please make check payable to:
NAMI of Central Middlesex
$10.00
Extra donation (Thank you!):
$________________
Mail to:
NAMI of Central Middlesex
PO Box 6243
Lincoln, MA 01773
Total enclosed: $________________
Special thanks to Joe McKendry for the bridge graphic on page 1 of this newsletter.
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: [email protected] or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
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