Winter 2020-2021 Newsletter

Mississippi WINTER 2020-2021

NAMIWALKS 2020 Virtual Recap Featuring Talents & Treasures

Pages 14-15

We Need You! p. 3

Affiliates p. 16

New Website! p. 13

State Conference p. 17

2 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI

Letter from the President of the Board

Mississippi 2618 Southerland Street Jackson, MS 39216 601-899-9058 • 800-357-0388 Fax: 601-956-6380 • namims.org

TABLE OF CONTENTS

President’s Letter We Need You! NAMI Oxford NAMI Pine Belt NAMI Vicksburg NAMI Coastal MS NAMI Central Mississippi Voter Registration Drive-Thru Staff Highlight: Kimberly Massey Website Update NAMIWalks 2020 Education Open Up Mississippi: Meet the Staff 2021 State Conference Calendar of Events • Support Groups Membership

2 3 6 8 9 10 11 12 12 13 14-15 15 16 17 18 19

BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mary Harrington, President & Oxford Affiliate Representative Megan Hamm, Vice President & Four Rivers (MS) Representative Harriette Mastin, Secretary and At Large Marcus Ginn, Treasurer and At Large Sherry Bouldin, At Large Sharon Turner-Davis, At Large Christiane Williams, At Large Thomas Carson, Peer Leadership Council Representative Auvergne Williams, Central Mississippi Affiliate Representative Shan Abbott, Coastal MS Affiliate Representative Diane Sellers, Meridian Affiliate Representative Mavis Creagh, Pine Belt Affiliate Representative Stephanie Stout May, Tupelo Affiliate Representative Jenny Drake, Vicksburg Affiliate Representative STATE OFFICERS Sitaniel J. Wimbley, Executive Director Joy Amerson, Account Manager Kawanna Jenkins, Education Outreach Volunteer Kimberly Massey, Program Marketing Specialist Nicole Thomas, Marketing & Outreach Intern Latasha Willis, Peer Community Outreach Specialist Cara Willoughby, Program Development Intern AFFILIATES Central Mississippi Four Rivers (MS) Pine Belt Vicksburg Meridian Oxford Coastal MS Tupelo (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.

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am thrilled to be writing my first newsletter article as your new Board President! Let me briefly introduce myself. I retired from Ole Miss as Director of Institutional Research and Assessment six years ago, ran a higher-education consulting business for the next four years, and now am focusing on nonprofit volunteer work.

NAMI is an important part of that focus.

When my now-32-year-old daughter was diagnosed with a mental illness at age 13, I was completely unprepared to deal with it and felt I was the only person in Oxford facing this challenge. Then, on a friend’s advice, I took NAMI’s Family to Family class. I don’t think it’s an understatement to say it changed my life. I learned so many coping and coaching skills, and found solace as we shared our experiences.

Some of the people I met in that class a decade ago remain some of my closest friends.

Needless to say, I am a huge NAMI fan!

We all faced challenges this year because of the pandemic, and NAMI was no exception. But I’m proud of the way the staff and our members rose to this challenge. Despite transitioning the Walk to a virtual platform, we set a record for funds raised. When faceto-face classes had to be cancelled, we transitioned both classes and support groups to an on-line format.

Our NAMI-MS organization is strong, committed, and resilient. I’m convinced we can do even more in the upcoming year to share NAMI’s message of support and hope. My heartfelt thanks to each and every one of you for the important part you play in our success!

Best regards,

Mary Harrington, President NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors

Thank You, David!

David Shumpert, we appreciate your service and dedication during your time as an Office Volunteer for the State Office. We’ll miss having you around, and we hope that your next chapter is great!

WINTER 2020-2021 · 3

NAMI-MS Needs YOU!

This year, the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, which is our primary source of income, changed the way it funds us.

In the past, they divided our total grant request into monthly payments. But beginning this year, they pay us only for the classes we teach and the teachers we train. So, it is vitally important that we offer classes, train teachers, and recruit class participants.

––– And that’s where YOU come in! ––– We need YOU to … TEACH CLASSES! We are working diligently to set up classes, particularly Family & Friends and In Our Own Voice. If you are trained to teach these classes, PLEASE volunteer to teach a class – or several classes! Not only will you be helping NAMI-MS procure its funding, but more importantly, you will be providing critical education on mental health to our community. Here is an easy way for you to sign up to teach:

We need YOU to … BE TRAINED TO TEACH! NAMI has developed a comprehensive series of topnotch education classes. To ensure these classes are delivered professionally and effectively, NAMI requires that the class leaders be trained. Particularly now when people are feeling anxious, depressed, and isolated, we need to help our community deal with these stressors.

1. Go to https://signup.com/login/entry/1131138308057 2. Enter your email address.

3. Sign up! Choose what days and times you can teach.

Go here to see the many available classes: https://www. nami.org/Support-Education/Mental-Health-Education.

Then let Sitaniel Wimbley (swimbley@namims.org) know which training you’re interested in and she will recommend you for it.

We need YOU to … FILL OUR CLASSES!

We need YOU BECAUSE …

Even with outstanding instructors and excellent content, our classes can’t be successful without students. We need you to get creative in identifying ways we can recruit students for our classes.

Please reach out to your civic organizations, schools, churches, or other entities that would benefit from our classes.

Consider hosting a class for one (or more!) of your affiliate meetings. And sign up for classes yourself.

NAMI members are uniquely positioned to deliver educational classes.

Each of you has learned through personal lived experiences how mental illness impacts us. Now it is time to share what we have learned with our friends and neighbors.

Please help us share NAMI’s message of hope by teaching classes, being trained to teach, and filling our classes. Thank you!

4 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI

Mental Health & Wellness

Day at the Capitol Tuesday, March 9, 2021

10:00 A.M. - 11:00 A.M.

This year’s event is online.

Join us virtually!

The virtual program includes personal stories, speakers and other activities. RSVP at

bit.ly/datc2021 Please wear green.

For more information, call 601-899-9058 or email stateoffice@namims.org

WINTER 2020-2021 · 5

NAMI Mississippi’s Annual State Conference

May 26-29, 2021 | Virtual

CALLonFOR Updates sponsorships, registration, PROPOSALS presenters and more can be found at Submissions accepted at namims.org/2021proposals.

namims.org/conference2021 Send questions to stateconference@namims.org.

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AMI Oxford put together a wonderful, committed team which raised $9,662. The top fundraising team in the state consisted of Michael Danahy, Hanne Gaycken, Karsten Gaycken, Mary Harrington, Clarice Ivy, and Carol Van Besien.

How did we do it? We conducted a variety of fun activities and reached out via email, phone, and social media to family and friends all around the country from Wisconsin to New Hampshire and back again to Mississippi. Donations came from eight states in all.

Our top attraction was a YouTube video featuring Mary Harrington playing a variety of songs at the piano.

Mary chose well-known pieces that related to mental illness. (Visit NAMI Mississippi’s YouTube channel to see the videos at namims.org/youtube.)

Other team members displayed their talents by walking the dog, doing treadmill, and making pottery. You can see the pics on our Facebook page at facebook.com/namioxfordms.

Tuesday Newsday, which is NAMI’s nationally distributed newsletter, featured a story about our Oxford walk in

Here is a partial list in her own hand of some of the small-donor gifts Loretta Rogers collected and recorded.

Mary Harrington plays piano!

Source: NAMI Mississippi/YouTube

the Oct. 27, 2020 edition.

One of our faithful supporters deserves special recognition. Loretta Rogers has worked as a housekeeper for 44 years for one of our NAMI families. During that time, she lived through the mental health turmoil in that family, so she decided to do fundraising for our 2020 Walk.

She did it the old fashioned way, nothing digital or virtual about it: shoe leather, paper and pencil, knocking on her neighbors’ doors, getting a dollar or two at a time.

Tirelessly, she campaigned for NAMI in both her community and her congregation and raised more than $600!

Especially noteworthy is that the donations came from nearly 50 individuals.

With contributions ranging from $1

to $100, Loretta dedicated herself to raising funds and -- just as importantly -- to raising awareness of NAMI’s mission and services.

In other news from Oxford, we continue to hold conference call meetings for our two support groups. We reach out not only to local residents but also military families as far away as Columbus. For details and updates, check out our Facebook page as well as namims. org/oxford. And we are proud of our own Mary Harrington, who has been elected to serve as President of the NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors.

Submitted by Michael Danahy, NAMI Oxford Affiliate Member At Large

We reach out not only to local residents but also military families as far away as Columbus.

Mary Harrington of the Oxford affiliate awards Loretta Rogers a plaque for her dedication and generosity!

WINTER 2020-2021 · 7

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reetings in 2021 to our wonderful NAMI members and friends! What a challenging year we all just experienced! Despite the major speed bumps that confront us all, our affiliate continues to set goals and offer programs to help people who struggle with mental health issues. Under the leadership of our affiliate President, Mavis Creagh, we have been holding virtual meetings on the last Tuesday of each month. We concluded a highly successful Virtual Walk this past November, earning

more than $7,500 to fund free educational programs throughout the Pine Belt. We intend to continue our sponsorship of mental health programs such as Crisis Intervention Team Training, Behavioral Health Court, Mental Health First Aid, and other events that have a positive impact on all citizens in our community.

Despite COVID challenges in 2020, we succeeded in assisting with the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) classes.

We were also able to purchase some equipment to help improve their classroom setting. We continue to receive a monthly stipend from the Pine Belt Mental Healthcare Resources CIT

grant for our role on the CIT Advisory Team. This is quite useful to enhance mental health programs in Hattiesburg and the surrounding communities.

We are incredibly grateful for the lead role that the NAMI-MS State Office has assumed in continuing the development and delivery of NAMI Signature Programs through Zoom and other media. Not only that, but they successfully presented the NAMI-MS State Conference in a virtual manner. Impressive! Much credit for that goes to Sitaniel Wimbley and Latasha Willis for their creativity and technical expertise.

Expression of appreciation banner from CIT team to our Affiliate for support we’ve given.

(continued on page 8)

8 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI (continued from page 7)

In 2020, our affiliate provided funds to people who needed psychotropic medications while awaiting placement in the state mental health hospitals. We helped the Hattiesburg Junior Auxiliary with funds for them to spearhead community youth programs. We contributed to the efforts of Christian Services as they provided meals to many people enrolled in mental health treatment plans. Finally, we supported

the holiday gifts for the participants in the Region 12 Mental Health Center client treatment programs. The gifts help add joy to the lives of these vulnerable people. The Region 12 staff should be commended for all the personal sacrifices they make to help their clients prosper and transition to new beginnings.

Our affiliate will continue to hold our monthly meetings on the last Tuesday of each month. We will use

the virtual method until COVID is well behind us. We intend to have guest speakers at each meeting to brief us on the most recent strides in mental health care. As we’ve noted before, we feel privileged to be a part of the NAMI advocacy team in our state and nation. We embrace the new year with its many challenges and victories.

Respectfully submitted by Joe Kinnan, Ph.D. NAMI Pine Belt Treasurer

Mavis Creagh and David Connell presenting donation to Christian Services staff for their food service support to Pine Belt Mental Health clients.

Mavis Creagh and Joe Kinnan presenting donation to director of Pine Belt Mental Healthcare PACT team to assist clients during the holidays.

WINTER 2020-2021 · 9

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reetings from NAMI Vicksburg!

Well, we are still wearing masks, washing our hands, and socially distancing over here in River City!

Thankfully we can look forward to the arrival of the vaccine as another helpful tool in our battle with COVID. In the meantime, let us continue to stay in touch with each other and be an encouraging voice in the middle of mayhem.

Since our last newsletter report was written in July, there is a lot to catch up on. In addition to being the year of a pandemic, 2020 was also a year of learning new ways of doing things … such as how to do a virtual conference, virtual classes, virtual support groups, all things virtual! While challenging to say the least, these changes forced teachers, mentors, facilitators, and presenters to think outside the box and learn new things. Much to our surprise, these virtual presentations showed us many new opportunities to reach people all around the state and even in other states. After all, if a conference is online, anyone can dial in and access the meeting with the access info. Suddenly our affiliate borders have opened up, and we are in touch with everyone.

July 7th brought us our first conference call Family Support Group along with our quarterly Affiliate Meeting on July 28th, also done via conference call. Part of the discussion at this meeting centered around the newly revised Family-toFamily curriculum which would now be shortened to eight weeks instead of the previous 12-week course. Teachers were encouraged to complete the short video recertification training and order a free copy of the new teaching manual.

Further discussion centered around the apprehension teachers felt about trying to learn to teach the course virtually.

The Family & Friends 90-minute seminar has proven to be very flexible and convenient for presenting on short notice when requests come in for NAMI education/resource materials. It was first offered to NAMI Vicksburg as part of a grant available to the affiliate when

the seminar was first being released. Six Family-to-Family teachers (Randall Williams, Mary Pope, Sarah Johnson, Jenny Drake, Deloris McGee, Harriette Mastin) in Vicksburg were trained as Family & Friends presenters, and beginning in April 2019, the Affiliate began presenting the seminar. Due to COVID, the last face to face presentation of the four-hour seminar was done Feb. 24th & March 2nd, 2020 by Randall W. and Sarah J. Seeing the need to move to a virtual platform, Jenny Drake and Deloris McGee arranged for a training with Jackson State University student Kaleiah Drake, who showed them how to present the seminar using Zoom or Webex. Since that time, they have presented seven times with three more presentations in the coming weeks (as of this writing).

As a follow-up, Thomas Carson, along with NAMI MS, also arranged technical trainings for all presenters, teachers, trainers, and facilitators. Side note: Family & Friends was done for the Central MS Affiliate meeting on Jan. 5th and on Feb. 6th, for the Oxford Affiliate by Jenny and Deloris. Get access info from NAMI MS the next time a presentation is scheduled. There is also a video available when the teachers are unable to do a live presentation.

October 10th brought the first virtual Walk for NAMI Vicksburg, and it was a great success! Held to coincide with the National Day of Hope and NAMIWalks Mississippi, the Affiliate had five teams, 19 participants, and five sponsors (City of Vicksburg, Warren Yazoo Behavioral Health, Warren County Board of Supervisors, People’s Drug Store, Above the Barre Performing Academy) and raised $4,215.00. Thanks to all who organized teams, videoed themselves performing/walking/dancing, and provided gift bags for sponsors.

November brought a Peer-to-Peer Training with Thomas Carson and a Family & Friends seminar with Jenny Drake. Then with the arrival of December and the holidays, there is always so much excitement about the annual Christmas Party for our friends who live in the group home, Wisconsin Cove Apartments, and

in the community. Sadly this year, due to the pandemic, plans for the Christmas Parade and the Christmas Party had to be canceled. However, NAMI Vicksburg could not let the season pass without remembering our friends, so the Affiliate voted to send each person a Christmas card with a small monetary gift inside, a total of 37 cards. The response was truly heartwarming as we received many calls, texts, and emails from recipients expressing so much gratitude. It was a true blessing to the Affiliate members.

Now we are back to January 2021 and find ourselves wondering what we accomplished in 2020. We choose to look ahead to the many opportunities that the new year holds, and we invite you to join us. We have reinstated our Affiliate Development Committee, which was active several years ago and accomplished so much in keeping all of the affiliates in touch and on the same page. We invite you to join that committee and work with us as we encourage each other, compare notes, and build each other up.

We will work on expanding our affiliates to other parts of the state and will enjoy a monthly conference call to brainstorm and come up with ideas. We would like for at least one person (or more) from each affiliate to join us. Thomas Carson, our NAMI Vicksburg President and NAMI MS Board Member, is chairing this committee, and we need YOU! We are looking forward to the 2021 Virtual State Conference May 26-29, and the 2021 NAMIWalk in the fall. We are all needed in planning these events so be sure to sign up to help with the Conference Committee and the Walk Committee.

Remember that the Walk is the major fundraiser for NAMI MS at this time.

If you need us: Vicksburg Family Support Group Conference Call – 1st Tuesday of the month at 6 p.m.

Connection Recovery Group – refer to NAMI Central MS Connection Group – Thursdays at 1:30 p.m.

For more info on classes or support groups, email vicksburg@namims.org or text 601-218-0843.

Submitted by NAMI Vicksburg

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AMI Coastal MS thanks the Mental Health Association (MHA) of South MS for providing the Youth Mental Health First Aid Class. NAMI Coastal MS sponsored the lunch for the Youth Mental Health First Aid Class held for CASA on December 11th, 2020.

It was a great day for Youth Mental Health First Aid training with CASA and several others. MHA thanked NAMI Coastal MS for sponsoring lunch and snacks! Thank you to The ARC for letting MHA of South MS use their space. Thank you to members of Coast Electric through Operation Round Up and their Community Trust in partnership with Gulf Coast Community Foundation for giving MHA of South MS the funds to have these trainings.

NAMI Coastal MS hosts our Family Support Group and our Connections Support Group meeting in person on the 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month at The Arc of Mississippi, 3109 Gulf Ave., Gulfport, MS (CDC guidelines are observed) or attend virtually via conference call.

WINTER 2020-2021 · 11 On October 23rd, NAMI Coastal MS participated in the Mental Health and Wellness Community Event at the Biloxi Civic Center. Thank you to everyone who shared their resources on Self-Care Day, and all those who came out to participate!

Special recognition and of thanks to Cynthia Shields, President of NAMI Coastal MS for her In Our Own Voice presentation. Our booth was well attended and more than 35 individuals obtained information about our meetings and the mental health information provided by NAMI MS. Read more and watch the video at https:// www.wxxv25.com/2020/10/23/mentalhealth-self-care-day/.

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reetings from the NAMI Central Mississippi Affiliate! We look forward to 2021 with anticipation that our affiliate will grow in membership and enthusiasm. NAMI Mississippi has such great leaders and members throughout the state, but we would welcome your help and participation. At the Central Mississippi Affiliate, we feel blessed and challenged by being situated at the geographical and political center of Mississippi.

The Central Mississippi Affiliate holds meetings on the first Tuesday of each month from 7 p.m. to 8 p.m. All of our meetings are open to the public. During

At the Central Mississippi Affiliate, we feel blessed and challenged by being situated at the geographical and political center of Mississippi.

Submitted by Shan Abbott, NAMI Coastal MS Affiliate Vice President

Special thanks to Mississippi Senator Hillman Frazier for attending the Family & Friends presentation during the NAMI Central Mississippi Affiliate Meeting on Tuesday, January 5.

IMAGE FROM MISSISSIPPI STATE SENATE WEBSITE

the COVID emergency, we have been meeting virtually. We expect that when the emergency subsides, we will resume in-person gatherings, but hope to enable those who wish to join us remotely to continue to do so.

In our September 2020 Affiliate meeting, Dr. Tiffany Anderson-Washington spoke to us about her leadership of Crisis Intervention Team training (CIT) and the Mobile Crisis Response Team being part of her responsibilities at Hinds Behavioral Health Services. COVID has increased the need for effective crisis resolutions, and we are appreciative of the great work Dr. Anderson-Washington does for the Jackson metro area.

In our October affiliate meeting, we featured an In Our Own Voice Presentation with Latasha Willis and Auvergne Williams as the presenters.

Latasha and Auvergne shared their personal stories of struggle, survival, and success in dealing with their mental illnesses.

Our November meeting conflicted with the presidential election, so we did not convene. In December, we presented

a program entitled “Holiday Stress and Depression in the COVID Era.” Different strategies were discussed, and we borrowed heavily from a published article featuring the ideas of Dr. JaNae Taylor and Incia A. Rashid, a psychotherapist and professional counselor, respectively.

On January 5, NAMI Central Mississippi kicked off 2021 by featuring a Family & Friends seminar with Jenny Drake and Deloris McGee as the presenters. We had a great turnout for this virtual event and welcomed State Senator Hillman Frazier as our special guest.

Our Central Mississippi Connection peer support group continues to meet virtually during the pandemic. These meetings are held every Thursday from 1:30 to 3 p.m. This is a confidential peer-led support group for anyone who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Because we are meeting virtually, we welcome any peers who wish to join us from other parts of the state.

We’d like to hear from you about your needs or questions. You can contact Auvergne Williams at 601-259-7176 or centralms@namims.org for more information regarding any matters concerning Central Mississippi. Also, stay up to date with us through our NAMI Central Mississippi Facebook account and e-newsletter.

Stay safe and we hope to gather with you soon!

- Submitted by Auvergne Williams, NAMI Central Mississippi Affiliate President

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In recognition of National Voter Registration Day on September 22, 2020, NAMI Mississippi’s State Office held a voter registration drive in a drive-thru format in light of the COVID-19 pandemic. Held safely outdoors in front of the office, passersby were welcome to drive up and receive voter registration forms to complete visa curbside. The screenshots below are from the news feature that 16 WAPT News, the local ABC affiliate, broadcasted on television and their website. Thanks for participating, and we encourage everyone to support public policy that favors those with mental health conditions.

Staff Highlight: Kimberly Massey, Program Marketing Specialist If you enjoyed our first virtual State Conference in 2020, you may recall seeing Kimberly Massey as one of our presenters. Now she is part of our team to help with getting the word out about our programs and offering support to our program facilitators.

Background: Kimberly Massey is the president and consultant for Thrive South, LLC. Thrive South is a consulting firm providing services to nonprofit social impact organizations primarily in Mississippi and the Southern United States.

Kimberly has a master’s degree in nonprofit planning and management and has worked in the nonprofit sector for more than 25 years. As a social impact consultant and advocate, she specializes in small and start-up nonprofit organizations.

Kimberly chose a compass as the symbol for her company, Thrive South, because she believes that charities can be more effective in achieving their missions when they have a strong start and a guide to navigating the journey to sustainability. She has been involved in starting five new charities. She has also managed $1,000 donations and $14 million federal grants. Her unofficial motto is “helping nonprofit leaders sleep better at night.”

WINTER 2020-2021 · 13

WEBSITE UPDATE Have you seen the new namims.org?

The latest iteration is on par with the NAMI National website in terms of navigation and search features.

Special thanks to NAMI EasySite for their support of the previous site and this one.

INTERACTIVE AFFILIATE MAP

SLEEK EVENT CALENDAR

...AND MUCH MORE!

IMPROVED HOME PAGE

14 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI by Sitaniel J. Wimbley, Executive Director

2020 NAMIWalks Recap

Thank you for all of your work and donations to NAMIWalks 2020!

Here are highlights from the virtual walk program on October 10, 2020, the National Day of Hope.

Executive Director Sitaniel Wimbley serves as emcee during the livestream with Latasha Willis, Peer Community Outreach Specialist, serving as technical producer.

Sheryl Egan-Oliver gives a warm-up exercise courtesy of NAMI Coastal MS. NAMI National CEO Daniel Gillison offers opening and closing remarks.

Beth Zarahoff gives greetings from Alkermes, a NAMIWalks National Sponsor. Rhymic Fusion provides a line dancing performance courtesy of NAMI Vicksburg.

NAMI Vicksburg Affiliate President Thomas Carson shares footage of a walk through his neighborhood, and NAMI Coastal MS President Cynthia Shields also speaks.

NAMI MS Board President Mary Harrington gives four piano performances, Tameka Garrett was the NAMIWalks Mississippi 2020 Honorary Walk Chair, NAMI Four Rivers (MS) President Megan Hamm thanked everyone for their support, and Shirley Holloway, President of the NAMI Board of Directors, offers a virtual greeting.

WINTER 2020-2021 · 15 NAMIWalks Mississippi 2021 has begun and the registration site will be open by April 2021.

The state event is taking place virtually on October 9, 2021 and our focus this year is Mental Health for All. Details on the other events will be shared in the newsletter as they become available.

We would like to invite you to join our walk this year. Your participation is instrumental in accomplishing our goal and raising $50,000.00 to support the mission of NAMI Mississippi.

As you know, NAMIWalks Mississippi is a powerful community event aimed to raise awareness of mental health and bring together community members for a great day of camaraderie. The funds raised from this event help to ensure that we can continue to offer NAMI programs and services at no charge to people and families in our state, providing help and hope to those in need. Thank you so much for your continued support of our mission; we are looking forward to teaming up with you.

Saturday, Oct. 9, 2021

Mississippi

2021 SPONSORSHIP STAY TUNED FOR OPPORTUNITIES UPDATES! NATIONAL PLATINUM SPONSOR

NATIONAL GOLD SPONSOR

EDUCATION UPDATE The following program leaders were trained to lead Signature Programs in December 2020. Congrats!

Trainers: Thomas Carson, Latasha Willis

Trainer: Monica Wolters

Jared Bendifallah Janice Cho Ashley Floyd

Gene McIntyre Britt Turpack Karen Wilkinson

Judi Maikoff Jessie Wright

Madeline Sleeper Louis Altshuler

16 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI

Sylvionna Horton

Marketing & Outreach Specialist

Laykin Register

State Level Youth Engagement Coordinator

Jordan Mahoney

MEET THE STAFF

Sylvionna Horton is a native of Jackson, MS. She is a senior psychology major at Tougaloo College where she also serves as Miss Tougaloo College 2020-2021. Sylvionna aspires to become a clinical psychologist and have her own practice in Jackson. Due to her personal experiences and witnessing how many people are affected by mental illnesses without having the knowledge of proper resources and information, she developed an interest in mental health advocacy. She has hosted many events on her campus that are centered around the importance of mental health and self-awareness for her fellow classmates. She also has a YouTube channel titled “Sweet Talks with Sylvi” where she gives advice and encouragement to students that are facing some of the same challenges that she has during her high school and college experience. Sylvionna wishes to continue to bring awareness and change the stigma about mental health in her community. In her free time, she enjoys reading, watching Netflix, and hanging out with family and friends.

Laykin Register is a native of Laurel, MS. Prior to NAMI MS, she served as Youth Peer Support Specialist in a System of Care grant called Crossover XPand, where she worked with youth and young adults ages 3-21 who were in child protective services and/or the juvenile justice system, or at risk for either one. She also served as a CPSS Ambassador for the MS Department of Mental Health. She was on the team to help develop and train the first modules for the youth and young adult peer support training certification. When Open Up Mississippi was first developing, she had the opportunity to be in the group that developed the name, mission and vision statements, and press conferences. She was a key speaker as a peer support specialist for the 2019 Mental Health Awareness Day at the Capital in Jackson, MS. She is currently living with multiple mental health diagnoses. Some of which include: Major Depressive Disorder, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, and Conversion Disorder. Because of these things, she has devoted her life to youth and young adult mental health. She also enjoys reading, cuddling with her two dogs, and being surrounded by her family and friends.

Jordan Mahoney is a native of Minneapolis, Minnesota but has been living in Mississippi since the age of five.

While in Mississippi, Jordan has been involved in various community organizing events and activities. Jordan has attended school at Mississippi State University as a business major with a concentration in marketing.

She is passionate about digital marketing and launching her business ventures through social media platforms to empower others.

Jordan enjoys coloring, listening to music and playing with her puppy, Jayce. She lives in Ridgeland, MS.

Program & Activity Development Specialist

Yasmine Ware is a junior at Madison Central High School. She enjoys singing, songwriting, acting, spending time with friends and family, and she even has a podcast called “Yasmine’s Warehouse.”

She is beyond excited to combine her creativity with her passion for mental health advocacy through her role of Graphic Designer of Open Up Mississippi.

Yasmine Ware Graphic Designer

Learn more about Open Up Mississippi at openupms.org.

WINTER 2020-2021 · 17

NAMI MS 2021 STATE CONFERENCE Theme: “Adequate Self Care: Transformation, Motivation and Essentials” Conference Dates: May 26-29, 2021 Location: Virtual Call for Proposals

NAMI Mississippi is seeking workshop session proposals for our 2021 spring conference.

• The submission period is January 4 - February 28, 2021 (subject to change).

• Workshop applicants will be notified if they are accepted on March 20, 2021.

• Session leaders receive free registration to the full NAMI Mississippi State Conference.

The links for proposal submission can be found here: namims.org/2021proposals.

Sponsorships

• $150 - Bronze (show logo and read promo, one membership) • $250 - Silver (show video, two memberships) • $500 - Gold (show video, two conference tickets, two memberships, free employee training for the organization) • $1,000 - Platinum (show video, four conference tickets, four memberships, plaque, four mugs, free employee training, StigmaFree certification)

Deadline: April 30, 2021

Updates on Registration, the Agenda & More Will Be at

namims.org/conference2021

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CALENDAR OF EVENTS February March 9 May

May 2-8 May 6 May 26-29 June June 15-16 June 27 July

CIT Awareness Month, From NAMI Mississippi...With Love Campaign Begins Virtual Day at the Capitol NAMIWalks Campaign, Mental Health Awareness Month Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week National Children’s Mental Health Awareness Day NAMI Mississippi’s 2021 Virtual State Conference PTSD Awareness Month NAMI Mississippi’s Minority Mental Health Conference National PTSD Awareness Day Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

AFFILIATE & SUPPORT GROUP CONTACTS Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, please check with each affiliate contact for information on whether meetings are being held in a virtual or hybrid format, or have been placed on hiatus. Physical locations are listed below in case in-person meetings resume for any location in the near future.

NAMI FOUR RIVERS (MS), REGION 11 Affiliate Meeting Held quarterly.

Contact: fourriversms@namims.org Family Support 3rd Thursday of the month Merit Health Natchez, Magnolia Room 54 Sergeant Prentiss Dr., Natchez, MS 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Contact: Emily Fox – 662.801.8700, Arrick Rice – 601.951.0887 agingmatters@gmail.com fourriversms@namims.org NAMI CENTRAL MS (JACKSON), REGION 8, 9 Affiliate Meeting First Tuesdays at 7 p.m.

Galloway United Methodist Church 305 N. Congress St, Jackson, MS 39201 Contact: Auvergne Williams 601-259-7176 Connection Recovery Support Thursdays, 1:30-3 p.m.

Cups in the Quarter 1855 Lakeland Dr., Ste D-10, Jackson, MS Contact: John McFadden - 601-956-1856 NAMI PINE BELT (HATTIESBURG), REGION 12

Affiliate Meeting Last Tuesdays (January-October) at 6 p.m.

Forrest General Hospital Cafeteria Meeting Room 6051 US 49, Hattiesburg, MS Contact: Joe Kinnan - 601-550-8219 NAMI MERIDIAN, REGION 10 Affiliate Meeting First Tuesdays, Noon – 1 p.m.

Meridian Activity Center, 3300 32nd Ave., Meridian, MS Contact: Patricia Battle at 601-527-3734 or Jill Walsh at 601-917-1474 Connection Recovery Support Tuesdays, 5 p.m.

Wesley House Community Center, 1520 8th Ave., Meridian, MS Contact: Jill Walsh at 601-917-1474 NAMI OXFORD, REGION 2 Family Support 2nd and 4th Saturdays, 10-11:30 a.m.

North Mississippi Regional Center, Administration Building 967 Regional Center Dr. (off Hwy 7 South), Oxford, MS Contact: Hanne Gaycken - 662-2349572, 662-801-6530, or gaycken@bellsouth.net

Connection Recovery Support Sundays, 3:30-5 p.m.

North Mississippi Regional Center, Administration Building 967 Regional Center Dr. (off Hwy 7 South), Oxford, MS Contact: Clarice Ivy - 662-816-0469 clariceiam@yahoo.com NAMI VICKSBURG, REGION 15 Affiliate Meeting (Quarterly) Jan./April/July/Oct., 6 p.m. Call for dates.

Warren-Yazoo Behavioral Health Conference Room 3444 Wisconsin Avenue, Vicksburg, MS Contact: Harriette Mastin at 601-630-9470 or 601-218-0843 Connection Recovery Support Not meeting at this time. Stay tuned for updates.

Family Support 1st Tuesdays, 6 p.m.

Merit Health River Region West Campus, Conference Room 1111 North Frontage Road, Vicksburg, MS Contact: Mary Pope at 601-437-3156, or Harriette Mastin at 601-630-9470 or 601-218-0843

(DEVELOPING), REGIONS 13, 14 Affiliate Meeting Second Thursday of the Month (April October), 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The Arc, 3109 Gulf Ave., Gulfport, MS Led by Cynthia Shields and Shan Abbott Contact: The State Office at (601) 899-9058 coastalms@namims.org Connection Recovery Support 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

The Arc, 3109 Gulf Ave., Gulfport, MS Contact: The State Office at (601) 899-9058 coastalms@namims.org Family Support 1st and 3rd Thursdays, 6:30-7:30 p.m.

Facilitators: Anna Northcutt and Cynthia Shields The Arc, 3109 Gulf Ave., Gulfport, MS Contact: The State Office at (601) 899-9058 coastalms@namims.org NAMI TUPELO (DEVELOPING), REGION 3 Affiliate Meetings Schedule TBA tupelo@namims.org

NAMI COASTAL MS

Support group descriptions at namims.org/programs.

WINTER 2020-2021 · 19

MEMBERSHIP

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

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Mississippi

2618 Southerland Street Jackson, MS 39216

WINTER 2020-2021

In our efforts to “go green,” our newsletter is being produced in digital format only until further notice. If you have any questions, please send an email to stateoffice@namims.org.