The Iris “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world.” – Margaret Mead
The Official Newsletter of NAMI Union County Inside this issue:
Volume 12: Issue 5
President’s Message
President’s Message
1
Family-to-Family Classes
1
CIT Picnic
2
Affiliate Acccomplishments
3
As you can see our newsletter has a new look and is a little bit late. We have been busy beginning the exciting process of rebranding to align ourselves with NAMI and NAMI-New Jersey.
NAMI National Convention
4
We will still have the same information and hopefully you will find it easier to read the new format.
Your event here Calendar: • Aug.
23 Linden Police CIT Picnic • Public Meetings Sept. 23, Oct. 28 Nov. 25 American Legion 1003 North Avenue Westfield, NJ No meeting December or January CONTACT US! NAMI Union County PO Box 724 New Providence, NJ 07974 Tel: 908-233-1628 www.naminj.org/support/ affiliates/union/ namiunioncounty@yahoo.com
July 2014
This fall we will again be offering a Family to Family class and hope to do the same in the spring.
of our board members. We had a great time socializing and enjoying the hot dogs and hamburgers. I encourage you to come and bring your family. Please RSVP to us by August 16 at namiunioncounty@yahoo.com. Enjoy the rest of the summer. See you at the picnic or in September.
Geri Muller
Inside we have information on the picnic offered by the CIT officers of the Linden Police Department. I attended this last year with my son and several
Family-to-Family Classes The Family-to-Family Education Program will begin in September. The course will meet once a week from 7:00 to 9:30 pm, over a 12-week period. It is free with all necessary materials furnished at no cost to the attendees.
sistent mental illness. In a confidential setting, loved ones will learn how to understand and support their relative while maintaining their own well being. The program is not appropriate for individuals with one of the major mental disorders. The course is taught by NAMI members who have completed intensive training.
The course is offered specifically to the parents, siblings, spouses, teen-age and adult children, and significant oth- Curriculum topics include schizophreers of individuals with severe and per- nia, bipolar disorder (manic depres-
Page 2
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Family-to-Family (con’t)
“I participated in the F2F classes several years ago. The experience changed my personal life and helped me in coping with my daughter’s illness. We have a better relationship now than I thought was possible. I am grateful to NAMI Union County for educating me.”
sion), clinical depression, panic disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder etc., the clinical treatment of these illnesses and how caregivers can learn to cope more effectively. Attendees will learn about the skills needed to successfully communicate with a relative and how to deal with critical periods. Other topics include advocacy, fighting stigma and problem solving.
Registration is required prior to the beginning of the course: call 908233-1628 and a F2F teacher will contact you with the dates and location. Refreshments will be served.
Crisis Intervention Team
Saturday, AUGUST 23rd 2014 Linden Police Department 3rd ANNUAL PICNIC For Mental Health Workers, Consumers, Family & Friends
MEMORIAL PARK 2500 South Wood Ave 11:00AM -2:00PM COME ENJOY A DAY OF FOOD & FUN DOOR PRIZES, RAFFLE, MUSIC & GAMES SPONSORED BY WALMART Contact: Lt. Abdul Williams @ AWilliams@police.lindenes-nj.org
Or RSVP NAMIUnioncounty@yahoo.com
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Page 3
AFFILIATE ACCOMPLISHMENTS July 2013 thru June 2014 NAMI Union County Board President
Social Activities Holiday Star party for 80 guests Pizza and Dance Party for 125 guests
Geri Muller Vice President Pat Roman Treasurer JoAnn Davison Secretary Irene Bieniaszewski At Large Members Joann Mehalick Edie Muchmore Annette Suter
Newsletter
Education Available to the Public Public Presentation meetings with topical speakers and free literature th Resource Guides 5 edition - Over 5,500 distributed to date; copies go to all public libraries in Union County, as well as to individuals and families, mental health providers, school guidance departments, and police officers receiving training Website linked through NAMI NJ: www.naminj.org/support/ affiliates/union/; includes Resource Guide as searchable document Facebook page: www.facebook.com/ NAMI.UnionCounty Publicity of affiliate activities in local newspapers and on local access TV Specialized Education
Editor: Phil Avila Published seven times a year
Educational/ enrichment scholarships awarded to 10 individuals (74 awards since inception) Family to Family education course taught to 40 individuals Affiliate Newsletter published, 8 issues Presentations at Union County College and Kean University psychology classes on “What It’s
Like to Be a Family Member of a Person with Mental Illness” and “What It’s Like to have a Mental Illness” Info Tables at Union County College Mental Health Fair, Family Resource Fair at Union High School, and Disability Awareness Fair at Kean University
For The Community Community contacts: Receive and return phone calls and emails – info & referral Promotion of police training DVD “The Community I Serve”– honored by Governor’s Council on Anti-Stigma Presentations at Police Academy Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) and Mental Illness Interaction training on NAMI Union County, including personal interaction experiences with police Union County teams represented at NAMI NJ Walk May 2014; raised $1770.00 Public Service Membership on Union County Mental Health Advisory Board Membership on Involuntary Outpatient Commitment committee at Trinitas
National Alliance on Mental Illness
SAMHAJ August Support Group Meeting: The South Asian Mental Health Awareness in Jersey program is offering a support group at the NAMI NJ office in North Brunswick on Thursday, Aug. 7 from 7 pm to 9 pm. The office is located at 1562 Route 130 North Brunswick, NJ
Top-notch researchers and clinicians provide information and tools to advance and sustain recovery from mental illness
Strategies and tactics to effectively advocate for changing the mental health system from the country’s keenest minds and savviest policymakers
Important perspectives on recovery presented by people living with mental illness and their families
Networking opportunities enable us to learn from each other about how to improve the lives of all people living with mental illness Next year’s convention will be at San Francisco Hilton, CA July 6 - 9
AACT-Now African American Self-Help Support Group Meeting: The African American SelfHelp Support Group meets every 3rd Thursday of the month from 7 pm to 9 pm at First Baptist Church of Lincoln Gardens 771 Somerset St. Somerset, NJ
Ask the Psychiatric Pharmacist #14….from NAMI.org Written by Robert Elder, BS Pharm., and Joanne Hawley, Pharm.D. Someone I really care about has mental illness but repeatedly stops taking his medication and his symptoms come back. Sometimes my friend has to be hospitalized. How can I help him? One answer is to let the person with mental illness know that he can always count on your love and friendship, but their best chances of improvement will occur when they accept that medication is crucial to their recovery. Sometimes one can help persons struggling with mental illness (especially bipolar disorder or schizophrenia) decide for themselves which is worse – the short periods of time without the medication and side effects, followed by the inevitable resurgence of the illness (often times with worse symptoms than before).....or, the steadier, prolonged times of symptom-free living (or at least more manageable symptoms) while taking the medications, and coping with the side effects? In a recent study, Hamann and colleagues have shown that higher rates of non-compliance with schizophrenia treatment were associated with re-hospitalizations between 6 and 18 months following a previous hospitalization. Simply being hospitalized can help some of those suffering with mental illness be more compliant with their medications. To them, being hospitalized means “hitting rock bottom”, and they will be more motivated to change whatever they can to ensure a better recovery. Others may not be prepared, and will be more difficult to reach. For these people, consistent support and patience are important to maintain. Another valuable action you can take is to tell your friend about NAMI. There may be a NAMI group in the community in which he lives. You could take him to a NAMI meeting. Show him how to get on the NAMI website and navigate to the different sections available ("Inform Yourself," "Find Support," and "Take Action. It's very important that your friend knows you will be there to help him when his symptoms are troublesome. Your support in helping him stay on his medications will benefit him greatly. References Hamann J, Cohen R, Leucht S et al. Shared Decision Making and Long-Term Outcome in Schizophrenia Treatment. J. Clin Psychiatry 2007;68:992-997.