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The Official Newsletter of NAMI Bucks County PA | Fall 2019 Issue
NAMI Bucks County PA is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through recovery-focused support, education and advocacy.
We educate. Offered free of charge to anyone in Bucks County, our support and education pro-grams ensure families, individuals, educators, and community leaders get the support and information they need.
We advocate. NAMI shapes public policy and oppor-tunities for people with mental illness and their fami-lies and provides volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to save mental health.
We listen. Our toll-free NAMI HelpLine allows us to respond personally to thousands of requests each year, providing free information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many.
We lead. Public awareness events and activities, including Mental Health Awareness Month and the Stride for Mental Health Awareness, successfully fight stigma and encourage understanding. NAMI works with the media and local officials to make sure our county understands how important mental health is.
Announcements 2
Contributions 3
NAMI Forum: The Addicted Brain 3
NEW! NAMI Family Support Group 4
Coin Up Fundraising for NAMI 5
Essay on Depression by Gabriel Nathan 6-7
Annual NAMI Picnic 7
Keeping Up with NAMI 8
NAMI Statements on Mass Shootings 9
Calendar of Events 10-11
Fall Education Programs Insert
You can’t know what no one has told you. That’s why NAMI offers a variety of free
educational programs and presentations for individuals, family members, schools,
and the community. NAMI Family-to-Family, and NAMI Peer-to-Peer and the new
seminar, NAMI Family & Friends, all begin this fall. (See Insert)
Beginning on Wednesday, August 21, 2019 from 6:30-8pm and each 1st and 3rd
Wednesday of the month thereafter, we will bring our NAMI Family Support
Group to Reach Out Foundation in Penndel, PA. We couldn't think of a more wel-
coming, affirming and safe space to hold a support group in Lower Bucks County.
(More on page 4)
What came first: the addiction or the mental illness? Join us as we welcome David
Fialko, Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist for The Council of Southeast
Pennsylvania, to the NAMI Forum on Thursday, September 19th. Learn more
about the ways in which substance use affects the brain, why people living with
mental health conditions are at greater risk of dependency, and effective methods
of treatment and prevention. (More on page 3)
Debbie Moritz, Executive Director
Laurie Pepe, ETS Program Director
Nicholas Emeigh, Development Director
Letters, news articles, and announcements are
welcome. Deadline for articles for our next issue
is September 24, 2019. Submissions can be sent
to the physical or e-mail address below.
We’ve moved!
Our new location is:
1432 Easton Road, Suite 2D
Warrington, PA 18976
Phone: 215-343-3055
Fax: 215-343-3299
Help Line: 1-866-399-NAMI (6264)
9:00 A.M. – 9:00 P.M. Daily
E-mail: [email protected]
Website : www.namibuckspa.org
Find us on your favorite social media platform
@namibucks
NAMI Family Support Group Launches in Penndel, PA
Our commitment to building better lives for everyone in Bucks County affected by
mental health conditions means consistently improving ease of access to our NAMI
Support Groups. We are proud to partner with Reach Out Foundation of Bucks Coun-
ty to offer our NAMI Family Support Group at their office in Penndel beginning on
August 21, 2019 from 6:30 to 8pm. We’ll meet here regularly on the 1st and 3rd
Wednesdays of each month.
Reach Out Foundation of Bucks County
152 Monroe Avenue, Penndel, PA 19047
Doylestown Family Support Group Moves to Warrington
Beginning on Thursday, April 11, 2019, the NAMI Family Support Group that once
met in Doylestown will now meet at the NAMI Bucks County office at 1432 Easton
Rd, Warrington, PA 18976. The time and frequency will not change, and we will con-
tinue to meet on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month from 7pm to 8:30pm.
Coin Up App for Easy Donations to NAMI
We’re always looking for innovative ways to meet the ongoing needs of NAMI.
That’s why we’re excited about our partnership with Coin Up, an awesome mobile
donation app that rounds up spare change from credit or debit card transactions and
donates it directly to us each month.
You can also reach out to friends or family who share your passion for NAMI and
invite them to make a difference with their spare change! Sign up is free and easy.
You can even set a monthly limit as low as $5. You’ll get a yearly tax donation receipt
for every dollar you donate!
You can Coin Up in 3 Easy Steps:
1. Download the (free) Coin Up App from the Apple Store OR visit coinupapp.com
2. Select NAMI Bucks County PA as your charity
3. Link your bank card & set a monthly limit
Giant Food Stores Bags 4 My Cause Program
We are excited to share that NAMI Bucks County PA has been selected to be a part
of the GIANT Bags 4 My Cause Program, which is designed to make it easy forcus-
tomers to contribute to their local community while supporting the environment.
Each time a $2.50 reusable ‘Bags 4 My Cause’ Bag is purchased at any GIANT Food
Store in Bucks County, $1 will be donated to NAMI Bucks County PA when you select
us through the Giving Tag. This is a great way to raise awareness, support the envi-
ronment and fundraise for our cause.
NAMI Included in New 2-1-1 Service in Bucks County
2-1-1 SEPA is part of the national 2-1-1 Call Centers initiative of the United Way that
seeks to provide an easy-to-remember telephone number, chat, text, and a web
resource for finding health and human services– for everyday needs and in crisis
situations. The United Way, together with local county government and provider
agencies, work to ensure important local program information is accessible through
our helpline when it is most needed.
Bucks County Correctional Facility Support Group
Begins on August 29, 2019, twice per month Group is closed to the general public.
Joanne Murray, President
Fred Korn, Treasurer
Raighne Kirk, Secretary
David Benincasa
Grace Deon
Jamie Gairo
Dana Hurwitz
Bonnie MacDonald
Melissa McDermott
Christyne Siliverdis
Ellyn Strauss
Sara Webster
3
Your continuing contributions are important in sustaining our advocacy. NAMI welcomes and appreciates any amount that you can afford. When making a donation, keep in mind that many employers will match employee gifts. Please consider a contribution by sending your tax deductible donation to NAMI Bucks County, 1432 Easton Rd, Suite 2D, Warrington, PA 18976. THANK YOU! -
$1 to $25
Clare & Nicholas Ariano in memory of Laura Tuszynski Tice
Charles & Nancy Baechler
Rosemarie Boyle
Marie Hale
Gerri Millevoi
$26 to $50
Grace Deon in honor of Debbie Moritz’s Birthday
Vicki Hartmann
Hilary Klatsky
Martha Stringer
$51 to $100
Sharon Curran
Margie Green
Truist for Joseph Brogan
$101 to $250
Ferderbar Elementary School
Christopher Nalbone
$351 to $500
Johnson & Johnson for David McComsey
$5,000
Foundations Community Partnership
$11,000 to $12,000
Tailgate Caravan
...And thank you to everyone who donated their birthday to NAMI Bucks County on Facebook!
Thursday, September 19, 2019 at 7pm
Free, Open to All, No Registration Required
What came first: the addiction or the mental illness? Join us as we welcome David Fialko, Internationally Certified Prevention Specialist for The Council of Southeast Pennsylvania, to the NAMI Forum on Thursday, September 19, 2019 from 7:00PM – 8:30 PM at Abington Health Center – Warminster Campus. Learn more about the ways in which substance use affects the brain, why people living with mental health conditions are at greater risk of dependency, and effective methods of prevention.
David will also discuss how substance use can affect the developing human brain, increasing the likely hood of a mental health disorder.
“Prevention allows us to educate people in order to increase their perceived level of harm regarding unhealthy substances and behaviors, thus reducing likelihood of future onset of undesired behavior. The idea is by increasing a person’s knowledge base, they will make better informed decisions. Families from all walks of life could benefit from prevention resources. By promoting healthy choices, and encouraging youth & young adults to engage in prosocial activities/interests that require skill and effort, you in turn reduce the likelihood of them engaging in behaviors that negative-ly impact their overall health and wellbeing. As a father, I look at prevention as a way to improve what the future holds for my son and his future family.”
David is a veteran of USAF, holds a BS in Human Development and Family Studies
from Colorado State University, and is an Internationally Certified Prevention Spe-
cialist as a well as a Certified Tobacco Treatment Specialist. He has over 14 years’
experience working in the Drug & Alcohol and Mental Health fields as an adventure
based counselor, educator, intensive outpatient counselor, and prevention special-
ist.
What: The Addicted Brain – NAMI Forum
When: Thursday, September 19, 2019 from 7-8:30 PM
Venue: Abington Health Center – Warminster Campus
Address: 225 Newtown Rd, Warminster, PA 18974
RSVP: No RSVP required
Cost: Free
Proud Partner of the United Way
NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a free, peer-led support group for
adults living with mental illness led by NAMI-trained facilitators who’ve been there.
Our Levittown Peer Support Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each
month from 3-4:30pm at the United Christian Church of Levittown—8525 New Falls
Rd, Levittown, PA 19054.
Our Perkasie Peer Support Group will launch on March 3rd, and will meet on the 1st,
2nd, and 3rd Sundays of each month from 6-8:30pm at St. Peter’s Tohickon UCC—
1071 Old Bethlehem Rd. (not Pike) Perkasie, PA 18944.
Our Yardley Peer Support Group now meets on the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd Mondays of
each month from 2-3:30pm at Congregation Beth El—375 Stony Hill Rd, Yardley, PA
18976.
Our Warrington Peer Support Group meets every Tuesday from 6:30-8pm at the
NAMI Office—1432 Easton Rd, Suite 2D, Warrington, PA 18976.
Our commitment to building better lives for everyone in Bucks County affected by
mental health conditions means consistently improving ease of access to our NAMI
Support Groups. We are proud to partner with Reach Out Foundation of Bucks Coun-
ty to offer our NAMI Family Support Group at their office in Penndel beginning on
August 21, 2019 from 6:30 to 8pm.
NAMI Family Support Group is a free peer-led support group for family members,
caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. Gain insight from
the challenges and successes of others facing similar circumstances. Our Family Sup-
port Groups will now meet in 3 locations:
Our Penndel Group meets in the 1st and 3rd Wednesdays of each month from 6:30-
8pm at Reach Out Foundation—152 Monroe Ave, Penndel, PA 19047.
Our Newtown Group meets on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of each month from 7:30-
9pm at Crossing Community Church—80 Silver Lake Rd, Newtown, PA, 18940.
Our Warrington Group meets on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month from 7-
8:30pm at the NAMI Office—1432 Easton Rd, Suite 2D, Warrington, PA 18976.
Our NAMI CAN support group is a free group for parents of children and adoles-
cents, and meets on the 2nd Thursday of each month from 5:30-7pm at Christ’s
Home Chapel—800 York Road, Warminster, PA 18974. These meetings are held con-
currently with the Bucks County MY LIFE Youth Support Group, which is helping to
improve the lives of youth between the ages of 13 and 23 who are dealing with is-
sues related to mental health, substance use, foster care and juvenile justice.
4
Benefits of NAMI Membership Become a part of NAMI! Subscribe to the latest mental health updates, participate in an online discussion group, and add your voice to the mental health movement.
Subscribe to NAMINow! and NAMI Matters.
Connect with others in our discussion groups.
Manage your profile, preferences and sub-scriptions.
Receive the NAMI Advocate magazine.
Attend the National Convention at a discount-ed rate.
Online access to member-only content.
Become a NAMI member at all three levels of the organization—national, state and local—with one payment!
$60 per year for a Household membership
$40 per year for an Individual membership
$5 per year for an Open Door membership for an individual member with limited resources
Enrollment information on back page
Donate Your Birthday Whether you choose to do a Facebook Fundrais-er for your birthday, or have donations made to us in your name, a birthday is a great time to fundraise for your local NAMI!
United Way Donor Choice Program Donors can designate a gift to NAMI of Bucks County via a Donor Choice during United Way’s Annual Campaign. Our organization code is #14632 and is only valid for the United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania.
AmazonSmile Select NAMI of PA Bucks County Chapter as your charity of choice when you shop on smile.amazon.com and help to #CureStigma.
Ebay Giving Works EBAY sellers can designate all or a portion of the proceeds from an EBAY sale to benefit NAMI of Bucks County. When listing your item, go to the “Sell Your Item Form.” In the "Pictures & De-tails" section, click the "Add" link in the area titled "Donate percentage of sale" and choose “NAMI of PA, Bucks County Chapter”.
Details about Coin Up on page 2
Charities have raised millions of dollars collecting spare change. Now, NAMI Bucks
County PA is bringing that fundraising model into the 21st century.
NAMI Bucks County PA announces their partnership with Coin Up, a revolutionary
mobile donation app that rounds up donor credit/debit card transactions to the
nearest dollar, and donates the “spare change” directly to NAMI Bucks County PA
each month.
As people do more and more with their smartphones - from bank deposits to airline
tickets, NAMI Bucks County PA is convinced the time has come to offer an easier and
more convenient way to give that fits seamlessly into their donors’ lifestyles.
Blackbaud’s 2016 Philanthropy Report predicts that mobile tech will transform fund-
ing and change the world. Considering the fact that U.S. mobile payments will reach
$90 billion in 2017, 84% of millennials donate, and 14% of donations are now made
on a mobile device, NAMI Bucks County PA has been focused on effectively bridging
the gap to reach their mobile app users. Coin Up has combined security, trust, and
user control into the hands of donors by ensuring donations are sent directly to the
nonprofit and providing annual tax donation receipts.
NAMI Bucks County PA is inviting current and new donors to download Coin Up App
from the App Store http://apple.co/2cDiGmR or Google Play https://
play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coinupapp.coinup and select NAMI
Bucks County PA as their charity to start making incremental monthly donations.
Those without smartphones may sign up with the Web App https://
www.coinupapp.com.
About Coin Up: Coin Up is an innovative mobile donation app that integrates the act
of charitable giving into everyday transactions such as buying groceries, filling up the
gas tank, or going out to eat. Donors select a charity, register their debit/credit card
to virtually round up their transactions, and automatically donate the “spare
change” to a cause they are passionate about. Several features that set Coin Up
apart from other mobile and online donation platforms include; pre-qualified non-
profits, choice of charity, personal donation limits, monthly snapshots of donor im-
pact, and annual tax donation receipts.
5
A poem by Sam Lynde
You are in a place you want to
leave
You want this to go away now
You cannot find yourself
You feel weakened and fearful
All this you have experienced time
and again
It is familiar and dreadful
But it is also going away, and soon
You will look back upon this and
say
"Again I have survived"
That darkness feels huge
That might be
But it has no substance
And then it disappears
It is gone
It comes and it goes
You can let it go
You will be all right
Written by Gabriel Nathan for Medium
I have never sat down against a wall and placed my head in my hands, looking down at the floor, my brow furrowed, in utter despair and dejection. At least, I don’t remember doing that. Memory’s funny, and inaccurate, but I doubt I’ve done that. It’s not very “me.”
I have sat down in a chair, though, my legs crossed like a wom-an or an Englishman, and wondered what it would feel like to never rise up from that chair. Who would care if my world stopped; what would happen? What would continue, either at the same or slowed or increased speed, and what would cease if I, well, ceased? My legs are crossed like that right now. In Starbucks. I don’t know why I sit like that; probably because that’s how Graham Chapman and John Cleese sat in 1969 on Monty Python’s Flying Circus, and they’re who raised me. Sometimes I think I sit like that because I am trying to make myself small. No manspreading for me. I am tight. Compact. Compressed. Conflicted. Constrained. Contem-plative. Contraindicated.
I am depressed. You know it and I know it. The piano player tankling on the keys in my earbuds knows it. My therapist knows it, and so does yours.
It’s 2019 and we celebrate celebrities who “come out” has having a mental health chal-lenge. I sometimes wonder if publicists and agents of B-list starts trying to get on that A-list periodically call their clients and say, “Hey, you know, why don’t you start telling people you have depression or whatever? Could lead to some coverage and gigs. I’ll write up a press release. What do you want to have? Depression or anxiety?”
NAMI Tweets. Mental Health America posts on IG. The mental health world waves a flag and sings a song. I sing the celebrity electric.
Is that nasty and disingenuous? Well, that’s me. The cross-legged guy in the corner. Glasses. Nose. Mean.
I understand the instinct to congratulate, celebrate, praise those who disclose their mental health challenges. I do. I really do. I get it. Stigma. We’re busting stigma. We’re talking when others aren’t. We’re encouraging others and letting them know that there is nothing to be ashamed about. We’re pro-moting positive role models related to mental health. We’re taking it back. We’re taking to the streets. We’re taking medi-cation. We’re taking care of ourselves.
The thing about living with depression is, well, I don’t care. I don’t care who else has depression and I don’t care that I have depression and I don’t care about pills or Reiki or ECT or what people think about the fact that I don’t care about pills or Reiki or ECT and I don’t care about the mental illness rabbit hole or C. S. Lewis or that the “S” stood for “Staples.”
Actually, that last part is kind of interesting to me. There was a cop-killer in the nineties named Charles “Shovel” Staples and while the Shovel part was obviously a nickname, (quotes, you know), I think the Staples part was legit.
When I am feeling particularly depressed (I have dysthymia, which is a chronic, low-level depression that is always there. The geniuses who create the DSM have changed that to “persistent depressive disorder, but I don’t give a f*** about them or the DSM) I have a very hard time battling a seductively overpowering nihilism. If you don’t believe in anything, if you don’t believe that hope is possible, if you don’t believe that
good things are happening out there, maybe even some of them because of you, well, that’s a pretty dangerous place to live. But I believe that there is a line — a tenuous, fraying, unsta-ble line — that connects nihilism to hope. It is a bizarre connection, but it’s there and when I sit with my nihilism and my hopelessness, my brain does a search — like flipping through cards in a Rolodex or pictures in a family al-bum, and it tries to find, without much help, I might add, images or words or memories that counteract that siren’s song of nihilism.
Most of the time; it works.
It was 2006, I think, and I was driving because I am always driv-ing. My partner, Mike, was riding shotgun in our ambulance; Transcare unit 402. We were heading down I-95 to do a lift-assist (helping out another crew transport an obese patient). Transcare, as its name implies, was a private “transport” am-bulance company, meaning that we provided mostly non-emergency inter-facility transports. We ran “hot” (lights-and-sirens) so infrequently that my a** always puckered up like a walnut when we did emergency calls.
Anyway, while we were cruising down 95, I noticed brake-lights coming on and cars stacking up on each other. Then our truck started rolling over small pieces of debris. Then I saw a pocketbook in the middle of the highway.
“Oh, f***,” I said as I promptly ran it over.
Continued on page 7
Continued from page 6
In the slow lane, there was a Volvo 240-DL lying on its side. All the glass had been blown out and there were shiny sparkly bits glittering all over the highway. There were no police cars, no ambulances, no helicopters or tanks; no nothing — except us. I reached my skinny finger out to hit the red button that flashed our emergency lights, and my partner picked up the radio mic.
“402 to dispatch, show us at 95 and Academy on the scene of a rollover. Notify Philly FD, please.”
I liked Mike, a lot.
We opened our doors and got out; he went around to the side of the truck to get out his trauma bag, which I don’t think I had ever seen him handle, and I put on a pair of purple Nitrile gloves that I kept in my pants pocket and I walked over to the stricken Volvo, not even thinking about the fact that I was probably about to see something that would scar me for life. But as the small crowd of onlookers parted for me like the Red Sea for Moses, I bent down to get a look inside, and there was a young woman in the driver’s seat, belted. I reached through what used to be a window and she took my hand.
“Where are you hurt?” I asked, just assuming that it had to be somewhere.
“Nowhere!” she announced, bewildered.
I looked at her.
“How can that be?” I asked. And she laughed.
My partner and I were on-scene for maybe eight or nine minutes until the real first responders showed up and took control of the scene, shutting down the slow lane, doing their thing. We gave our little report that nobody listened to and we drove back to base, our lift-assist call being transferred to an-other unit.
I saw a Volvo 240-DL yesterday, parked across the street from where my son gets his hair cut, and I thought about her. And I remembered.
I don’t sit against the wall with my head clutched between my hands. I sit in Starbucks with my legs crossed at the knee. I am fragile, I am silly, I swear and I think. I am depressed. I am a hand through a broken window and I am you.
Gabriel “Gabe” Nathan is Editor in Chief of OC87 Recovery Dia-ries, an online mental health publication. He owns Herbie the Love Bug and far too many ties.
6
The Tailgate Caravan presented a check for $11,046.00 to NAMI Bucks County PA on August 8, 2019.
How do we even begin to say thank
you for this incredibly generous con-
tribution of $11,046.00 from the Tail-
gate Caravan? Thank you from all of
us at NAMI Bucks County, and on be-
half of everyone who benefits from
our support, education and advocacy.
The TGC worked hard to produce 4
events that benefitted us. (above)
On July 1st, we accepted a generous
grant of $5,000 from Ron Bernstein,
Executive Director of Foundations
Community Partnership. This is a
Bucks Innovation and Improvement
Grant to expand our NAMI Ending the
Silence program to more schools. (left)
Mid-July, we met with Access Ser-
vice's Starting Point team who will be
delivering mobile psychiatric rehabili-
tation services to you in Bucks County.
Starting Point Workers and Certified
Peer Specialists will walk with you side
by side to identify goals and then cre-
ate action plans to map out the steps
to success. (left)
Liz Woodley of Pennsylvania Mental
Health Consumers' Association,
PMHCA led a training to teach individ-
uals how to properly and effectively
complete a Mental Health Advance
Directive. Look out for trainings in and
around Bucks County. (left)
NAMI Bucks County joined NAMI
Berks County to represent NAMI in
Pennsylvania at a state-wide CIT
Training on July 26th in Elizabeth-
town, PA. (left)
20 volunteers came out to the first of
our quarterly NAMI Volunteer Orien-
tations on August 4th. They bring a
broad range of skills that will help
others know they are not alone.
(below)
Keep up with NAMI! There’s more on social
media @namibucks and at namibuckspa.org.
8
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is deeply saddened by
the tragic events that occurred over the weekend (August 3 and 4,
2019) in Texas and Ohio. These mass shootings are far too common
and impact every corner of our nation. Every time we experience a
tragedy like this, people with mental illness are drawn into the con-
versation. The truth is that the vast majority of violence is not perpe-
trated by people with mental illness. Statements to the contrary only
serve to perpetuate stigma and distract from the real issues.
NAMI sees gun violence as a national public health crisis that impacts
everyone.
“In the U.S., it is easier to get a gun than it is to get mental health
care,” states Angela Kimball, acting CEO. “We need to flip the script.
It should be easy—not hard—for people to get the mental health
care they need.”
Mental health conditions are common around the globe, yet no oth-
er country comes close to the number of mass shootings our country
experiences. As a nation, we need to address this disturbing fact. We
implore and advocate for commonsense approaches to ending gun
violence. For example, we support gun violence prevention restrain-
ing orders or “Red Flag” laws that don’t target people with mental
health conditions, but that allow for the removal of guns from any
person who poses a real, evidence-based risk of violence to them-
selves or others.
At the same time, we cannot forget that mass shootings result in
profound trauma that increases the need for mental health care.
One in five American adults experience a mental illness, but only
43% of them accessed care in the last year. There is a severe short-
age of mental health professionals – more than 60 percent of all
counties in the United States do not even have a single psychiatrist.
People with mental health needs, including survivors, their friends
and families, and first responders, are experiencing long waits for
care, if they can get it at all. It’s time for Congress and the Admin-
istration to act and make access to mental health care a national
priority for everyone.
We all want an end to these horrific acts of violence. To achieve this,
we need to find meaningful solutions to protect our communities
from senseless violence and lasting trauma. We owe it to future gen-
erations to end this cycle for everyone, because the status quo is
literally killing us.
On August 15, 2019, President Trump revisited his statements about
reopening mental “institutions” and perpetuated false stereotypes.
Two weeks ago, the president also called people with mental illness
“monsters.”
In response, National Alliance on Mental Illness Acting CEO Angela
Kimball released the following statement:
“The president should be talking about better care and earlier access
to intensive treatment, not revisiting the shameful institutions of our
past.
“Words matter, Mr. President. ‘These people’ are our friends, neigh-
bors, children, spouses. They’re not ‘monsters,’ ‘the mentally ill’ or
‘crazy people’ – they’re us. Talking about reinstitutionalization only
further marginalizes and isolates the one in five people with mental
illness. Instead, we need to be talking about the power of early treat-
ment and effective intervention to change lives.”
Today, too often, people languish in emergency rooms and law en-
forcement officers are responding to avoidable crises because com-
munity-based mental health services aren’t there for people who
need them.
Instead of focusing on the past, we urge the administration to focus
on improving access to mental health care. There are commonsense
approaches that we know are effective and that can be implemented
now to improve access to mental health services. We must:
Promote early intervention. Half of all mental illnesses begin by age
14, 75% begin by age 24. Getting help early, such as with Coordinat-
ed Specialty Care for first episode psychosis, results in better out-
comes and lowered costs.
Invest in better access to quality care. For example, Certified Com-
munity Behavioral Health Clinics (CCBHCs) are helping people get
care when and where they need it. Congress needs to extend fund-
ing for the CCBHC pilot program and expand it nationwide.
Divert people from the criminal justice system. Jails and prisons
shouldn’t be today’s mental health institutions. Instead, we need
readily-available crisis response and intensive mental health services
for people experiencing severe symptoms.
NAMI welcomes the opportunity to meet with President Trump and
work with his administration on steps for improving mental health
services in America.
Support Schedule Location Occurs Dates
Connection Group - Warrington Peer support for individuals living with
mental illness
NAMI Office
1432 Easton Road, Suite 2D
Warrington, PA 18976
Every Tuesday from 6:30 - 8:00pm September 3, 10, 17, 24
October 1, 8, 15, 22, 29
November 5, 12, 19, 26
Connection Group - Yardley
Peer support for individuals living with
mental illness
Congregation Beth El
Stony Hill Road
Yardley, PA 19067
1st, 2nd and 3rd Monday of each
month from 2:00 - 3:30pm
September 2, 9, 16
October 7, 14, 21
November 4, 11, 18
Connection Group - Levittown
Peer support for individuals living with
mental illness
United Christian Church of Levittown
8525 New Falls Road
Levittown, PA 19054
2nd and 4th Thursday of each month
from 3:00 - 4:30pm
September 12, 26
October 10, 24
November 14, 28
Connection Group - Perkasie
Peer support for individuals living with
mental illness
St. Peters Tohickon UCC
1071 Old Bethlehem Road (Not Pike)
Perkasie, PA 18944
1st, 2nd and 3th Sunday of each
month from 6:30 - 8pm
September 1, 8, 15
October 6, 13, 20
November 3, 10, 17
Family Support Group - Warrington
Support for family, caregivers, significant
others and friends
NAMI Office
1432 Easton Road, Suite 2D
Warrington, PA 18976
2nd and 4th Thursday of each month
from 7:00 - 8:30pm
September 12, 26
October 10, 24
November 14, 28
Family Support Group - Newtown
Support for family, caregivers, significant
others and friends
Crossing Community Church
80 Lower Silver Lake Road
Newtown, PA 18940
1st and 3rd Monday of each month
from 7:30 - 9:00pm
September 2, 16
October 7, 21
November 4, 18
Family Support Group - Penndel
Support for family, caregivers, significant
others and friends
Reach Out Foundation
152 Monroe Avenue
Penndel, PA 19047
1st and 3rd Wednesday of each
month from 6:30 - 8:00pm
September 4, 18
October 2, 16
November 6, 20
NAMI CAN—Parent Support
MYLIFE—Youth Support
Christ’s Home Community Center
800 York Road
Warminster, PA 18974
2nd Thursday of each month from
5:30 - 7:00pm
September 12
October 10
November 14
Fall Education Location Start Date/Time Registration Details
NAMI Family-to-Family (Class)
NAMI Family & Friends (Seminar)
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Bristol, PA
Warminster, PA
Perkasie, PA (Family & Friends)
September 16th from 7:00 - 9:00pm
September 5th from 7:00 - 9:00pm
October 5th from 1:00pm - 4:00pm
Online: namibuckspa.org/family
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-866-399-NAMI (6264)
NAMI Peer-to-Peer (Class)
REGISTRATION IS OPEN
Warminster, PA
Perkasie, PA
September 13th from 6:30 - 8:30pm
September 12th from 6:30 - 8:30pm
Online: namibuckspa.org/peer
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: 1-866-399-NAMI (6264)
NAMI Events Location Date/Time Details
NAMI Forum
“The Addicted Brain”
with David Fialko
Abington Health Center
225 Newtown Rd
Warminster, PA 18974
Thursday, September 19th
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Learn how substance use affects the
brain and effective means of treat-
ment and prevention.
NAMI Ending the Silence
Community Presentation
Warminster Library
1076 Emma Lane
Warminster, PA 18974
Saturday, September 21st
11:00am - 1:00pm
Starting a community conversation
about mental health, bullying, sub-
stance use and suicide prevention.
#ArtHeals
Group art show for mental health
awareness
Tattooed Mom
530 South Street
Philadelphia, PA 19147
Thursday, October 10th
6:00pm - 10:00pm
A group of 10 artists come together
to shine a light on mental health
awareness in a stigma-free venue.
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NAMI Events Location Date/Time Details
NAMI Member & Volunteer
Appreciation Picnic
Warminster Community Park
Hallowell Pavilion - 300 Veterans
Way, Warminster, PA 18974
Sunday, October 13th
2:00pm - 5:00pm
Allow us to show our appreciation
for your support and hard work.
Food, fun, games and more!
NAMI Forum - “Breaking the
Addiction Stigma” with Dr. Patrick
McElwaine
Abington Health Center
225 Newtown Rd
Warminster, PA 18974
Thursday, November 21st
7:00pm - 8:30pm
Learn what life and recovery from
addiction and mental illness looks
like for Dr. Patrick McElwaine.
Community Events Address Date/Time Details
Candlelight Vigil for
Suicide Prevention
Lenape Valley Foundation
Bucks County Courthouse
55 E Court St
Doylestown, PA 18901
Tuesday, September 10th
5:30pm
Remember the victims of suicide,
show support of family and friends,
and offer hope for the future.
Take Off Your Mask Masquerade
Gala
Brooke Glen Behavioral Hospital
Flourtown Country Club
150 McCloskey Road
Flourtown, PA 19031
Thursday, September 12
6:00pm – 9:00pm
Masquerade gala to raise support
and awareness for mental health
and suicide prevention.
MY FEST
MY LIFE PA, Magellan Health
Whites Road Park
400 Whites Road
Lansdale, PA 19446
Saturday, September 21st
12:00pm—4:00pm
Music, art, entertainment and youth
empowerment.
Celebration of Recovery Walk
Beacon of Hope Bucks County
Bucks County Technical High School
610 Wistar Road
Fairless Hills, PA
Saturday, September 28th
9:00am - 12:00pm
A walk to help and honor those on
their journey to recovery.
Suicide Prevention Conference
Lenape Valley Foundation
Delaware Valley University’s Life
Sciences Bldg. - 700 East Butler Ave.
Doylestown, PA 18901
Monday, October 7th
8:30am - 4:00pm
A day of education about best prac-
tices in suicide prevention. Register
on Eventbrite.
Transitions Goals in an IEP
Presented by Juanita Kirton, Ph.D.
Hosted by Bucks County LIFE
Bucks County Intermediate Unit
705 N Shady Retreat Road
Doylestown, PA 18901
Tuesday, October 8th
10:00am - 12:30pm
Interactive presentation about when
and how to ask about transition
goals in your child’s IEP.
Hold On You Matter Walk
Bucks County Suicide Prevention
Taskforce
Bucks County Community College
Upper Bucks Campus
1 Hillendale Rd, Perkasie, PA 18944
Saturday, November 2nd
1:00pm - 4:00pm
Three-mile walk to raise money and
awareness for suicide prevention in
Bucks County.
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NAMI Bucks County PA
1432 Easton Road, Suite 2D
Warrington, PA 18976
Office: 215-343-3055
Helpline: 1-866-399-NAMI (6264)
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.namibuckspa.org
Social: @namibucks
Annual dues include resource and referral information, newsletters, call to action alerts and
membership in NAMI Bucks County PA, NAMI Keystone PA and NAMI national.
□ Household membership $60.00
□ Individual membership $40.00
□ Open Door/Limited income (minimum dues rate $5.00) $_________
□ Additional Contribution $__________ Donation to remain anonymous □
NAME _____________________________________________________________
ADDRESS __________________________________________________________
CITY ________________________________ STATE_______ ZIP____________
PHONE ____________________________________
E-mail _____________________________________________________________
□ Please send my copy of the NAMI Bucks County, PA Newsletter electronically. (Provide e-mail above)
□ I am interested in receiving Call to Action Alerts via e-mail and participating in legislation and policy advocacy.
Please make check payable and mail to:
NAMI Bucks County, 1432 Easton Rd, Suite 2D, Warrington, PA 18976
Join or donate via the website at www.namibuckspa.org. Membership is tax-deductible. Registration does not imply endorsement.
NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 12-week course for families,
partners and friends of people who have mental health conditions. The course is
designed to help you gain a better understanding of mental health conditions,
improve your coping skills and empower you to advocate for your loved one. Each
class is taught by trained teachers who are also family members and know what it
is like to have a loved one living with mental illness. Thousands of families
NAMI Peer-to-Peer Recovery Education Program is a free, 8-week course for anyone who is experiencing or has experienced the challenges of a mental health condition. You’ll learn communication skills, how to strengthen relationships, balance changing health care needs and better understand your mental health and recovery.
NAMI Family & Friends is a 4-hour seminar for families, partners and friends of
people with mental health conditions. It introduces you to NAMI resources and
programs and to key topics: symptoms, diagnoses, treatment options and
communication strategies.
NAMI Peer-to-Peer will be held in Perkasie, PA beginning on Thursday, September 12th and in Warminster, PA beginning on Friday, September 13th from 6:30-8pm.
Registration is required for this course. Register online at namibuckspa.org/peer or by calling 1-866-399-NAMI (6264).
NAMI Family-to-Family will be held in Warminster, PA beginning on Thursday, September 5th and in Bristol, PA beginning on Monday, September 16th from 7-9pm.
Registration is required for this course. Register online at namibuckspa.org/family or by calling 1-866-399-NAMI (6264).
NAMI Family & Friends will be held in Perkasie, PA on Saturday, October 5th from 1-4pm.
Registration is required for this course. Register online at namibuckspa.org/familyfriends or by calling 1-866-399-NAMI (6264).
About NAMI
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization
dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Our staff,
dedicated volunteer members and leaders work tirelessly to raise awareness and provide essential
education, advocacy and support group programs for people in our community living with mental illness
and their loved ones.
Contact us for more information or to register: 1-866-399-NAMI (6264) | [email protected] | www.namibuckspa.org
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