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Find Help. Find Hope.
www.NAMIDallas.org
(214) 341-7133
Volume 20, No. 1 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 January 2017
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Helpful Websites
NAMI National http://www.nami.org
NAMI Texas www.namitexas.org
NAMI Dallas www.namidallas.org
PLAN www.planofntx.org
National Mental Health Association www.nmha.org
NARSAD (National Alliance Research on Schizophrenia & Depression) www.narsad.org
Recovery International www.recoveryinternational.org
Texas Legislature
www.capitol.state.tx.us
United States Congressional Information
Senate www.senate.gov (202) 224-3121
House www.house.gov (202) 225-1908
The NAMI Dallas NEWS is published monthly by NAMI Dallas
2812 Swiss Avenue Dallas, Texas 75204 Ph. (214) 341-7133
Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday
Email: [email protected] Web: www.namidallas.org
The NAMI Dallas Board meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Board Meetings are CLOSED to the public.
Staff
Executive Director & Program Director: Marsha Rodgers Youth Programs Coordinator: Lisa Pedersen
Grant Writer: Susan Essary
NAMIWalks Manager John Dornheim
Board of Directors
President: Sherry Cusumano Vice-President: Herb Cotner
Secretary: Ilana Presley Treasurer: Paul Sloane
Board Members-At-Large
Teena Adler Roberts * Mary Berger * Leonard Keesee * Claudia Smith * David Whitley
Find Help. Find Hope.
An Affiliate of the
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Green Oaks Hospital 7808 Clodus Field, Dallas, TX 75257 Green Oaks is located in North Dallas and
is also the crisis intervention unit for the NorthSTAR
area. The hospital is near the east end of Merit
Drive behind Medical City Dallas Hospital at Forest
Lane and Central. This Psychiatric Crisis
Stabilization Unit can be utilized as a psychiatric
emergency room, just as Parkland Hospital
Psychiatric ER is used.
It is not necessary to be a member of NorthSTAR
to access the services available at Green Oaks.
They will accept indigents, Medicaid, NorthSTAR,
most insurances, or private-pay patients. Services
are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Volume 20, No. 1 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 January 2017
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Hello NAMI Members and Friends of NAMI Dallas! Wasn’t the holiday party terrific?! It really does get better with each and every year. We were grateful for the poinsettias that Julie Noble got for us and the wonderful brisket that she always provides—this year she provided those again even though she was unable to attend! That’s what I call a true commitment. We were also grateful for two very generous sponsorships: one from Medical City Green Oaks and one from Timberlawn. Both facilities had representatives attending for the evening and participated in the festivities! The dinner was fabulous as it always is and the fellowship was terrific! The awards were given out to our distinguished recipients. We even got a commitment from Dr. Ahmed (who was accepting an award on behalf of Sharon Phillips) to speak at one of our future NAMI meetings! We will look forward to scheduling that meeting so that we can learn more about the healthcare services that are being delivered by Parkland to people who are incarcerated in the Dallas County Jail (Lew Sterrett) since many of us have had loved ones that ended up in the jail due to their mental illness and the behavior that resulted as a consequence of their mental illness. So are you all getting ready to participate in a brief NAMISmarts training to prepare to participate in Mental Health Day at the Capitol? The Texas Legislature meets every two years and the next legislative session starts in January! NAMI Dallas always arranges for participation in Mental Health Day at the Capitol by providing the abbreviated version of the NAMISmarts training when it is a legislative year, so it’s time to get ready! The rally and legislative visits are scheduled for February 8 so we have no time to spare! There is a 3-step process for signing up, so please pay attention to all three steps! Be sure to register (there is a small registration fee), arrange for travel, and follow the itinerary on the day of the event. We need to let the legislators know that mental health matters and has an impact on MANY people. We let them know that by our visits, phone calls, letters, and also through events such as this. Your participation matters. If you’ve wanted more in the way of support and care for yourself or your loved one, you need to speak up and let our legislators know. I receive calls daily about the frustrations people have regarding their experiences with the public mental health system. I hear about the need for more housing for people with mental illnesses, the need for more robust services, the frustrations people have regarding access to care and the fears people have when their loved ones end up in the jail because of the behaviors that are a consequence of mental illness. It’s time to speak up! Please take the first step and register and sign up for the NAMISmarts preparatory class! I know that you care—it’s time to show the Texas Legislators.
I look forward to seeing you soon—maybe in a NAMISmarts class? Best Regards, Sherry Cusumano President of NAMI Dallas
Letter from our President
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This month’s topic:
Mental Health Day at the Texas State Capitol and Why Your Presence Is Important
Thursday, January 5, 2017
Support Groups: 6-7pm | Presentation: 7:30-8:30pm
Meeting Location: Park Central Baptist Church
7777 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX 75251
MAP
Featured Speaker: Sherry Cusumano, RN, LCDC, MS President of NAMI Dallas
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Wednesday, February 8, 2017
Mental Health Day at the Texas State Capitol
Step 1. Register for the Mental Health Day at the Texas State Capitol rally
You must REGISTER for Mental Health Day at the Texas State Capitol 2017
Preregistration fee is $11.24/Onsite registration fee is $15.00
Step 2. Secure your seat on the bus
Complete this transportation form if you need to make travel arrangements to ride to Austin on the bus
with NAMI Dallas, MHA Dallas, and friends. Transportation Registration.
Step 3. Sign up for NAMI SMARTS for Advocacy training
Attending a NAMI SMARTS for Advocacy training is MANDATORY to go on the trip. If you took a training in
2015, you are still required to go to one of the 3 scheduled in 2017. The purpose in attending is to get
updated on what the game plan is for Mental Health Day at the Texas State Capitol and to practice/role-
play talking to those who represent you. Sign up for a NAMI Smarts for Advocacy training here: NAMI
Smarts Training.
Thank you!
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Volume 20, No. 1 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 January 2017
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NAMI Dallas 2016 Community Award Winners
Hazel & Jerome Byers Enduring Volunteer Award David & Cheryl Miller
Professional of the Year Sharon Phillips
Media Award Anna de Haro
Marion Shaw Community Support Award Clay Christopher
Special Appreciation Award Lezlie White
Special Recognition Award Mary Ann Niles
Advocate of the Year Representative Kenneth Sheets
North Texas CIT Award Assistant Chief Christina Smith
Lifetime Achievement Award Sharon DeBlanc
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Click the Picture for More Information!
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NAMIWalks will be held on Saturday, May 13, 2017 at the Dr. Pepper Ballpark in Frisco – home of the
Frisco RoughRiders. The goal of NAMIWalks is to raise both money and awareness. The proceeds from
the 2017 NAMIWalks, including money raised through corporate sponsorship, will be used by NAMI in
the following ways:
To provide support to people with mental illness and to their families
To educate families and consumers
To advocate for nondiscriminatory and equitable policies at the federal, state, and local level and
in the private sector
To advocate for improved opportunities for housing, rehabilitation, and meaningful jobs
To support research into the causes, systems and treatments of brain disorders
To support public education programs designed to eliminate the pervasive stigma surrounding
severe mental illness
We urge you to participate because of the support and education NAMI provides for our community at
large at no cost. With NAMIWalks funding, we hold support groups for those with severe mental illness
and their families, teach classes to educate family members, police, and social workers about mental
illness, and empower those with severe mental illness to educate the community.
Please help us “stomp out” the stigma of mental illness and provide programs of support through our
annual NAMIWalks fundraising and awareness campaign. We had a record-setting crowd of more than
1,200 community members at last year’s WALK, and expect to grow even more this year with the help of
the Frisco RoughRiders,
our Sports Partner, and Eric Nadel, the Radio Voice of the Texas Rangers, our honorary Walk Chair.
Sponsorship Opportunities There are numerous ways corporations and organizations can partner with NAMIWalks to help build better lives for families and individuals in North Texas affected by mental illness. A Few of the Many Sponsor Benefits: Recognition at Kick-off Event, Stage appearance on Walk Day, Listing in electronic communication, Logo on stage banner on Walk Day, Sponsor’s name included in press release, Logo on Walk Day signage, Walk Day booth space or tent, Walk Day table For more details, contact NAMI Dallas at 214-341-7133 or www.namiwalks.org/dallas or by email to [email protected].
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For the past year, NAMI Dallas Youth Programs has been reaching out to area schools in an effort to battle the stigma often surrounding mental health conditions and provide the resources and support that can make a difference in the lives of youth and their families. In that time, we have presented our programs to well over 1,500 students, parents and teachers across four school districts and five private schools. The response to both our “Ending the Silence” (ETS) and “Parents & Teachers as Allies” (PTA) has been overwhelmingly positive and our reach continues to grow. As we look forward to the New Year, so much is happening… When school resumes in January, we will be spending a full day in Richardson ISD presenting ETS to over 900 freshmen! And that’s just the beginning. We have completed our participation in Phase 1 of NAMI National’s research to achieve SAMSHA designation as an Evidenced-Based Program for Ending the Silence. January 2017 starts the beginning of Phase 2 and NAMI Dallas is one of just 4 affiliates nationwide invited to participate. Phase 2 is expected to be complete by mid-2017 and all findings will be revealed at Convention in June. It’s exciting to be part of this important research and we thank Richardson ISD for partnering with us and our wonderful volunteer presenters who continue to show their commitment to these programs. In response to many requests, we are proud to announce the addition of a new presentation designed to engage parents and caregivers. NAMI Parents & Teachers as Allies: An adaptation for parents was developed by a team of NAMI Dallas volunteers and staff and is designed to work hand-in-hand with PTA and ETS. This one-hour presentation encourages a partnership between school and home, and will share the same important early warning signs of mental health conditions and facts about mental health and youth, as well as provide parents with resources available in the community— including our own NAMI Basics. We are very excited that NAMI National has not only approved this presentation, but will soon be offering it to other affiliates across the country. Many thanks to Laurie Stein, Margaret Robberson, and Patti Haynes for their help on this project. As always, our ability to make a difference is limited only by the number of volunteers who are willing to take time out of their own lives to help bring these programs into our community. Come join us!
Volunteer to help decrease stigma and raise awareness with these important programs! Learn more at NAMI Dallas Youth Programs or contact
Lisa Pedersen, MA, Youth Programs Coordinator at [email protected].
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The Recovery Corner
The Recovery Corner is a section in which persons living with a mental condition in recovery can share a story of hope and
recovery with our readers. .
New Beginnings By Teena Roberts
I hope that you all have enjoyed your time off work and school, spending time with family and friends during the holiday season. I am looking forward to going to Louisiana to visit my sister Janice and her husband Jesse the first week of January. I do not get to see them often and I can’t wait to spend some quality time with them. I have enjoyed the time off thus far from school traveling to Austin and Houston visiting with friends, but most importantly I have enjoyed not having to go to class on Mondays and Wednesdays 9:00 am – 4:00 pm and the countless nights spent staying up doing homework assignments. I made three A’s and two B’s this past fall semester at TAMUC.
I am glad that grueling first semester of my Bachelor of Social Work (BSW) program is over. School was very challenging for me this past semester because I started a new school & program, but I not only survived, but I thrived at my new big girl school (University). I am very pleased with my grades and in a way, I am eager to go back and do it all over again. School has now become something that I love and am actually good at. Not too shabby for someone who, for all intents and purposes, was not supposed to be here due to traumatic experiences I have had in my life. School starts back for me on January 17 so my time off is quite brief, but I am going to make the best of my time off that I can.
January marks the start of many new beginnings for me and for a lot of you, I am sure. I personally do not like to make New Year’s resolutions, but I know a lot of people do. I instead prefer to think outside of the box and open my mind, body, and soul up to new opportunities in life. It is with that frame of mind that I have decided I would add some new tools to my wellness toolbox in order to improve my current lifestyle. I am very optimistic that these new wellness tools I plan to add to my toolbox will enhance my life in a creative, but yet positive, way.
I have been working diligently on improving my mindfulness and meditation skills in the privacy of my home using apps on my phone and videos online. I have received major benefits in practicing those skills so I have decided to go and take some in-person classes this upcoming spring so that I can become more effective in stress and anxiety reduction that I need from time to time to let go, be real, be still, and learn how to just be. I know that mindfulness and meditation works well for me so it only makes sense to continue to practice the skills with the help of professionals to the best of my ability in order to hone my craft. I have also been practicing yoga at home through my Smart TV on this channel called fitYou. It has been greatly effective in helping with my chronic pain issues as well as relieving stress and promoting calmness and stillness in my life. It is for this reason I have also decided to go and check out some local yoga programs in my area. I hope to find a class that will be the right fit for me that I will love.
As we step into this New Year (2017) I hope that you too will be able to look at the many wellness tools that are available for you to add to your toolbox. The only person that can define what works when
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it comes to choosing a wellness tool is you. You can ask others for ideas, but ultimately you are the only one that knows what helps or what hurts when it comes to deciding the appropriate wellness tool to access in those moments when life throws you lemons or when you have a moment of emotional distress. Here are some suggestions from Mary Ellen Copeland-Mental Health Recovery and WRAP:
Thank a person for something nice they’ve done
Make a list of 10 things you are grateful for
Listen to soothing music on your iPhone/MP3 player
Call someone on your list of supporters /accountability partners to check in for 10 minutes
Rent a comedy video and watch it with one of your supporters, your partner or family
Have a reflexology session (these are very relaxing and often less expensive than a massage)
Do a ½-hour yoga routine
Crochet an afghan for someone you care about
Work out at the gym for 30 - 45 minutes
Walk barefoot in the grass for 20 minutes
Swim for 30 minutes
Take 10 deep breaths
Take your dog for a walk
Go for a 30-minute walk
There are many more things that can be added to your wellness toolbox. I have just listed enough
to get you started thinking about finding something that will work to get you started in creating what you need to maintain your wellness and to help you in creating what you want in your life. Maintaining your wellness is something that takes practice, but it can be done. Knowing what helps and what hurts when it comes to picking your wellness tools is going to be a huge help in your recovery journey. If you have an opportunity to sign up for Wellness Recovery Action Plan (WRAP).I highly suggest you do it. NAMI Peer-to-Peer (P2P) free 10-week education class is also a great tool for you to use when working toward gaining some skills to help you in creating the life that you would like to have. Registration for the two upcoming P2P classes is available here: NAMI Dallas P2P Class Registration.
I hope to see you all at the next Connection Recovery Support Group meeting on Thursday, January 5 at the NAMI Dallas General Meeting located at Park Central Baptist Church, 7777 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75251. The peer and family support group meetings begin at 6:00 pm, the light meal starts at 7:00 pm, and the presentation begins at 7:30 pm. I also hope you will attend the Connection Recovery Support Group meeting on Wednesday, January 18 at 6:30 pm at the NAMI Dallas office located at 2812 Swiss Ave Dallas, TX 75204 (Park inside the Beilharz Block gate).
Mental Health Day at The Texas State Capitol (Wednesday, February 8) in Austin, TX is right around the corner so if you plan to go please be sure to follow the three-step process to sign up for the rally, make transportation arrangements, and to sign up for the mandatory NAMI Smarts for Advocacy training. If you have any questions about the process, please call me at 214-341-7133 or go to the details in this newsletter to get all of the detailed information. Take care of yourselves. Try your best to be authentic and intentional about focusing on your strengths and living in wellness no matter what situations may come your way.
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How Wise My Mother Is.
by Elle Jones
A lot of people have heard me talk about how wise my mother is. When I was growing up, Mom always knew when to holdback & let me “figure it out on my own . . .” and when to step in to offer guidance. This couldn’t have been easy, considering the fierce streak of independence in her youngest. But Mom always struck just the right balance.
The most recent, vivid example of a carefully considered Mom-Intervention occurred a few years ago when I started having a full-blown panic attack at my parents’ house. I did my best to manage the symptoms based on what I’d learned from past experiences & through research into this strange, scary phenomenon. But Mom could tell my efforts were coming up short, so she crawled down ont As I tried to catch my breath, I remember fixing my eyes on the brass piano pedals a couple of feet away. Then Mom suddenly said – with ALL the earnest love and tenderness in her voice – “Elle…Can you hear me? Good . . . I want you to name all the planets in our solar system . . . starting with the one farthest from the sun. Do you think you can do that?” My gaze shifted from the piano pedals straight into my mother’s eyes: this woman who had loved me every second of my life, & who never forgot to tell me. And I gruffly blurted out in my old-school, teenage voice, “MOM!? Ask me something I actually know!!!” We both started laughing & crying so hard that I gasped in some air. I could finally breathe. Mom sat there on the floor with her grown adult child until I was okay. No matter how many years pass between now & then, I’ll never forget that time my mother’s medicine for me came in the form of a Double Jeopardy question and a double-dose of laughter. And I’ll always love her for the extraordinary wisdom, grace, conviction and brilliance of mind that she shares with me to this day. I love you, Mom. [By the way, the answer was: Planet Nine, Neptune, Uranus, Saturn, Jupiter, Mars, Earth, Venus, and Mercury.]
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GET & STAY CONNECTED
NAMI DALLAS EVENTS FOR 2017 The Secrets We Keep: Destigmatizing Mental Illness:1/28/2017
Mental Health Day at the Texas State Capitol: 2/8/2017
NAMIWalks Kick-Off Luncheon: 3/2017
NAMIWalks: 5/13/2017
NAMI Dallas & Frisco RoughRiders Baseball Game: 6/17/2017
North Texas Giving Day: 9/14/2017
Annual Community Awards & Holiday Celebration: 12/7/2017
MEMORIALS
Would you like to make a donation or contribution in honor of a loved one or someone
who has made an impact in your life? If you would like send a donation, please contact
NAMI Dallas via phone, email and/or paper mail. We’d love to hear from you and
acknowledge your support and tribute.
Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis.
Text “NAMI” to 741-741
Volume 20, No. 1 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 January 2017
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NAMI Dallas Support Groups
(updated 9/22/2016)
For individuals living with a mental illness and family members/caregivers of loved ones diagnosed with a mental illness.
TYPE DAY & TIME LOCATION CONTACT
Family
1st Thursday of every month 6 PM - 7 PM
Park Central Baptist Church 7777 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75252
Rita (214) 341-7133 Mike (214) 341-7133
Family
2nd Saturday of every month 1 PM - 2:30 PM
First United Methodist Church 1200 E. Yellow Jacket Rockwall, TX 75087
Linda (214) 341-7133
Family
3rd Thursday of every month 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM
Lakes Regional Bldg 400 Airport Rd. Terrell, TX 75160
Emma (972) 962-3784 Glenda (214) 202-1183
Family
PLEASE CONTACT FACILITATORS TO ATTEND Trinity United Methodist Church 1302 South Clark Rd. Duncanville, TX 75137
Evelyn (214) 728-0637 Madeline (214) 536-2703
Parents Group ** (Parents of children & adolescents)
3rd Thursday of every month 7 PM - 8:30 PM
The Warren Center 320 Custer Road Richardson, TX 75080
Cheryl (214) 923-2576 Amanda (214) 236-1706
Peer
1st Thursday of every month 6 PM - 7 PM
Park Central Baptist Church 7777 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75252
Mike (903) 967-3763
Peer
3rd Wednesday of every month 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM
NAMI Dallas Office 2812 Swiss Ave. (parking in back) Dallas, TX 75204
Teena (972) 815-9491 Vita (214) 341-7133
Peer Schizophrenia
Every Tuesday 7 PM
NEW LOCATION (as of Dec. 2016) First United Methodist Church - Richardson 503 N. Central Expressway Rom B-217 (inside main church) Richardson, TX 75080
NEW NUMBER (214) 341-7133
Peer **Dual Recovery
Mondays & Wednesdays 5 PM - 6 PM
Quaker Meeting House 5828 Worth St. Dallas, TX 75214
David (214) 824-2435
Peer
2nd & 4th Wednesday of every month 7 PM - 8 PM
Iris Place Apartments 13321 Emily Rd. Dallas, TX 75240
Jeanine (214) 575-9492
Peer
2nd Saturday of every month 1 PM - 2:30 PM
First UMC 1200 E. Yellow Jacket Rockwall, TX 75087
William (214) 341-7133
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NAMI Dallas
(National Alliance on Mental Illness)
Find Help. Find Hope. 2812 Swiss Avenue
Dallas, TX 75204
Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday - Friday Ph: (214) 341-7133 Email: [email protected] www.namidallas.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID
RICHARDSON, TX 75080
PERMIT NO. 158
