NAMI CARES
Concern, Advocacy, Research, Education, Support
September 2011
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Mental Illness Awareness Week
October 2-8, 2011
Saturday, October 1st
5K run for Mental Health in Batavia
See details below
Tuesday, October 4
National Day of Prayer for
Mental Illness Recovery and Understanding
In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) in recognition of NAMI's efforts to raise mental illness awareness. Since 1990, mental health advocates across the country have joined together during the first full week of October in sponosoring many kinds of activities.
During Mental Illness Awareness Week consider spending a few minutes each day learning more about mental illness or share your story so that someone else can learn more.
People living with mental illness are our neighbors. They are members of our congregations, members of our families; they are everywhere in this country. If we ignore their cries for help, we will be continuing to participate in the anguish from which those cries of help come. A problem of this magnitude will not go away. Because it will not go away and because of our spiritual commitments, we are compelled to take action. −Rosalynn Carter
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NAMI 5K
Run for Mental Health
Join us in downtown
Batavia, Illinois
on October 1, 2011
for the 6th Annual NAMI 5k.
You'll have a great time as you run along the shores of the Fox River. Proceeds to benefit NAMI of Kane, DeKalb and Kendall Counties.
Race day registration available at 7am!
Our race this year features:
~Really Nice Technical Race Shirts to First 500 Registered
~Fantastic Medals For Top Finishers
~Feel-Good Fundraising Opportunities for NAMI
~Green Initiative to Reduce Impact On Our
Environment
Can't be with us on that day?
Please help us fight stigma and educate people about mental illness by donating today. Donation Form
More info and to register
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NAMI Saturday Coffee
~Held the last Saturday of each month
~Location will rotate between local mental health providers
~There will be coffee, lite refreshments
and a speaker
~There will be time to socialize
~All are welcome!
NEXT COFFEE
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NAMI-DKK
Family-to-Family
It's not too late to sign up for this class!
But you must sign up now so you don't miss out!
The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses.
Click here for more details.
THIS CLASS BEGAN:
August 23, 2011
Tuesdays 7:00 - 9:30pm
continuing weekly for 12 weeks
through November 15, 2011
You may still join the class until Tuesday, September 6th The Congregational United Church of Christ, 40W451 Fox Mill Blvd. St. Charles, IL.
Classes are free
Registration is required To register call Denise at 630-405-9336
or NAMI DKK office: 630-896-6264
It's not too early to sign up for our next class which will be in February in Aurora.
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NAMI DKK Offers Course
Free Classes for Parents 
NAMI Basics
The fundamentals of caring for you,
your family, and your child with mental illness
Six week education course taught by parents/caregivers of children and adolescents with mental illness.
Classes include:
· Introduction - it's not your fault
· The biology of mental illness
· Treatment works
· Problem solving skills
· How to work within systems (school, juvenile
justice, mental health)
· Shared stories
Classes will be held on Saturdays
September 17th - October 22nd 2011.
9:00 a.m - 11:30 a.m.
in the Buckley Room at Provena Mercy Medical Center
1325 N. Highland Avenue in Aurora
Registration is required.
To register call Karen: 630-664-9103 or NAMI DKK office: 630-896-6264
NAMI DeKalb, Kane South & Kendall Counties
400 Mercy Lane, Aurora, IL 60506
630-896-6264
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What's Next?
How do young adults transition from High School to college, work or even the military?
Bianca Ruffin, Policy and Legal Affairs and NAMI Child & Adolescent Action Center (CAAC) Program Assistant shared her own experience of the transition from High School to College in a blog that allows young adults to reach out to others that are struggling with similar issues.
Bianca states, "The problems I faced are not mine alone. Other young adults may be facing feelings similar to what I did when I began at Virginia Tech. It doesn't matter if a person is going to college, taking online classes, going on a break after high school, joining the military or pursuing work immediately-if someone is transitioning from a teenager into adulthood and they feel like they need or want mental health treatment, they should. I hope people do not discourage themselves from accessing services the way that I did. It cost me three extremely valuable years of college in which I missed out on internship opportunities, studying abroad and other extracurricular activities that could've helped shape my career."
Sites like StrengthOfUs.org enable young adults to connect and share their stories online by joining a social networking community. StrengthOfUs.org offers a variety of resources on issues important to young adults, including independent living, campus life, employment, mental health issues and much more.
Read Bianca's story
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NAMI SURVEY:
COLLEGE MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES AND SUPPORTS
Please help NAMI develop guidelines and resources for colleges NAMI's Child and Adolescent Action Center needs your help in distributing its new College Mental Health Services and Supports Survey. We are gathering information on valued college services and supports for students living with mental health conditions and the experiences of college students living with mental health conditions. We intend to use this information to develop guidelines and resources for colleges so they can support students living with mental health conditions and their families. There is a survey for recent and current college students living with mental health conditions and a separate survey for parents. The CAAC would appreciate it if you would please distribute the following blurb (including the survey links) to your networks, particularly those that might reach recent and current college students with mental health conditions and/or their parents. Please use the following blurb: Are you or is your child a recent or current college student living with a mental health condition? NAMI wants to hear from you! Follow the appropriate link below to participate in an important NAMI survey on services and supports for college students living with mental health conditions. All responses are kept confidential. Survey closes Sept 30, 2011. Please use the following links to participate in the survey: * Student * Parent/Guardian For more information, please contact Dana Markey at danac@nami.org<mailto:danac@nami.org>. Back to Top
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Mindfulness Corner
Editor's note: This is a new "corner" for our newsletter. Some of you are probably aware of the term "mindfulness" and may even be a little tired of hearing about it. Some of you may not know what it is all about. It is really based on the concept of living one day at a time, but it goes further by asking us to live each moment at a time. There are many books, articles and workshops that explain it in great detail, but I will leave it at that for now. The reason that I like it so much is that it is the most accepting philosophy that I know about. You truly can't do it wrong. No matter how many times you forget and get caught up in yesterday and tomorrow, you are encouraged to just bring yourself back to the present moment and not focus on what you did the second before you realized you were off course. Whenever I come across some tidbit that helps us keep our minds focused on the present moment, I will include it in this corner. This month's article is from a website called Tiny Buddha, Simple Wisdom for Complex Lives . Lori Deschene is the Founder of Tiny Buddha and the author of this article. I have included a link to the website below. I hope that you will enjoy this new corner and find it useful.
-Nina Finch
"The future is completely open, and we are writing it moment to moment." -Pema Chodron "A while back, a reader commented that it's easy for me to suggest tomorrow is full of possibilities, since I am relatively young. An older woman, she believed her options were far more limited, and that even if she could do the things she wanted to do, they wouldn't count-not at her age. My first instinct was to start a conversation about mindfulness, since no one is ever guaranteed more than the present. Even young people don't know for certain that they have decades more to live, so all we can ever really do is use this moment well. But then I thought about her comment about the future not counting." -Lori Deschene
Read the rest of this article
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Coming Events
NAMIDKK Board Meeting - The next meeting will be September 12, 2011. September 6, 2011 - NAMI Family-to-Family Course - Tuesday evenings from 7pm to 9:30pm through November15, 2011 September 17, 2011 - NAMI Basics Course Begins Saturdays 9:00 am to 11:30 am. DetailsSeptember 24, 2011 - NAMI Saturday Coffee DetailsOctober 1, 2011 - NAMI 5K Run for Mental HealthDetailsSave These Dates February 4, 2012 - NAMI DKK Dinner/Raffle Fundraiser |
September Fast Fact
In 1990, the U.S. Congress established the first week of October as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) in recognition of NAMI's efforts to raise mental illness awareness.
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IDHS provides information for parents in Illinois
Phone calls for parents of children with emotional and/or behavioral concerns.
Thursday, October 6, 12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health hosts Advocating For A Lifetime. These educational calls are offered to all parents in Illinois who have a child with an emotional and/or behavioral concern. The calls focus on giving parents information they need to advocate for and support their children. Toll free: (800) 260-0712 Participant Access Code: 120964. For questions, please call (618) 838-9382.
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Diverse Religions and Spiritual Perspectives: A NAMI Star Center Teleconference Event
From the NAMI FaithNet Newsletter: July 2011
On May 4, 2011, the NAMI STAR Center presented Diverse Religious and Spiritual Perspectives on Mental Distress/Illness, Mental Wellness, and Healing. The teleconference began with some questions: How is the experience of mental or emotional distress, commonly called "mental illness" by some, understood from diverse religious and spiritual perspectives? What can we learn from these perspectives about mental wellness and the healing process? How may cultural competence, social inclusion, diversity and self-help and program/service practices be enhanced for greater effectiveness?
Rev. Laura Mancuso facilitated the discussion and introduced three speakers; Bob Manrodt, a Tibetan Buddhist assisting individuals who live with mental illness in community and inpatient settings to connect with their spirituality; Eduardo Luna, an indigenous shaman from Ecuador; and Rev. Dr. Jasper Lowery, a Christian pastor leading a ministry to serve people living on the streets of Oakland, Calif.
"Be patient toward all that is unsolved in your heart and try to love the questions themselves. Do not now seek the answers, which cannot be given you because you would not be able to live them. And the point is to live everything. Live the questions."
--Rainer Marie Rilke
Read a summary of each speech
To listen to a recording of the teleconference, visit the NAMI Star Center's teleconference archive.
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Mental Health Councils Message of the Month
Resiliency in Children
by Mary McCarty
Traumatic or stressful experiences can lead to children experiencing high levels of anxiety that emanate from significant changes in a family's resources and housing, loss or absence of a family member and exposure to family, community or media violence. Studies on the brain show that in addition to the stresses listed above, physical, emotional, or sexual abuse in childhood can impact a child's developing brain.
Read signs of resiliency and how to support resiliency in children
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Clinical trial for schizophrenia
Baber Research Group looking for participants
If you have been diagnosed with Schizophrenia and are taking Resperidone (Risperdal), Olanzapine (Zyprexa) or Aripiprazole (Abilify) you may be eligible to participate in a clinical research study.
Qualified participants will receive medications and exams at no charge. You may receive compensation for your participation.
Baber Research Group's areas of research include, but are not limited to: ~Adolescent Autistic Spectrum Disorder
~Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
~Major Depressive Episodes Associated
with Bipolar Disorder
~Relapse Prevention in Alcohol
Dependence
~Bipolar I Disorder
~Major Depressive Disorder
~Fatigue Associated with Dependence
Current Trials: ~Autism in Adolescents (6-12)
~Bipolar Disorder in Adolescents (6-17)
~Bipolar Disorder in Adults (18-55)
~Depression in Adults (18-65)
~Fibromyalgia in Adolescents (13-17)
~Major Depressive Disorder in Adults
(18-65)
~Major Depressive Disorder with Bipolar
Disorder (18-65)
~Smoking Cessation in Healthy Adolescents
(12-19)
~Smoking Cessation without Depression
(18-75) - Upcoming
~Schizophrenia in Adults
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NAMIDKK
Vision Statement
VISION: NAMI-DKK is dedicated to the eradication of the stigma of mental illness by improving the quality of life of all those striving for mental health wellness.
NAMIDKK
Mission Statement
MISSION: The mission of NAMI-DKK is to provide support education and advocacy for persons, family members and communities dealing with mental health issues
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Forward This Newsletter
PLEASE PASS THIS ON
If you know someone that might benefit from getting this newsletter you can use the link below to forward this newsletter to them. If they enjoy it and want to get it all the time they can subscribe, but only if they want to. They will not be automatically put on our mailing list.
The newsletter is a great way to keep up with what is going on with NAMIDKK, find resources, and learn about ways you can help.
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Support Groups
NAMI-DKK FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS
(No charge, no reservations needed)
These support groups provide relevant information, valuable insight, and the opportunity to engage in support networks. The groups are led by family members that have been trained in classes provided by NAMI Illinois. Family members are invited to join more than one group to provide more frequent support.
Aurora:
3rd Tuesday of the month,
from 7:00-8:30 p.m.
The McDermott room, Provena Mercy Hospital (lower level), in Aurora.
630-761-6971 (Buzz Hays)
DeKalb:
This support group is currently not meeting. Please contact our NAMI-DKK office at (630) 896-6264 for the latest information.
St. Charles:
1st Thursday of the month at 7 p.m.
The Congregational United Church of Christ, 40W451 Fox Mill Blvd. St. Charles, IL. (To get there, go west on Route 64 to Fox Mill Blvd. and turn left. The church is south of Fox Mill on the left. The entrance is on the south corner from the parking lot.)
630-584-7481 (Lynette Niequist)
Elgin (NAMI Kane County):
2nd Tuesday 6:30-8:00 p.m.
St, Joseph Hospital
(St. Mary's Room lower level)
Call Laurie 847-695-7957
NAMI CONNECTIONS RECOVERY GROUPS
(No charge, no reservations needed)
Currently the NAMI-DKK Connections Recovery Groups are not meeting.
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OTHER AREA SUPPORT GROUPS
KENDALL COUNTY SUPPORT GROUPS:
The Kendall County Health Department provides the following support groups lead by mental health professionals. For further information please contact the KCHD Admissions Coordinator, Rhonda at (630) 553-9100 X8053
· Life Strengths: Peer Support for those dealing with chronic mental illness.
· Understanding your Diagnosis: Family support and for those individual(s) working towards mental health recovery.
. Dual Diagnosis Group: Treatment for those individuals addressing both substance abuse and mental health issues.
DEPRESSION & BIPOLAR SUPPORT ALLIANCE:
DeKalb(NIU): Meets Monthly the last Saturday at 12 noon in Immanuel Lutheran Church on Russell Rd.
Follow signs. Easy parking
Contact person: Charles Smith Phone: (815) 398-9628 Fax: (815) 398-5995 Email: mrsippy1d@comcast.net Website: www.grouphope.org
Fox Valley: Meets 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month at:
Behavioral Health Services Bldg.
Campus of Central DuPage Hosp.
27 W 350 Highlake Rd.
Winfield Rd., Winfield, IL.
Contact person: Judy Kramer, Pres.
Phone: 630-466-4851
Email: Judykramer@MCHSI.com
Website: www.DBSAFoxvalley.org
CARES Support Group - led by and for individuals working towards recovery
Monday mornings 11:00 - 12:00 p.m.
Ecker Center, Elgin - 2nd Floor
for information: NAMI - 847-426-4594
NAMI DUPAGE COUNTY SUPPORT GROUPS:
NAMI DuPage has several support groups that are open to anyone no matter where you live. There is no charge for these groups. To find out more about these groups and where they meet you can go to: http://www.namidupage.org/support/support-groups
NAMI BARRINGTON SUPPORT GROUPS: NAMI Barrington has two family support groups that are open to anyone no matter where you live. There is no charge for these groups. To find out more about these groups and where they meet you can click on this link. |
Consumers' Corner
Calling all consumers!
We would love to have contributions for our newsletter from Consumers who would like to share personal stories, poetry, ideas that have helped you make it through the rough times, or any creative work. If you would like to contribute visual art please contact Nina for details on how to do that.How do you feel about the word "Consumer"? That is the word used by NAMI to indicate a person with a mental illness. Does that word work for you? Do you have an idea for another word that might indicate who you are, yet do it in a positive way? Let us know what you think. Please send your ideas to Nina and she will pass that information on to our Board for consideration. Back to Top |
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Resources
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Lazarus House offers housing
Housing Resource for Kane County
If you know someone in mid Kane County who needs a place to stay, encourage them to call Lazarus House at 630-587-2144 about shelter services.
If it's rent or utility help that they need, have them call 630-587-5872 for a confidential appointment to see if they qualify for assistance. Lazarus House grants help low-income persons in Kane County who struggle to make ends meet. Pass out our number. We are here to help!
Lazarus House
214 Walnut Street, St. Charles, Illinois 60174
Main number (shelter) 630-587-2144
Outreach (rental assistance) 630-587-5872
Email: Info@LazarusHouseOnline.com
Web Site: lazarushouseonline.com
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Volunteer Opportunities
Do you want to help?
NAMIDKK would love to be doing more but there is just not enough time in our days to do everything we think of. If you have an hour or more to help us out we would be glad to hear from you. For some things you do not even need to come into our office to help. If you can help us returning phone calls we will provide training and resource materials. If this is something you would like to do, please contact Elaine at 630-377-1563 or epmulligan1@gmail.com.Your help as volunteers would increase our ability to help improve the quality of life for individuals with mental illness and their families. We need: a grant writer, a publicity coordinator, speakers bureau volunteers, help line call takers, dinner/raffle help, more people for our educations programs, someone to join NAMI National's Stigma Buster Alert program, people to help update resource information, as well as newsletter submissions. |
Membership BECOME A MEMBER OF NAMI DEKALB, KANE SOUTH & KENDALL COUNTIES
NAMI DKK is a nonprofit organization affiliated with NAMI - The National Alliance on Mental Illness.
Membership includes: Membership in Illinois and National NAMI
NAMI National's publication Advocate (quarterly)
NAMI Illinois' publication Stateline (quarterly)
NAMI DKK CARES email Newsletter (monthly) New members receive a welcome packet and our NAMI-DKK Handbook (when available). Please complete the information below and mail your check or money order to NAMI-DKK 400 Mercy Lane, Aurora, Illinois 60506 Name:___________________________ Address:_________________________ City:_____________Zip:_____________ Telephone (s):_____________________ Email (s): ________________________ Individual: $30/year _______ Advocate: $100/year _______ Lifetime: $500 _______ Written Newsletter Only _______ ($10 suggested donation) Open Door $3/year _______ (Those with limited means/fixed incomes are invited to join at this reduced rate) Donation Only $ _______ Total Enclosed: $ _____________ Note: Membership and donations are tax deductible. Back to Top
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About Us
NAMIDKK can be reached by
phone: 630-896-6264
fax: 630-896-6365
email: info@namidkk.org
mail: 400 Mercy Lane
Aurora, IL 60506
website: namidkk.org
NAMIDKK is an affiliate of a national network of NAMI groups all over the world. The national website
has many resources for both consumers and families, educational
information about mental illness and treatments, and the latest news
concerning our issues. NAMI Illinois is the state organization
that can direct you to local events and groups as well as keeping us
updated about what is happening in our state. The state website also has resources and links to other organizations.
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NAMIDKK Board of Directors
Phyllis Graeser - President Nina Finch - Vice President Walter Deuchler - Treasurer Mary Ihnenfeld - Secretary Suzanne Deuchler Denise Edwards Regina Harris Jack Hazel Jim McNish Elaine Mulligan Betty Schoenholtz Legal Advisor: Alschuler, Simantz & Hem, LLC - Jan OPittman, Legal Assistant Accountant: Borhart, Spellmeyer & Co. Back to Top
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Educational Programs
Helping schools reach out to children with mental illness
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PARENTS AND TEACHERS AS ALLIES:
Parents and Teachers as allies was created to help families and school professionals identify the key warning signs of early-onset mental illnesses in children and adolescents in our schools. The program is intended to provide an educational tool for advancing mutual understanding and communication between families and school professionals. This program is designed for two-hour teacher in-services, parent PTA sponsored evenings, and mental health professional classes.
RED FLAGS:
Red Flags is a depression awareness program for middle school students. It is generally taught in health classes and takes 3-5 class periods. The teacher can choose between 2 DVD's: "Claire's Story," or "Thick'n Thin," a more recent story of teenage depression. Two additional DVD's go with the program, as well as suggested class activites, information on mental illness and discussion topics.
ENDING THE SILENCE:
Ending the Silence is a high school health class presentation, typically presented during the mental health portion of the curriculum. This interactive program teaches the basic signs and symptoms of mental illnesses in teenagers, presents personal stories to reduce stigma, and provides many resource materials for students.
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Ways to donate to NAMI-DKK:
 By phone: Call 630-896-6264 By mail: Click here to fill out a form that you can print out and mail to our office. At your workplace: An easy way to double - even triple - the value of your contribution to NAMI-DKK! Thousands of companies (of all sizes, in all industries) have Matching Gift programs that "match" their employees' contributions (often Board members and spouses too) to their favorite charities. To learn more about how to match your donation to NAMI-DKK click here. Planned Giving: You can plan the giving from your estate with the help of an attorney using a number of legal mechanisms, such as a charitable remainder trust, that may enable you to maintain your estate, provide for yourself and your family, and leave a lasting legacy. Sponsorship of Events or NAMI-DKK Programs: Opportunities to donate to NAMI-DKK include sponsoring events such as our Dinner/raffle and our annual Run/Walk. You can designate funds for specific programs. NAMI-DKK programs include Family to Family classes, Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement, adult and student based educational programs, family support groups, a monthly newsletter, printed informational materials and a help call line staffed by volunteers.
To find out more about these and other programs contact NAMI-DKK office at 630-896-6264. Buy Raffle Tickets: Call our office for more information about buying raffle tickets for our annual Dinner/Raffle. They are usually available in January and the first week of February of each year. Drawing is at our annual dinner. You do not need to be present to win. Memorial and Honorary Giving: Memorial Giving: Your memorial gift to NAMI-DKK is a personal remembrance that honors the life and memory of a friend or loved one, and offers the gift of hope for the future.
Honorary Giving: Holidays, birthdays, anniversaries, weddings, Mother's or Father's Day, or the arrival of a new baby are special moments that we can help you celebrate. A gift to NAMI is a wonderful way for individuals, organizations, businesses, and groups to honor these special occasions in our lives and pay tribute to a friend or loved one. Based on the information you provide, NAMI-DKK will send a letter to the family of the memorialized or to the honored person, notifying them of your thoughtful gift. NAMI-DKK is a 501(c)(3) organization. All donations are tax deductible.
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Employer Matching Donations How do I secure a matching gift for my donation to NAMI-DKK? Contact your Human Resources Department to find out if your company has a Matching Gift Program. If they have a matching gift program, your company likely uses one of two ways to secure your additional matching gift to NAMI-DKK: (Most common) Obtain your company's matching gift form, fill out the "Donor" section, and mail it to NAMI-DKK when you send your donation. NAMI-DKK will complete the "Charity" section of the form, and mail it back to your company. This will confirm that we received your gift and request their matching gift. (Less common) Make your donation to NAMI-DKK through the mail or phone. Upon receipt of your gift, NAMI-DKK will send a letter acknowledging your contribution. Bring this letter to your Matching Gift program coordinator who will distribute your company's matching gift to NAMI-DKK. Why should I give a matching gift to NAMI-DKK? Matching gift programs allow you to allocate your company's charitable dollars to the cause nearest and dearest to you heart, greatly increasing your donation's value to NAMI-DKK. What's more, NAMI-DKK considers your corporation's matching gift as part of your total contribution. Therefore, your $50 gift can become a $100 or $150 gift to NAMI-DKK. So please -- go ahead and make a donation to NAMI-DKK today!
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