Mississippi SUMMER 2018
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MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID
Mississippi 2618 Southerland Street Jackson, MS 39216 601-899-9058 • 800-357-0388 Fax: 601-956-6380 • namims.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Letter from the President of the Board 2 NAMI Pine Belt 4 NAMI Vicksburg 5 NAMI Oxford 6 NAMI Meridian • NAMI Four Rivers (MS) 7 StigmaFree 8 2018 State Conference 9-11 Board of Directors 12 Learn & Grow 13-14 NAMIWalks 15 Education 16 Advocacy • System of Care 17 Calendar of Events • Support Group Contacts 18 Membership 19 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Brett Mayfield, President Mary Harrington, Vice President Sharon Turner-Davis, Secretary Marcus Ginn, Treasurer Sherry Bouldin, At Large Jesse Coppenbarger, At Large Hanne Gaycken, At Large Clinton Smith, At Large Harold White, At Large Nancy White, At Large Auvergne Williams, At Large Christiane Williams, At Large Thomas Carson, Peer Leadership Council Representative Patricia Battle, Meridian Affiliate Representative Kimberly Brownlee, Pine Belt Affiliate Representative Lynn Gilbert, Oxford Affiliate Representative Richard Raymond, Central Mississippi Affiliate Representative Randall Williams, Vicksburg Affiliate Representative STATE OFFICERS Tameka Tobias, Executive Director Sitaniel J. Wimbley, Program Director Shelley Griffith, Youth Community Outreach Intern Rita Hodges, Account Manager Tamara Jones-Smith, Conference Coordinator Kawanna Jenkins, Education Outreach Volunteer Kaleigh Leiva, Youth Community Outreach Intern Latasha A. Willis, Community Outreach Specialist AFFILIATES Central Mississippi Four Rivers (MS) Gulf Coast [Program Affiliate] Pine Belt Vicksburg Meridian Oxford Yazoo [Program Affiliate] NAMI ON CAMPUS Jackson State University USM Gulf Park Millsaps College [Developing] The NAMI Mississippi newsletter is funded by donations from members and partners, and is published to inform, educate and strengthen the community of individuals and families affected by serious mental illness. The articles and opinions within are not necessarily those of the NAMI Mississippi organization. Content is not intended to endorse any political candidates, viewpoint, treatment or medication.
Youth Mental Health First Aid training participants in Meadville with trainer Brett Mayfield (far right).
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PHOTO BY TAMEKA TOBIAS
ental Health First Aid is a public education program that can help individuals across the community to understand mental illnesses, support Mental Health First Aid trainers (from top left): Board timely intervention, and save lives. Member At Large Christiane Williams (Adult and Public Safety), Vicksburg Representative Randall Williams Mental Health First Aid is an 8-hour (Adult and Public Safety), Board President Brett course that introduces participants to risk Mayfield (Youth) and Executive Director Tameka Tobias factors and warning signs of mental health (Adult, Youth and Public Safety). PHOTOS COURTESY OF THEIR RESPECTIVE OWNERS concerns, builds understanding of their impact, and overviews common treatments. Mental Health First Aid USA is operatThe course uses role-playing and simulaed by the National Council for Behavioral tions to demonstrate how to assess a mental Health. health crisis; select interventions and National Website: mentalhealthfirstaid.org provide initial help; and connect persons Mississippi Courses: mentalhealthfirstaid. to professional, peer and social supports as org/take-a-course/find-a-course well as self-help resources. If you are interested in having an Adult or Just as CPR helps you assist an individual Youth Mental Health First Aid training in having a heart attack, Mental Health First your area, please complete the interest form Aid helps you assist someone experiencing at namims.org/mental-health-first-aid. a mental health or substance use-related crisis. In the Mental Health First Aid course, you learn risk factors and warning signs for mental health and addiction concerns, strategies for how to help someone in both crisis and non-criMental Health First Aid and public policy training participants with trainer sis situations, and where Tameka Tobias (second row, far right). to turn for help. PHOTO BY TAMEKA TOBIAS
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reetings to all of our NAMI family and friends! This year has seen some great strides in the Pine Belt’s anti-stigma campaign. Our affiliate has been blessed with meaningful moments through our monthly meetings and our interactions with many members of our community. We’ve been able to collaborate with law enforcement officials and with the professionals from our community mental health center, Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources, to increase the awareness of police and sheriff departments on ways to help people experiencing mental health crises. Our membership is steadily growing—especially noticeable at our meetings this year. There is much to learn in the mental health arena, and our speakers provided us with increased understanding of advances in the field. In January, we listened to our guest speaker, Lewis Anthony Bullock, co-occurring disorder specialist for Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources (PBMHR), who spoke about the
Dr. Scott Willoughby, a clinical psychologist from South Mississippi State Hospital.
COURTESY NAMI PINE BELT
significance of Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training. Mr. Bullock was instructing 17 CIT students from Forrest County law enforcement agencies regarding mental health issues and de-escalation procedures. He was able to relay many success stories to us. In February, we were briefed by Judge Wes Curry, who updated us on the status of the City of Hattiesburg Behavioral Health Court. Judge Curry is a justice court judge for Forrest County and a municipal court judge for Hattiesburg. He has renewed the City’s commitment to improving behavioral health. One of our members, Khadijah Muhammad, is the action officer for the Court on mental health issues. Joe and Sandy Kinnan are on the Court’s Advisory Council with Ms. Muhammad and other key stakeholders, including Dr. Wes Johnson. A significant event occurred this year when the City of Hattiesburg became a major
sponsor of NAMI. Our local affiliate presented a certificate of sponsorship to Mayor Toby Barker at a City Council meeting on February 20th. The collaborative spirit in the city is very refreshing. Our March meeting welcomed Dr. Scott Willoughby, a clinical psychologist from South Mississippi State Hospital. Dr. Willoughby also has a private treatment office and is considered an expert in therapies for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). He gave a very informative presentation about the types and treatment of OCD. In April, Mr. Nick Fuchs shared his story about recovering from addiction and told our group about the Willow Point Church’s “Celebrate Recovery” Program. Our May meeting was quite interesting, as Dr. Dan Capron from USM’s Psychology Department enlightened us on the topic “Recent Advances in the Treatment of Anxiety.” He opened his remarks with a startling statistic: 27,400,000 Americans suffer from an anxiety disorder. He said that barriers to treatment are cost, access, stigma, and (the big one) a desire to handle problems on their own. Thus, there is a great need to develop interventions which permit autonomy for the persons who have anxiety disorders. Dr. Capron is spearheading research at USM that enables people to dramatically reduce their anxiety using a computerized model of intervention. In June, we were enlightened by Dr. Wes Johnson from USM’s Department of Criminal Justice regarding the cooperation between mental health and law enforcement agencies. He summarized the advances in mental health that we’ve seen in Mississippi over the past few years. He encouraged all of us to be passionate leaders in our spheres of influence. In addition to the regular monthly meetings, we’ve been active in supporting Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training programs. We were happy to host a banquet on April 7th to celebrate the achievements of all CIT officers in Jones County. Guest speakers from the University of Memphis provided great insight to all who attended. Deputy
Pictured, left to right: NAMI Mississippi Executive Director Tameka Tobias; Judge Wes Curry, City of Hattiesburg Behavioral Health Court Municipal Judge; and Debbie Dale (Affiliate President).
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Sheriff Shannon Koss was chosen as the Jones County CIT Officer of the Year. In July, we co-hosted two Mental Health First Aid courses with the AKA Sorority. We had more than 40 people pledge to attend the eight-hour program. We hope this is just the beginning of many course offerings. We also anticipate hosting NAMI Family-to-Family training this fall so we can become an ongoing resource to people and families experiencing the trials associated with mental illness. Seems like we’ve been busy! We can’t fail to mention the great work done by our State Office Executive Director, Tameka Tobias, and her team in hosting the NAMI Mississippi State Conference in May, as well as the NAMI Mississippi State Meeting. We were very pleased to have two of our stalwart members, Sandy Kinnan and Lauren Parker, honored at the meeting for their services to people in the Pine Belt. Added significant notes: We are very grateful to Kim Brownlee for establishing an effective Facebook site for our affiliate. Great job! Also, Kim has been instrumental in preparing gift bags for graduates of the Behavioral Health Court. Lauren Parker and Kaleigh Leiva spearheaded a Say It Out Loud session that they held at the Hattiesburg Library on May 31. This program is well suited for young people to gain a proper perspective on suicide. Until next time, we wish you wonderful mental health “happenings” with many victories as we bash stigma together. Go for it! - Submitted by Joe Kinnan, Ph.D.
In July, we co-hosted two Mental Health First Aid courses with the AKA Sorority.
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NAMI Vicksburg Town Hall Meeting (THM) on Mental Health: A Call for NAMI to Assess More Frequent Use of THMs he NAMI Vicksburg Affiliate (NVA) hosted a Town Hall Meeting (THM) on community mental health on April 24, 2018, at Warren County Courthouse in Vicksburg. The THM was open to the public; more than 86 persons attended. A panel of local officials along with state and regional experts first presented, and later as panelists, they discussed community mental health issues including: challenges, shortfalls along with successes, services and facilities, and impact of current political and economic factors on community mental services and facilities. At the close of the THM, panelists were available to continue discussions with attendees. Presenters/panelists and their presentation topics, in presentation order, were: • Ms. Stacey Waites, LCSW, Director of the Warren County Holding Facility, The Function and Merits of Warren County’s Holding Facility; • Ms. Tameka Tobias, Executive Director of NAMI Mississippi, Top Three Mental Health Issues in Mississippi (presented in absentia by Ms. Christiane Williams); • Mr. Bobby Barton, Executive Director, Warren-Yazoo Behavioral Health, Community Services and Facilities; • Sheriff Martin Pace, Warren County, Mental Health & Law Enforcement in Warren County; • Chief Milton Moore, Vicksburg Police Department, Mental Health & Law Enforcement in Vicksburg; • Mr. Brent Hurley, Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Crisis Intervention Team. Mr. Randall Williams, a member of the NVA and NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors, served as the moderator for this THM. Selected perspectives from Mr. Williams follow: • From the THM, it was apparent that our community, despite being better served and having greater access to mental health services and facilities than some other areas of Mississippi, remains underserved with limited access for services and facilities and has other shortfalls. For instance, a contrast is that Warren County has arguably the only or best true holding facility in Mississippi, and also has a for-profit behavioral health hospital, and a campus of Warren-
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Yazoo Mental Health offering facilities/ services. Conversely, or however, both law enforcement entities have not entertained development of Crisis Intervention Teams. And as also discovered at the THM, only one private-practice psychiatrist serves the region—and his next available appointment was then six to seven weeks out. The THM was deemed highly successful for many reasons: • A cohesive and focus-dedicated team from the NVA started planning early and phaseexecuted an agreed very detailed plan of action. • The THM was well advertised over several forms of media and personal outreach. • The Courthouse was a favorable central location with ample parking and security. • The THM was well attended by a noticeably ‘subject-passionate’ audience. • The planned allowance of only written questions, which were then jury-reviewed prior to positing for panelist answers, proved effective in facilitating the THM. • The speakers/panelists presented well and provided valuable answers to questions. • Successful execution of the THM, the actual event, was accomplished by assistance from members from the NVA, as well as a group from a local faith-based organization (Crossway Church)--all class members of a recent Mental Health First Aid Class. • While some NVA expenses (about $300400) were incurred, these were marginal costs compared to the influence, education and advocacy results and pending outcomes. • Structured questionnaires made available to most of the attendees provided feedback and meta-data which further confirmed: interest, information transfer, learning, and other measures of THM success. • Several local newspaper articles were published, one announcing the THM and two afterwards, including a front page article followed a few days later by an editorial. The first article was generally a rehashing of a THM press-release presented to support ‘their authoring’ an article. A lesson learned is: it is best to provide newspaper and other media with a press-release at least a week before the THM and a fact-paper takeaway immediately after the THM. Selected Summary Findings: • THMs planned and executed well are an effective, and seemingly underutilized, mode of advocacy and education. • THMs are inclusive and pierce into the community. Many of the people at the
Vicksburg THM were essentially strangers to NAMI. • Many attending the THM were “movers and shakers” within the community. • THMs allow for shared communication by both panelists and the audience. • The interactions between our law enforcement, state, and regional subject matter experts and concerned residents helped provide important information and insights as well as creative ideas about how we could better move forward together. • One outreach method to which we dedicated relatively-appreciable effort and funds was later deemed largely ineffective; this was our mailing of approximately 170 business-style letters to churches/ministers/ clergy of all faiths/religions/denominations in Warren County. Two ministers from our community attended the THM. • The overall or salient purpose of this THM was met: To better inform the community of the role that law enforcement has and to discern if additional training was needed to assist law enforcement in dealing with persons with extreme mental illness. • The last formal communication of the night was the moderator publicly asking the two leaders of local law enforcement if they were willing to support collaborative teaming with NVA and other partners to investigate forming a Crisis Intervention Team in our community. Their reply was noticeably and enthusiastically affirmative. Follow-up/Expectations for Legacy: First, it is the expectation that formal communication from the NVA will soon be directed to both the Vicksburg Chief of Police and the Warren County Sheriff to encourage them and their staff to obtain additional training in regard to dealing with individuals with mental illness. Additionally, NVA will, if local law enforcement agencies will take the lead, advocate for and support local law enforcement’s endeavor to start the process for and successfully implement Crisis Intervention Teaming. And a second legacy outcome, resulting from a large number of responses to the THM questionnaires provided to attendees, was their request “to hold a community mental health related THM at least once per year.” - Submitted by Randall Williams NAMI Vicksburg Affiliate Representative The Town Hall CIT conversation continued at the NAMI Vicksburg Affiliate meeting on July 24th. More on upcoming meetings at namims.org/ affiliates/nami-vicksburg.
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The Oxford NAMI Affiliate has had a very productive and engaging spring/summer. The following information highlights some of our past and upcoming activities: • We held a Family-to-Family class, beginning March 20, that was taught by the husbandand-wife team of Lynn and Kenneth Gilbert. We believe community education is one of our essential responsibilities and are grateful we were able to contribute in this way. Lynn and Ken agree that the reward of teaching 12 weeks of Family-to-Family comes from statements such as these from the class evaluations: “This is the third time I’ve taken the F-to-F class and each time has helped to understand better.” “Y’all were a lifeline that changed a crisis situation from hopeless to bearable.” “My thinking has changed from seeing an angry, rude teenager to a deeper meaning and signals of great personal pain.” • On May 5, our Affiliate participated in the Oxford Pride Parade in an effort to provide community outreach in connection with the Human Rights Campaign. Carol Van Besien, Karsten Gaycken and Hanne Gaycken attended. We distributed NAMI materials and little rainbow flags (a hot item!), and talked to a number of parade participants. A list of names was accumulated and sent to the Jackson Office. • Two of our affiliate members (Lynn and Ken Gilbert) attended the NAMI Mississippi 2018 State Conference on May 17-18. Besides all the hard work of so many who made the conference worthwhile and enjoyable, Lynn and Ken especially enjoyed conference speaker and psychiatrist Dr. Thomas Recore of Mississippi State Hospital in Whitfield, who shared stories of inad-
equacies Mississippi presently faces. (For example, of the 82 counties in Mississippi, there are only 15 beds available for patients.) Hanne Gaycken very deservedly received the Outstanding Member Award for the Oxford Affiliate. • Lynn and Kenneth Gilbert made a connection with several members of the Lafayette-Oxford-University Mental Health Alliance. The mission of this group is to strengthen collaborative relationships among mental health providers and related professionals, and to advocate for the mental health needs of the community. Several affiliate members plan to attend the group’s networking breakfast on July 11th. We are excited about the potential this presents for increasing NAMI’s presence in the area. • Three affiliate members (Marian Norman, Karsten Gaycken, and Hanne Gaycken) attended the NAMI National Conference in New Orleans that was held June 27-30. Marion, Karsten and Hanne enjoyed many interesting presentations, among them the keynote address by actor Clark Gregg, best known as Agent Phil Coulson in the Marvel Universe-based show, “Agents of S.H.I.E.L.D.” on ABC. He discussed the parallels between his character on screen and his own struggles with mental health. Several other presentations dealt with the use of CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy). Two professors from the U.K. conducted workshops to introduce attendees to evidence-based CBT techniques that are helpful for managing recovery from schizophrenia. It would be a challenge to list all the inspiring presentations we attended, but the film “Beyond Silence” produced by Demi Lovato was a highlight. It is a documentary following three people whose lives have been transformed by speaking up for mental health. The three were present for a panel discussion following the film. Very inter-
NAMI Mississippi 2018 State Conference collage.
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esting and insightful! Hanne was invited to represent our affiliate at a special reception for leaders nationwide at the conference. Each state is allowed to nominate four board or affiliate members to attend. • Our affiliate plans to participate once again in the Ole Miss Health Fair scheduled on campus for September 19. • Several of our affiliate members plan to participate in the third annual Out of Darkness Walk for suicide prevention taking place on the Ole Miss Campus on October 28th. Last year, the walk raised over $25,000 and had over 400 walkers; the goal this year is to double these amounts. More information can be found at http://bit.ly/afspoxford. • In our recent Affiliate business meeting, we voted to pay the registration fee for any dues-paying member to attend the state or national NAMI conference. We hope this will encourage our members to support the larger NAMI presence. • The following slate of officers for the upcoming year was proposed and approved by our affiliate membership: President: Hanne Gaycken Vice President: Amanda Williams Secretary: Mary Harrington Treasurer: Carol Van Besien Member-at-Large: Michael Danahy Member-at-Large (Consumer): Karsten Gaycken Affiliate Representative: Lynn Gilbert • Participation in both our weekly Connection group and our bi-weekly Family Support Group remains strong. Both meetings are advertised weekly in our local newspaper in order to reach out into the community. However, we recognize we still need to do more to help provide more visibility for our group. If any other affiliates have suggestions, we would love to hear about them. - Submitted by: NAMI Oxford affiliate members
Members of NAMI Oxford at the Oxford Pride Parade.
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reetings from Region 10! May 10, we partnered with NFusionXCrossover Xpand, and Weems Community Mental Health Center to put on a first-ever Family Game Night. There were six teams of five players who answered questions for points in a game show format. The evening was full of excitement, fun and laughter as the audience cheered on their favorite team. This event was held on National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day and during National Mental Health Awareness Month. Three affiliate consumers attended the NAMI Mississippi state conference. It was very informative. May 25, the Meridian Affiliate attended the Council on Aging health fair at the Frank Cochran Center. June 14, at our semi-annual awareness campaign and membership drive at Bonita Lakes Park, we picked the winner for our beach-themed raffle, and the winner is… Marshia Moody of NFusionX-Crossover Xpand. She won a variety of beach items to include: two gold season passes to Geyser Falls Water Theme Park, a designer pair of sunglasses with a case, a Thirty-One brand
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an you believe that it was just a short time ago when the cold weather had us wishing for warm, summer days? Well, summer is here, and time keeps moving along, just like our affiliate NAMI Four Rivers (MS) keeps evolving and moving along. NAMI Four Rivers (MS), in its short existence, has been reaching out and trying to connect the 10 counties it serves here in Southwest Mississippi.
We are grateful for the participation and involvement to all who support our organization as we reach out to help others in need.
cooler, a Thirty-One brand beach bag, a Patagonia backpack, a North Face tote bag, a Corkcicle canteen gift set, a beach umbrella, four folding chairs, four beach towels and miscellaneous beach prizes. Thank you to our prize donors: St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Episcopal Church of the Mediator, Ellis Optical Shoppe, Loeb’s, Southeast Pharmacy and Gifts, Lowe’s Home Improvement, and some of our very own affiliate members. We also want to give a big THANK YOU to our in-kind donors: Weems Community Mental Health Center for 1,000 printed raffle tickets; Ice Plant, Inc. for 10 bags of ice; Cash Savers grocery store for seven packs of hot dogs; Bimbo Bakeries USA for 13 packs of hamburger buns and five packs of hot dog buns; Coca-Cola Bottling Company for six 24-packs of Dasani water; the 4-Way Pit Stop, Meridian Activity Center, and Piggly Wiggly of Collinsville for allowing us to sell raffle tickets on location; Keith Doggett for cooking all the meat; and Ivan Davis for letting us borrow his grill. Again, we couldn’t have had a successful day without them – raising just shy of $900.00 in ticket sales and monetary donations. For National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month, the Meridian Affiliate hosted a signature event unique to Meridian
on July 19 – Voices of Hope. Our speaker for the evening was Mrs. Ruth Sanders, MSN, RN, community educator for New Beginnings Adult Day Care Services. She spoke on “Caregiving: Navigating the Journey.” Currently, plans are being made to support the Mississippi Alliance To End Suicide (MATES) event on September 15 in Meridian in conjunction with National Suicide Awareness and Prevention Month. On October 9, the affiliate will hold its annual Candlelight Vigil for National Mental Illness Awareness Week. Later in the month, we will also hold our signature program: Mind Matters. Details on this event are being worked on. We are also finalizing details on our NAMI Meridian Affiliate Walk, which will be on November 4, and beginning to gather items for our annual service project – Christmas bags for less fortunate people, especially consumers. Our newly appointed officers include: Jill Walsh, President; Kathy Faust, Vice-President; Lori Douglas, Secretary; Diane Sellers, Treasurer; and Members at Large are Carol Nason and Wade Johnson; and Patricia Battle, Representative to the NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors. - Submitted by Jill R. Walsh, NAMI Meridian Affiliate president
We have been busy. Several members of NAMI Four Rivers (MS) received training in the Family Support Group and Peer-toPeer programs. Our Family Support Group meets once a month on third Thursday evening at the Episcopal Church of the Redeemer in Brookhaven from 6:30 p.m.- 8 p.m. In the spring of 2018, we launched our first Peer-to-Peer training with participants traveling from McComb, Byram and Liberty to Brookhaven for our meeting. We initially met once a month, but participants wanted to meet more often, so beginning in August, the group will meet twice a month. We will meet at 6 p.m. the first Monday of every month at King’s Daughters Hospital Learning Center, and the third Monday, we will meet at the Lincoln County Public Library. A big shout out goes to Thomas Carson, who generously gives of his time via phone to assist Curtis Oliver, the group leader, with this class. Serving others has its benefits. One is meeting people that have the same passion as you, and meeting people from all types of varying backgrounds and geographic locations. One such person is Kate Morrow,
our outgoing president. Kate moved here from Maryland and accepted the position as president when our first president relocated. Kate stepped down as president in June but will continue to be a part of our affiliate. We are grateful for her leadership and support. Our new president will be Emily Fox. Emily moved to Natchez in 2015 after being an active member of NAMI in Oxford. There, she taught Family-to-Family, and led a Family Support Group and a Connection support group. We are looking forward to her leadership as our new NAMI Four Rivers (MS) President. In the upcoming months, we have two Lunch and Learn meetings scheduled. One will be at the McComb Library on August 28th, and the other will be at the KDMS Training Center in Brookhaven on October 25th. Stay tuned for more details. We are grateful for the participation and involvement to all who support our organization as we reach out to help others in need. - Graciously submitted, Curtis Oliver
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StigmaFree Company is NAMI’s partnership initiative to challenge, highlight and cultivate a company culture of caring and enhanced engagement around mental health. By being a StigmaFree Company and prioritizing mental health as a workplace and community priority, you will help: • Increase productivity and promote a healthier work environment; • Decrease the impact of disability; • Increase retention and engagement of valued employees; and • Strengthen your company brand by linking to a cause that resonates with so many.
Do you want your company to take the StigmaFree pledge? If so, send an email to
stateoffice@namims.org to get started.
There is hope and understanding. Change the way the world sees mental health.
Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2018 • 10 a.m. - 1 p.m. Jackson Convention Complex Trustmark Ballroom B, 105 E. Pascagoula St., Jackson
Space limited. Registration required at
For more information, visit http://bit.ly/mskickoff18, call (601) 899-9058 or e-mail walkmanager@namims.org
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2018 ANNUAL NAMI MISSISSIPPI
STATE CONFERENCE
The theme for this year’s conference was “THRIVE: Navigating the Journey.” The event was held at Belhaven University’s Billy Kim Center on May 17-18. NAMI Mississippi’s annual State Meeting was held on May 19.
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Proposals for the 2019 State Conference are now being accepted! Submit your information at namims.org/2019-state-conference-call-proposals-form/
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Congratulations to this year’s award winners! Distinguished Service Award Attorney General Jim Hood Board Member of the Year Christiane Williams NAMI MS Teacher of The Year Monica Wolters Outstanding NAMI Mississippi Member Central MS - Auvergne Williams Gulf Coast - Chris Marcell Meridian - Patricia Battle Oxford - Hanne Gaycken Pine Belt - Sandy Kinnan Vicksburg - Randall Williams Outstanding NAMI Mississippi Volunteer Central MS - Lisa Steward Crisis Intervention Team Criminal Justice Advocate Tiffany Anderson Multicultural Outreach Award Upsilon Upsilon Omega, Alpha Kappa Alpha Chapter NAMI Young Leader Award Advocacy - Lauren Parker
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2018-2019 BOARD MEMBERS
PHOTO CREDIT: TAMEKA TOBIAS
We would like to welcome and introduce our new and returning board members. Brett Mayfield, President
Nancy White, At Large
Mary Harrington, Vice President
Auvergne Williams, At Large
Sharon Turner-Davis, Secretary
Christiane Williams, At Large
Marcus Ginn, Treasurer
Thomas Carson, Peer Leadership Council Representative
Sherry Bouldin, At Large
Patricia Battle, Meridian Affiliate Representative
Jesse Coppenbarger, At Large
Kimberly Brownlee, Pine Belt Affiliate Representative
Hanne Gaycken, At Large
Lynn Gilbert, Oxford Affiliate Representative
Clinton Smith, At Large
Richard Raymond, Central Mississippi Affiliate Representative
Harold White, At Large
Randall Williams, Vicksburg Affiliate Representative
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LEARN & GROW dinator at MSU, she is well versed in this topic. According to her bio, Santee’s goal is to bring awareness by providing programming that focuses on health and wellness, substance abuse prevention, mental health, suicide prevention and collegiate recovery. With more than eight years of experience, her past work settings include grant writing management, diabetes education, youth development, community development, health disparities, HIV/AIDS prevention and environmental justice. Through her work, Santee has worked to developed health equity strategies and community development projects for communities in Mississippi. The remaining Learn & Grow sessions for 2018 will be held at the following locations: Wednesday, September 26, 2018 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. M.R. Davis Southaven Public Library Meeting Room
8554 Northwest Drive, Southaven, MS 38671 Details TBA.
Wednesday, October 10, 2018 11:30 a.m. – 1:00 p.m. Clarksdale Carnegie Public Library Meeting Room 114 Delta Ave., Clarksdale, MS 38614 Speaker: Hanne Gaycken, member at large for the NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors and NAMI Oxford vicepresident Wednesday, November 14, 2018 11:00 a.m. – 12:30 p.m. B.S. Ricks Memorial Library 310 N. Main St., Yazoo City, MS 39194 Details TBA. If you are interested in speaking at the September or November session, apply at namims.org/learnandgrow.
PHOTO CREDIT: TAMEKA TOBIAS
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fter enjoying the success of the March session, the Learn & Grow series continued with two additional sessions during the summer. On June 12 at Margaret S. Sherry Memorial Library in Biloxi, Brooke Rivera, a realtor at Exit Prestige Luxury Realty, spoke on overcoming fears in holding a career with a mental illness. She emphasized the importance of NAMI helping her to deal with her anxiety and depression after moving to Mississippi from Baton Rouge, La. Brooke opened up about her first experience with a panic attack in college, which led to seeking additional help through multiple mental health professionals over the years. When she got married and moved to Biloxi, her symptoms resurfaced and she was hospitalized twice, which led to a cycle of changing medications. Within the last two or three years, she was able to find a mental health professional who understood her condition and was rediagnosed with borderline personality disorder. She is now on the right medication and frequently utilizes the tools on NAMI’s website. She also works to advocate for others with mental illness to seek help and be open about their condition to reduce stigma. (Brooke is also the walk manager for NAMIWalks Gulf Coast, which takes place on Saturday, Oct. 13 at the BiloxiOcean Springs Bridge. Register or donate at namiwalks.org/gulfcoast.) On August 8 at Mississippi State University’s Mitchell Memorial Library in Starkville, Santee Ezell-Johnson spoke on the topic, “Healthy Communities: The Intersection of Development and Public Health.” As the health promotion and wellness coor-
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rooke Rivera is a realtor with EXIT Prestige Luxury Realty, under owner/ broker Tashia McGinn, on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. It is her goal to understand the real estate needs and desires of the residents and of those moving to the coast.
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antee Ezell-Johnson currently serves as the Health Promotion and Wellness Coordinator at Mississippi State University. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology and two minors: nonprofit management and community health sciences from the University of Southern Mississippi, and a Master of Science in community development with an emphasis in sustainability from Delta State University. In her role, she manages
Brooke is also a distributor for MojiLife and It Works. MojiLife is a company that offers home fragrances via battery-operated, rechargeable devices, and It Works is a company that offers body wraps, skin creams, health supplements and more.
two grants: the Substance Abuse Block Grant and MSU on the Move, and she facilitates the Mississippi Coalition of Partners in Prevention, which consists of higher ed professionals from community colleges and universities. Santee’s goal is to bring awareness by providing programming that focuses on health and wellness, substance abuse prevention, mental health, suicide prevention and collegiate recovery.
SUMMER 2018 · 15 by Sitaniel J. Wimbley, Program Director
2018 NAMIWalks Mississippi Contacts State Office
Saturday, November 10, 2018 Mississippi State Capitol 400 High St, Jackson, MS 39201 Goal: 40K 2018 NAMIWalks Mississippi Theme: Be A Hero Honoring: Law Enforcement and First Responders
State Walk Kick-Off Event Date: September 18, 2018
Time: 11:45 a.m. – 2:00 p.m. Location: Jackson Convention Complex, Trustmark Ballroom B 105 E. Pascagoula St. Jackson, MS 39201 Guest Speaker: Darcey Mamone, Manager of Fund Development and Events at NAMI’s Field Advancement Division
Sitaniel Wimbley (State Walk Website) walkmanager@namims.org • 601-899-9058 Rita Hodges (State Walk Financials) accountmanager@namims.org • 601-899-9058 Deloris McGee (Walk Helper -Vicksburg) namivicksburg@gmail.com • 601-631-0756 Mary Harrington (Walk Helper - Oxford) ccmary@olemiss.edu • 662-202-2922 namiwalks.org/mississippi
Affiliate NAMIWalks
NAMIWalks Gulf Coast October 13, 2018 Biloxi-Ocean Springs Bridge namiwalks.org/gulfcoast Brooke Rivera absrivera79@gmail.com • 228-234-2732 NAMIWalks Pine Belt October 27, 2018 Kamper Park, Hattiesburg namiwalks.org/pinebelt Lauren Parker Lauren.R.Parker@usm.edu 601-934-2886, 601-594-3137
Kimberley Brownlee kmbrownlee11@gmail.com • 816-550-9296 Joseph Kinnan jekin@comcast.net • 601-550-8219 NAMIWalks Meridian November 3, 2018 Bonita Lakes, Meridian namiwalks.org/meridian Jill Walsh jillrwalsh@hotmail.com • 601-917-1474 Patricia Battle patbattle67@gmail.com • 601-527-3734
Members of the NAMIWalks Pine Belt planning committee.
COURTESY NAMI PINE BELT
16 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI
EDUCATION are not available and are not needed during the seminar.
NAMI Family & Friends is a free four-hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. It’s also an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support. • The seminar is led by trained people with lived experience of supporting a family member with a mental health condition. They will walk you through the following topics: • Understanding diagnoses, treatment and recovery • Effective communication strategies • The importance of self-care • Crisis preparation strategies • NAMI and community resources • The seminar will be led by experienced teachers of NAMI Basics, NAMI Family-to-Family or NAMI Homefront. The seminar leaders will be certified by completing an online training. • The seminar may be offered in person or via video conferencing. Video conferencing equipment is the responsibility of the NAMI Affiliate, and a representative of the NAMI Affiliate must be present at each video location. We do not recommend participants joining the seminar from home. • The eBook is a companion piece that provides more detailed information covered in the seminar. It is available as an electronic download. Paper copies
• All existing Peer-to-Peer leaders (formerly mentors) must attend the NAMI National online training to be certified to teach the new Peer-to-Peer course. This training will take between four and eight hours depending on the pace of the learner. • All existing Peer-to-Peer trainers must attend national online training and teach the full eightweek course to qualify for a trainer recertification training (also available online). After this second online training, they will be recertified as trainers. • Existing leaders (mentors) wishing to be trained as trainers at the inperson Training of Trainers this fall (October 11-14) must teach a spring or summer class using the new curriculum to qualify.
The new presentation will still have many of the same components as the previous version. • Two presenters • Companion video • Discussion and Q&A with audience • Handout • Evaluation • Updated presentation structure • IOOV has changed from six sections to four sections. The new sections are: Introduction, What
by Sitaniel J. Wimbley, Program Director
Happened, What Helps, What’s Next. • New structure allows for a 40-minute, 60-minute or 90-minute presentation • New companion video with two different options • Full length video: 15 minutes (for 60-minute and 90-minute presentations) • Short version video: Eight minutes (for 40-min presentation) • DVD and digital file also available • Presenters sharing their stories to each other rather than to the screen (modeling empathy • Updated audience handout • One-page (back and front) handout that’s downloadable from the extranet • Includes basic information on mental health and where to learn more or get involved • Updated evaluation • Written evaluation is now one page (back and front) • Additional workplace materials are available as a follow up to IOOV at organizations (if desired) – NAMI StigmaFree Company Video at www.nami.org/stigmafreeco • Workplace video-facilitated activity • Targeted handouts to address workplace mental health • Marketing brochure • NAMI National is migrating the data system to a new platform • Data will continue to be reported by the State Office • More information will be available as NAMI National finalizes the updated platform Register for upcoming education classes:
namims.eventbrite.com
SUMMER 2018 · 17
M
ADVOCACY
PHOTO CREDIT: TAMEKA TOBIAS
ississippi has joined a handful of states seeking federal permission to require parents and caregivers who qualify for Medicaid to prove they are working at least 20 hours a week or participating in an approved work activity before receiving health coverage. The Mississippi Health Advocacy Program (MHAP), Mississippi Center for Justice (MCJ), and a broad coalition of partners throughout the state believe the proposed waiver will negatively impact children and family throughout the state, particularly the poorest and most vulnerable parents now receive Medicaid in Mississippi—and that few of them will be able to afford insurance even if they find jobs. On Aug. 10 via Facebook, NAMI Mississippi requested federal comments on the proposed waiver with a deadline of Aug. 18. Submissions were accepted via letter and online. During the submission period, three members of the Mississippi House of Representatives and one member of the Mississippi Senate submitted a letter
of opposition to the waiver to the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. Special thanks to the following state legislators for the letter: • Rep. Jarvis Dortch, District 66 • Rep. Christopher M. Bell, District 65
• Sen. Sollie Norwood, District 28 • Rep. Orlando Paden, District 26 We appreciate your efforts in advocating for mental health through public policy. We also want to thank the general public for your submissions as well. Stay tuned for updates on Facebook and Twitter pages for additional advocacy alerts related to state legislation that may affect residents with mental illness.
COURTESY REPRESENTATIVE JARVIS DORTCH
#Advocate4MentalHealth
SYSTEM OF CARE T
he System of Care Youth Leadership Training was held on Aug. 3-4 at the Hilton Garden Inn in Madison, and the theme was “iLead uLead weLead.” The two-day program included speaker sessions, team-building exercises and swag bags for the attendees. Speakers included Sandra Parks, Dawn McLin, Dr. Teri Brister, Shanice White, Lauren Parker, Executive Director Tameka Tobias, Jackie Chatmon, Aisha Carson, Adrienne Hearn, Dwayne Nelson,
Community Outreach Coordinator Tamara Jones-Smith, Blanche Jordan, Alberstein J. Pickett and Gloria Strauthers. A system of care (SOC) is an organizational philosophy and framework that involves collaboration across agencies, families, and youth for the purpose of improving access and expanding the array of coordinated community-based services and supports that helps children, youth and families function better at home, in school, in the community and throughout life. There are seven System of Care projects in the state of Mississippi: • Communicare H.Y.P.E.D. 4 Change • Golden Triangle Region, Connect And Nspire (CAN) • MS BuDS • NFusion Metro • NFusionX-Crossover Xpand • NFusion IV XP (Desoto) • Crossover Xpand – PBMHR
More at namims.org/soc.
18 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
September Mental Health Recovery Month, Suicide Prevention Awareness Month, World Suicide Prevention Day (September 10) October Mental Illness Awareness Week (first week) October 6 National Day of Prayer for Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding, National Depression Screening Day October 10 World Mental Health Day October 13 2018 NAMIWalks Gulf Coast October 27 2018 NAMIWalks Pine Belt November 4 2018 NAMIWalks Meridian November Caregivers Awareness Month November 10 2018 NAMIWalks Mississippi & Wellness Festival
AFFILIATE & SUPPORT GROUP CONTACTS
NAMI FOUR RIVERS (MS), REGION 11 Family Support 2nd Thursdays from 6:30- 8:00 p.m. Cannon Hall, First Episcopal Church, 230 W. Monticello St., Brookhaven Contact: State Office - 601-899-9058
Family Support 3rd Thursdays at 7 p.m. Garden Park Medical Center 1st floor meeting room across from the cafeteria 15200 Community Road, Gulfport, MS 39503 Contact: Mike Fullilove at 228-343-9098
NAMI CENTRAL MS (JACKSON), REGION 8, 9 Affiliate Meeting 3rd Thursdays at 6 p.m. Location: TBA Contact: Brett Mayfield NAMI Mississippi - 601-899-9058 namicentralms@gmail.com
NAMI PINE BELT (HATTIESBURG), REGION 12 Affiliate Meeting The Last Tuesday of the Month (January through October) at 6 p.m. Forrest General Hospital, Cafeteria Meeting Room 6051 US 49, Hattiesburg Contact: Amanda Clement - 601-297-7014
Family Support 2nd Thursday, 7 p.m. St. Catherine Room @ St. Dominic Hospital In the Basement by Cafeteria Contact: State Office - 601-899-9058
NAMI MERIDIAN, REGION 10 Affiliate Meeting First Tuesday of the Month, Noon – 1 p.m. Meridian Activity Center 3300 32nd Ave., Meridian Contact: Patricia Battle at 601-527-3734 or Jill Walsh at 601-917-1474
Connection Recovery Support Each Thursday, 1:30-3:00 p.m. Cups in the Quarter 1855 Lakeland Dr. Contact: John McFadden - 601-956-1856 Biweekly on Thursday, 5-7 p.m. Hinds Behavioral Health Services, Board Room 3450 Highway 80 W., Jackson Contact: Jessica James - 601-454-0507 NAMI GULF COAST, REGIONS 13, 14 Connection Recovery Support Wednesdays at 6 p.m. Mental Health Association of South Mississippi, MHA Drop-In Center 4803 Harrison Circle, Gulfport Contact: MHA at 228-864-6274 For updates, visit namims.org/affiliates/ nami-gulf-coast
Connection Recovery Support Tuesdays, 5 p.m. Wesley House Community Center, 1520 8th Ave., Meridian Contact: Jill Walsh at 601-917-1474 jillrwalsh@hotmail.com NAMI OXFORD, REGION 2 Family Support 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10:00-11:30 a.m. North Mississippi Regional Center, Administration Building Highway 7 South, Oxford Contact: Hanne Gaycken - 662-234-9572 or 662-801-6530 Connection Recovery Support Sundays, 3:30-5:00 p.m.
North MS Regional Center, Administration Building 967 Regional Center Dr. (off Hwy 7 South), Oxford Contact: Clarice Ivy - 662-816-0469 clariceiam@yahoo.com NAMI VICKSBURG, REGION 15 Affiliate Meeting (Quarterly) Jan./April/July/Oct., 6:00 p.m. Call for specific dates. Merit Health Region West Conference Room (until further notice) 1111 North Frontage Road, Vicksburg Contact: Harriette Mastin at 601-630-9470 or 601218-0843 Connection Recovery Support 1st Wednesday of the month, 4:30-6 p.m. Merit Health River Region West Campus, Conference Room 1111 North Frontage Road, Vicksburg Contact: Thomas Carson at 601-529-4677 or Thomas Spates at 601-619-9320 Family Support 1st Tuesdays, 6:00 p.m. Merit Health River Region West Campus Contact: Mary Pope at 601-437-3156 or Randall Williams at 601-630-7724 NAMI YAZOO CITY, REGION 15 Affiliate Meeting Quarterly on 1st Tuesdays from 4-5:30 p.m. at Warren-Yazoo Behavioral Health 3444 Wisconsin Ave., Vicksburg Contact: Beverly Pettigrew at 662-571-3902 Family Support Every other Tuesday, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Warren-Yazoo Behavioral Health 3444 Wisconsin Ave., Vicksburg Contact: Beverly Pettigrew at 662-571-3902
MEMBERSHIP
SUMMER 2018 ¡ 19
As a reminder, the NAMI Board of Directors has decided to add a Household membership category to our membership structure as well as increase the dues for Regular and Open Door memberships. All of these changes became effective July 1, 2017.
Household Membership - $60 Regular Membership - $40 Open Door Membership - $5 A Household membership will apply to everyone living in a single household whose names are provided to NAMI. Regular and Open Door memberships will continue to apply only to one individual. For voting purposes, each membership (including Household) will be counted as one (1) membership.
Encourage your friends and family to join at namims.org/join.
MEMBERSHIP CARD DESIGN
As an added membership bonus, every NAMI Mississippi member will receive a personalized membership card. Look for yours in the mail after your dues are received by the State Office. Carry it proudly!
Front MEMBERSHIP CARD DESIGN MEMBERSHIP CARD DESIGN Front
Front
Back Back
Back
Mississippi
2618 Southerland Street Jackson, MS 39216
SUMMER 2018
In our efforts to “go green,� we encourage you to opt in for the digital version of the newsletter that can be sent to you via email. If you are interested, please send an email to stateoffice@namims.org.
