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V o i c e Newsletter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness of Racine County, Inc.

Support....Education….Advocacy....Research

Summer/Fall

Issue

Aug-Oct

2016

The NAMI Racine County voice is published by the

National Alliance on Mental Illness of Racine County, Inc.

2300 DeKoven Ave, Racine, WI 53403

Phone: (262) 637-0582

Program Director Phone: (262) 637-6200

Fax: (262) 637-0376

WEB: www.namiracinecounty.org

Mike Boticki, PhD Executive Director

Michelle Perri, Program Director

Joan Cudewicz, Administrative Assistant

Linda Jacob, Volunteer Editor

Officers & Board of Directors

President: Nick Hempel

Vice President: Julie Hueller

Secretary: Mary Peterson

Treasurer: Julie Feiler

Pam DeGroot

Leigh Ann Elcano

Andrew Fox

Liz Hanson

Julia Jones

Marta Kultgen

Mary Paetsch

Erin Reeves

David Roszkowski

Aaron Schmidt

Chris Terry

At our annual meeting on May 24, 2016, NAMI Racine County elected officers for the 2016-17 year and directors to serve terms ending in 2018. Re-elected as Officers were Nick Hempel as President; Julie Hueller as Vice President , Mary Peterson as Secretary, and Julie Feiler as Treasurer. Re-elected to their positions on the board of directors were Liz Hanson and Mary Paetsch. In addition, we are pleased to welcome Leigh Ann Elcano, Andrew Fox, and Chris Terry to their first term on the board. The complete list of board members are listed on the bottom of the front page of this newsletter. Service to NAMI awards were presented to Deja Williams, Chris Prochut and Debby Ganaway. We also recognized outgoing board member David Coughlin and long-time member and co-founder, Cherie Lyford. (See photos to the left.) NAMI Racine County is always grateful for our board members as well as our many committed volunteers and hard working staff. Our thanks goes out to Benchmark Hospitality and Johnson Foundation at Wingspread for hosting our event at their beautiful facility.

NAMI Racine County Elects Officers & Directors

Ryan Katt Memorial Baseball Game on

Monday, Aug 1st, See pg 6 for details

Bikers for Bipolar Disorder

Saturday, August 6th See flyer for details

Bike ‘n Hike 2016

Sunday, Sept 11th See flyer for details

SAVE THE DATE

Giving Tuesday, November 29th We have a day for giving thanks. We have two days for getting deals. Now, we have #GivingTuesday, a global day dedicated to giving back. On Tuesday, November 29, 2016, charities, families, businesses, community centers, and students around the world will come together for one common purpose: to celebrate generosity and to give. Watch for our next newsletter for a complete listing of items needed at NAMI Racine County.

MONTHLY SUPPORT GROUPS

NAMI Connection Consumer recovery support group

Every Monday 11:00am—12:30pm NAMI Racine County office, 2300 DeKoven Ave.

Every Wednesday 2:00pm—3:30pm WFHC Wisconsin Ave. Campus, 1320 Wisconsin Ave., Horlick Room

Every Thursday 6:00pm—7:30pm WFHC Wisconsin Ave. Campus, Memorial Dining Room Follow the yellow signs

Bipolar/Depression Support Group 1st & 3rd Tuesday, 6:00pm—7:30pm Professional Office Bldg., 1244 Wisconsin Ave

Schizophrenia Support Group 2nd Monday, 10:30am at Racine Friendship Clubhouse, 2000 17th Street

Teen Talk Support Group For High School aged teens living with mental illness

1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 4:00pm NAMI Racine County office, 2300 DeKoven Ave.

Family and Friends Support Group For persons with an adult loved one living with a mental illness

1st & 3rd Tuesday, 6:00pm WFHC Wisconsin Ave. Campus 1320 Wisconsin Ave., Horlick Room (formerly St. Luke’s Hospital)

SOLOS For adults who have lost a loved one to suicide August 10th & 24th 3801 Spring St., 6:00 Caledonia Rm In Burlington: at Love, Inc. Consumer self-help group 2nd Monday, 6:30pm

4th Saturday, 12:30pm Love Inc., 480 Pine St., Burlington

Visit our calendar on the website at www.namiracine.org for support group descriptions, or call the NAMI Racine County

office at 262-637-0582 if you have any questions regarding the events or support groups listed.

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BIKERS FOR BIPOLAR DISORDER

BIKE ‘N HIKE 2016

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NEW NAMI MEMBERS

FROM OUR EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR, MIKE BOTICKI

I would like to take this time to thank two very special

people for their commitment and service to NAMI Racine

County. David Coughlin and Cherie Lyford both finished

their 6 year terms on the Board of Directors, and leave

very big shoes to fill.

During his time at NAMI Racine County, David Coughlin has

helped take our Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) to a

very high level. David teaches “De-Escalation” in the

trainings, is extremely well received each and every time

he presents. David, also known as

“Cogs”, is also one of the original com-

mittee members for the Bikers for

Bipolar Disorder motorcycle run.

Putting in countless hours, David has

worked to ensure that this event is a

success not only financially, but from

an outreach perspective; spreading the

word that mental health care is an

essential part of our building a better

community. We are fortunate that

although David is exiting the Board, he

continues to be heavily involved in both CIT and the

motorcycle run. David, we look forward to the years

ahead and appreciate all that you have done to support

our agencies growth and development.

Few people have been as involved

in NAMI Racine County as Cherie

Lyford. As an original founding

member, Cherie has literally been

with the agency from the very

beginning. One of my favorite

memories of Cherie will be her

willingness to step up to the Vice

President position of the Board of Directors when that

position was vacated due to the prior VP needing to

re-locate. Her leadership and

knowledge has been essential to my

growth as an Executive Director.

What makes Cherie so effective is

that she is so intelligent with her pas-

sion for those we serve. Our work

can be emotional, yet we need to

balance that with well thought out,

strategic thinking. Cherie personifies

that. Cherie also continues to volunteer with the agency,

most notably as the librarian. Thank you Cherie for all

you have done to put NAMI Racine County on the map.

We are extremely grateful.

I would also like to take this time to welcome our three

incoming Board members. Leigh Ann Elcano, Chris Terry

and Andy Fox have come to NAMI Racine County and are

already making an immediate impact. Leigh Ann has a

special interest in Board Development, and has shown her

leadership by assuming the role of Chair on that

committee. She is also very involved with promoting the

2016 Bike ‘n Hike, and an active member of the Fund

Development Committee. Chris Terry brings his energy

and experience with community engagement to our

organization, and has joined the 2016 Bike ‘n Hike, Public

Relations and Marketing, and Fund Development

committees. Andy Fox brings his knowledge and prior

training to the Crisis Intervention Training committee,

and is also involved with the 2016 Bike ‘n Hike

committee, taking on responsibility for the coordination

of the rest stops.

Although David Coughlin and Cherie Lyford will be missed,

NAMI Racine County is in great hands with the new and

existing Board of Directors as we look to make a

continued impact on mental health support, education

and advocacy throughout Racine County.

We would like to thank the following people who have joined NAMI Racine County in the recent months:

Consider joining NAMI Racine to help us contin-ue our mission to improve the quality of life through support, education, and advocacy for all whose lives are affected by mental illness. For information on how to become a member, see the back page of this newsletter.

Jennifer Behringer Deborah Busniewski Leigh Ann Elcano Shannon Goodman

Pat Halversen Kristin Latus Virginia Wanserski

Members of the All Saints Patient and Family Advisory Council

represented Racine in the NAMI Greater Milwaukee NAMI Walks held on

May 14th at Veterans Park on Milwaukee's Lakefront. Lead by Team

Captain Luann Simpson: Stephany Lichter (and her son Jack),

Stephanie Conwell (and her children, Emma and Nolan), and Wendy Csik braved the cold and rain to support

individuals living with mental illness. NAMI Walks are held across Wisconsin and the Country to raise funds for NAMI

and NAMI affiliates and raise awareness about mental illness. NAMI Racine County thanks these individuals for their

support!

If you are a patient of All Saints in Racine and would like more information about the All Saints Patient and Family

Advisory Council or are interested in becoming a member of the Council please contact:

Luann Simpson @ lsimpson@namiracine.org or 262-637-0582.

Although the weather was a little steamy for the July 12th Consumer Picnic, that didn’t stop over 100 people joining

us for Brats, Hot Dogs, Potato Salad, Cheesy Potatoes, Desserts, etc.

A BIG THANK YOU goes out to all the volunteers who helped serve food & drinks, set up, clean up, and to those who

donated a side dish or dessert. A special shout out to the gang from Avis Budget Group Milwaukee, who helped

serve, clean up, and provided games, which the consumers loved. We couldn’t do it without you!

ALL SAINTS PATIENT AND FAMILY ADVISORY COUNCIL

ANNUAL NAMI CONSUMER PICNIC

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MAY MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS MONTH

NAMI Racine County celebrated Mental Health Awareness

Month (May 2016) with a number of activities and events!

Children’s Mental Health

Awareness Day: On May 5th,

along with over 15 other

agencies, we celebrated

Children’s Mental Health Day at

the Racine Zoo. Via the Racine

Collaborative for Children’s

Mental Health, vendors greeted

and connected with zoo visitors and one another to

promote mental health services in our community.

County Executive Jonathan Delagrave was in attendance,

and offered a heart-warming speech on the importance of

addressing mental health needs “head on”. Thank you to

Beth Heidorn for welcoming all of us to the Racine Zoo,

and for her commitment to make this an annual event.

Home Movie Presentation: On May

16th in Burlington, NAMI Racine County

presented the movie Home, by Jono

Oliver. There were 58 people in at-

tendance, and many stopped to talk

about their reactions to the film

afterwards. Thank you to Jono Oliver

for allowing us to show the movie, and

to Shad Brenan and The Plaza Theater

staff for welcoming us.

Dr. Mervin Langley: There were 58

people in attendance for Dr. Mervin

Langley's presentation on "Strategies

for Managing Attention Deficit

Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)", at

the Aurora Wellness Center on May

19, 2016. The evaluations were

very positive and those in attendance appreciative of

Dr. Langley donating his time. A very special thank you to

Lori Radtke from Burlington area schools for organizing

the event along with Mary Paetsch, Margaret Johnson and

Mary Peterson for their volunteering with promotion and

registration on the night of the event.

Bridging the Gaps: In collaboration with Infinite

Potential Central, United Way of Racine County, and

Wheaton Franciscan All Saints, a mental health rally was

held on May 26th at St. Luke’s Health Pavilion. Over 120

people were in attendance a wide spectrum of available

programs were covered, powerful stories were shared and

community members were able to hear about what

Racine's commitment to better mental health looks like

going forward.

Three to five minute presentations included: Dr. Soheila

Brouk (Chair of Social Sciences at Gateway, Co-Founder of

IPC), Dr. Lisa Adams-Qualls (Social worker at RUSD) , Julie

Hueller (Director of Mission Integration and Community

Relations at Wheaton Franciscan All Saints) , Rodney

Prunty (President/CEO of United Way Racine County) ,

Jonathan Delagrave (Racine County Executive) , Erika

Arzate (Member of Latino Community) , Jackie Hartley

(Director of Racine Collaborative for Children’s Mental

Health) , Haley Schonter (Miss Racine 2016), Dr. Mike

Boticki (Executive Director of NAMI Racine County) , and

Luann Simpson (Peer Support Specialist Program at NAMI

Racine County).

The program concluded with those in the audience

chanting our theme: Mental Health Recovery is Real:

Take the First Step! Posters with this slogan were handed

out along with water bottles and food courtesy of

Dr. Brouk and Infinite Potential Central. The night was

simply electric, and has set the table for more to come.

A very special thank you to our planning committee:

Rodney Prunty, Dr. Soheila Brouk, Julie Hueller, Alberto

Huerta, Jackie Hartley, and Hope Otto.

Greetings to all members and friends of NAMI Racine County! I cannot believe that another

fiscal year has come to an end, as our fiscal year runs from July 1 through June 30. As I look

back on the year, I am thankful for the people I've met and the people with whom I have recon-

nected as I speak to audiences about mental illness. Without their commitment, I would not be

able to reduce stigma in Racine County communities. I am also thankful for the NAMI members

who provide transportation to locations I cannot access by bus: Sandy Lutze, Fred and Debby

Ganaway, Dick Mowry, Cherie Lyford and Lisa Bohon. Their commitment makes it possible for me to extend my out-

reach to the western communities of Racine County.

The end of the fiscal year also demands that we submit to United Way, the number and demographic information of

the people we have touched through our programs. I am happy to say that I have spoken to 1,796 people this fiscal

year, 94.71% of which responded that, if necessary, they would seek help or encourage someone else to seek help for

mental health concerns. At J.I. Case High School, the lead counselor asked that I notify her when I am coming so that

counselors are prepared for an increase of students seeking assistance.

NAMI Racine County IS making a difference and YOU are the reason we are such a dynamic affiliate. Thank you so

much!

Batter UP! Monday, August 1st, 6:30p.m.

Scores-Kenosha, 1200 Green Bay Rd

Join 95.1 WILL Rock & the Ryan Katt Family

for a baseball game in memory of Ryan.

Free admission. All proceeds benefit NAMI Racine County suicide

prevention programs

COMMUNITY OUTREACH BY MARY WILSON

April

04-05 Racine Friendship Clubhouse - Stress Pt. 1

04-15 Washington Park High School Opportunity Fair

May

05-03 Racine Friendship Clubhouse - Stress Pt. 2

05-05 Health Students at The REAL School

05-10 Health Students at Union Grove High School

June

06-07 Racine Friendship Clubhouse - Panic Attacks

06-14 Gateway Technical College - Mental Illness and

Substance Abuse Class

Coming Up: Racine Friendship Clubhouse -

Brain Stimulation Therapies

Residents at the Regency Apartments - Subsidized

housing for the elderly & for people with a disability

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When you make a financial contribution, you help ensure no individual or family is alone in this fight by providing a network of resources and support both in communities through classes, presentations and online resources. NAMI is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. We are dedicated to improving lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. We offer help. We offer hope. Every day, individuals and communities across the country are demanding early intervention, better care, effective treatment and improved outcomes. NAMI helps create a vision of a better tomorrow—an expectation that people affected by mental illness will live happily, productively and well.

We provide support and education classes to individuals and families affected by mental illness, as well as to the general public. In addition, along with our National organization….

We promote nationwide awareness events and activities, including Mental Illness Awareness Week, National Men-tal Health Awareness Month and NAMI Bike N Hike to fight stigma and stereotypes.

We advocate on national, state and local levels to create common-sense solutions to policy issues that affect peo-ple living with mental illness.

We promote research to help ensure that new treatments, early intervention solutions, and eventually a cure for mental illness.

We make sure that media reporting is compassionate, understanding and accurate in its representation of men-tal illness.

Please consider NAMI Racine County when you are making a financial donation. We sincerely thank you.

HOW YOUR DONATIONS HELP US DO MORE

THANK YOU FOR YOUR GENEROUS DONATION

NAMI Racine County gratefully acknowledges the following individuals,

businesses or organizations for their generous donations.

General Donations

Betty Brenneman Suzanne & Roger Chernik Lois Crubaugh Dave & Julie Feiler Dana Jones Richard & Ellen Leuenberger Family Charitable Fund Eileen Rogan Memorial Fund Alex & Arlene Simpson Foundation Luann Simpson Sisters of St. Dominic Maria Von Schrader Jef Abbott, Waterford Parade Horse Apple Contest

In Honor of

Cherie Lyford

By: Pat Bohon

In Memory of

James Gain

By: Gloria Gain

Pledged Donations

Cherie Tenfel

In Kind

Jim Best, Pilot Freight Services

The Gagnon Family

Mark Geisler

Olympia Brown Unitarian Universalist Church

NAMI Racine County would like to thank Erin and Steve

Reeves, Luann Simpson, and the many people that either

donated their time or belongings to our rummage sale.

The sale was a huge success, and over $3000 was raised!

This money will go towards the development of our PSMe2

program. Thank you again Erin, Steve, Luann and Racine

community! You are wonderful!

National Alliance on Mental Illness of Racine County NAMI Racine County 2300 DeKoven Avenue Racine, WI 53403

Member:

NAMI and

NAMI-Wisconsin

Become a Member Today! When you join now, you become a member of your NAMI Affiliate, your NAMI State Organization and the national NAMI organization. Membership shall be open to all persons sympathetic to the purposes of the corporation. All members receive the same benefits including NAMI’s flagship magazine, the Advocate, as well as NAMI’s monthly e-newsletter, NAMI Now , NAMI Wisconsin news-letter, Iris, and NAMI Racine County quarterly newsletter, The Voice.

NAMI membership is valid for one year.

Dues: Regular Membership $35

Open Door Membership- $3

Existing members will receive a renewal letter in the mail.

Name_____________________________________________

Address___________________________________________

City_________________State______Zip________________

Phone ___________________________________________

Email____________________________________________

Make checks out to NAMI Racine County. Please mail to: NAMI Racine County, 2300 DeKoven Avenue, Racine, WI 53403

NAMI Racine County needs your support. Your gift

will help continue the support and education

services for everyone affected by mental illness

In addition to my dues, enclosed is my tax

deductible donation to NAMI Racine County

in the amount of $__________

NAMI Racine County is a tax exempt, non-profit

organization. Donations are tax deductible to the extent

allowed by law.