| MONTHLY NEWSLETTER | October 2010
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National Alliance on Mental Illness, California State Organization
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 Welcome Members and Affiliates
We welcome your ideas for topics to cover, your feedback on issues that face consumers, families, and providers across the state. Contact us at newsletter@namicalifornia.org.
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California Affiliates Observe Mental Illness Awareness Week
2010
 Members of NAMI affiliates in California walked to raise funds,
prayed silently, held picnics, presented workshops, and conducted depression
screenings as part of their observance of Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW),
established by Congress in 1990. Across the state, MIAW has become a
traditional time among affiliates for raising public consciousness and sharing time
together.
NAMIWalks were held in Orange County and Santa Monica, with
a third planned for October 16 in Bakersfield. Public television stations in
the state aired premieres of the documentary, Unlisted: A Story of
Schizophrenia. NAMI South Bay partnered with the First Lutheran Church to hold
a Prayer Service, October 5, as part of the MIAW National Day of Prayer.
In Woodland, NAMI Yolo County held a rally on October 4 on
the steps of the Yolo County Administration Building and presented awards for
outstanding contributions by key individuals to the support of those who suffer
from severe mental illness. A candlelight vigil followed. In Modesto, NAMI Stanislaus hosted a free
depression screening and a lunch presentation.
In Kern County, NAMI FrontLine presented a panel of experts
speaking to suicide prevention, substance abuse - addiction and self
medication, warning signs and coping skills, communication and sensitivity needs,
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI).
NAMI Santa Clara County will round out the observance on
Oct.12, as Angela Neff will present
Another Picnic at the Asylum, a performance that has played to great reviews
around the country. Neff plays roughly twenty characters while relating
episodes from her life, mostly from her childhood, examining the stigma-ridden
world of mental illness. Picnic was developed in San Francisco with director
David Ford, nationally renowned for his work with solo theater artists. For
more information, view the flier or contact NAMI Santa Clara at (408) 453-0400.
Picnic at the Asylum
Good Samaritan Hospital Auditorium
2425 Samaritan Drive, San Jose, CA
7:15 P.M.
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Massive Reductions in Seclusion and Restraints Reported
NAMI California Board Member Colleen Peters this week announced that the practice of seclusion and restraints has been nearly eliminated at Metropolitan State Hospital in Southern California. Use of estraints is down by 98 percent since 2005, when the Recovery Model was introduced to the state teaching hospital. Over the same period, seclusion events fell by 98 percent. There has also been more then a two-third's reduction in the use of stat medication and reported staff injuries.
The model is being passed along to other hospitals in the state. NAMI California has a Zero-Tolerance Seclusion and Restraint Committee. Read more about these massive reductions. |
 NAMI Orange County Launches Countywide WarmLine
NAMI Orange County launched the OC WarmLine on October 1.This 24/7, confidential telephone support service, staffed by trained mental health consumers, paraprofessionals, and family members, is the first of its kind in Orange County.
The WarmLine will provide support, an empathetic ear, and needed information regarding available services. The program will specialize in the concerns of mental health consumers, their families, and friends. Calls can be answered in multiple languages and the line will have TTY capabilities available in mid-October.
The OC WarmLine can be reached at 877-910-WARM or via Live Chat at www.namioc.org.
Persons with questions about the WarmLine or other NAMI-OC programs, can contact Nancy Lee Allen, Executive Director at (714) 544-8488 or nallen@namioc.org.
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NAMIWalks SF Bay Area
Congratulations to Santa Clara's NAMIWalk Team Captains, walkers, volunteers, sponsors, friends, and families--all who supported a successful 2010 NAMIWalk. The numbers, just in, show NAMI Santa Clara: $46,439.92 and partners, NAMI Santa Cruz: $5,310.42!
For information about 2011's NAMI-Walk date and location, contact Gini Mitchem: 408-259-2256 or vmitchem@hotmail.com
NAMIWalks Kern County
Walk: October 16, 2010
NAMI Walks at the River Walk Park Saturday, October 16th
Contact: Nicole Browning
nami@nicolebrowning.com
Phone: (661) 301-3283
NAMIWalks Riverside/San Bernardino County
The 5th Annual NAMIWALK for the Mind of America will be held on November 6th, 2010 at Diamond Valley Lake in Hemet. There currently are 25 Walk Teams and three Super Teams registered online. Register your team online to help meet the goal of 70 teams this year!
NAMIWALK Manager: Hal Adams
Location: Diamond Valley Lake
Hemet, CA
Date: November 6, 2010
Distance: 5 K
Check-in: 8:00 am
Start Time: 9:30 am
Website: http://www.nami.org/namiwalks/CA/Riverside
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Cr iminal Justice Update
The California Department of Corrections (CDCR) has implemented the NAMI Inmate Mental Health Information Form at six of its Reception Center prisons. You can find these listed under Criminal Justice Resources at NAMI California.
The staff of the Mental Health Program at San Quentin Prison has agreed to take the lead in forming a work group of CDCR staff and NAMI California to work out procedures, policies, and guidelines.
Additionally, they have also agreed to help NAMI California to finish a "NAMI Prison Guide" modeled after our "Arrested Guide" we use in 14 jails around the state. This guide will provide a general roadmap for peers and families in navigating mental health care in the California prison system.
The collaboration with CDCR on a prison guide will dispel some of the mystery of prison process and enable us to solve problems that have plagued inmate families for decades.
Click here to read the full version of the Criminal Justice report
--Mark Gale
Chair,
NAMI California Government Affairs Committee and Criminal Justice Workgroup
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 Under the Dome
Governor Schwarzenegger closed September by vetoing and
signing bills in an end-of-session flurry.
California's budget woes made this legislative session particularly
difficult for any bill to pass that required funding, but there is a little
good news.
Good News: AB 674
(Salas, D), supported by NAMI CA , was just signed into law. AB674 will benefit veterans in court for
offenses committed due to trauma and mental illness suffered from their
military service. Selected veterans will be able to find placement in programs
to receive treatment of PTSD, trauma, mental illness and drug abuse.
AB2212 (Fuentes, D) will protect minors in court who are
living with mental illness. A minor determined
by the court to lack mental competency will be eligible for treatment programs.
SB1392 (Steinberg, D) will help improve availability of
county mental health services by streamlining State financial processes to aid
counties.
Poor News: The Governor vetoed excellent bills passed by the
legislature. AB1600 (Beall, D) would have
provided parity--just and fair insurance treatment--for people with mental
illnesses. AB1925 (Salas, D) would have set up Mental
Health courts to divert some people with mental illness and drug disorders from
the prison system into treatment. AB2706
(Lowenthal, D) would have helped protect homeless people from hate crimes.
NAMI California will continue in this next session to
monitor, support, and oppose bills for the benefit of people living with
serious mental illness, their families, and supporters. Watch our website and emails to add your
voice for just laws.
--Frances Tibbits, co-chair of Government Affairs
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 Vet to Vet Successes
The "price of freedom" is visible at any Veterans Affairs Hospital. This quotation is inscribed at the entrance of Palo Alto VA Hospital, which is very close to Mary Ellen Salzano's home. Her son was deployed in service to the Marines and has done two tours in Iraq.
Many Californians do not realize that their family members comprise the largest number of veterans in the United States, with more than 2 million calling the Golden State their home. With their families, veterans count as over 10% of the State's population.
Some servicemen and women have served over six deployments, and for many combat operational stress, post traumatic stress disorder, military sexual trauma, and traumatic brain injuries are the hidden wounds of the war.
Each year over 30,000 veterans of the United States military return to California to reconnect with family and make the transition to their civilian lives. Many of them find mental and emotional stress, challenges and traumas affecting their relationships and their lives, and the suicide rate for these protectors of our freedoms is skyrocketing.
How can Californians offer the support and resources needed for service members, veterans, families, and care givers, if we do not come together and pool our vast knowledge and expertise? One of the ways we are reaching out to our military and veterans is through www.frontlinenami.org. Many are surprised to find that NAMI has a National Veterans Council which can be found at www.nami.org/veterans and the Resource Center has a copious amount of information.
Another amazing program for helping our veterans and families who are facing Battlemind/combat operational stress/anger management, and mental illness is the Vet to Vet Program, founded by Moe Armstrong, NAMI Board Member and Veterans Subcommittee chair.
For more information about the program, please contact Mary Ellen Salzano, Founder and Facilitator, California Statewide Collaborative for our Military and Families, at maryellen_salzano@yahoo.com. |
NAMI Gold Country
The NAMI Gold Country Socialization Program has taken flight
after being a popular feature for more than 17 years. Every Wednesday, consumers
are picked up (if needed) and taken to hikes, BBQs, fitness classes, arts and
crafts courses, movies, and more. The only costs to attendees are for meals. A team of consumers and family members helps
coordinate fund raising, transportation, and activities.
The reward of
seeing consumers empowered by their community is well worth it. You can get
involved by contacting Alicia at the NAMI Gold Country office, 209-736-4264.
NAMI Stanislaus
The next Peer-to-Peer classes have been tentatively scheduled for Saturdays beginning October 9, at the Jana Lynn Conference Room, 500 N. 9th Street. If you would like to register or know more about this free 10-week course, please call Wendy at 209-531-6445, or the NAMI Office at 209-558-4555.
NAMI Santa Clara County
Help us celebrate our many accomplishments over the last 35 years and our honorees.
35th Anniversary
Dinner and Celebration
Thursday, November 11, 2010
5:30-9:00 P.M.
View the flier for more information, call (408) 453-0400, or email us.
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| Contact Information |
newsletter@namicalifornia.org
or call NAMI California
(916) 567-0163
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NAMI California's Tree of Tribute
Each year many donors elect to give a gift in celebration of
an event, in honor of a special individual or in memory of a loved one.
The Tree of Tribute formalizes this tradition by providing a
lasting
acknowledgement
for individuals who are remembered, individuals who are
honored or have an enduring record of a significant celebration.
Gifts in Celebration, in Honor or in Memory
Gifts of $500 or more will be eligible for an engraved leaf
on the Tree of Tribute or an engraved stone at the base of the tree.
$500 - Bronze leaf
$1,000 - Silver leaf
$2,000 - Gold leaf
$3,000 -- Small stone
$5,000 - Large stone
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Major Donors
NAMI California thanks the following for their very generous contributions of $500 or more.Humanitarian: $5,000 - $15,000
The Community Foundation, Riverside, CA
Mitch Francis, (location withheld on request)
Patron: $2,500 - $4,999
Benefactor: $1,000 - $2,499
Rita Jean Boppana, Playa Del Rey, CA
Attias Family Foundation, Los Angeles, CA
Silicon Valley Community Foundation, Mountain View, CA
Frances Tibbits, Pacific Palisades, CA
Carla Jacobs
Tustin, CA
Shareholder: $750-$999
Sponsor: $500-$749
Teresa A Walker, San Mateo, CA
Stephen Dwelle, President, Dwelle Family Foundation, Visalia, CA
Edward Gaston, MD & Lori Zager,San Rafael, CA
Margaret C. Winrich, Kelseyville, CA
Elaine Zelnik, Berkeley, CA
Doris Crowell, Walnut Creek, CA
Jeannette Lowe, Washoe Valley, NV
Pamela Zelnik & Mark Suhr, Berkeley, CA
Elizabeth L Friedman, Los Angeles, CA
Elizabeth Chamberlain, Woodside, CA
Mr. & Mrs. Michael Aldrich, Glendale, CA
John & Beverly White, Brentwood, TN
John J Krolewski & Nadia Ghent, Irvine, CA
Mark & Theresa Gale, West Hills, CA
Frances Tibbits, Pacific Palisades, CA
Christopher & Mary Folck Family, Truckee, CA
Glen & Linda Meyer, Danville, CA
Nancy Doyle, Santa Rosa, CA
Stephen & Jacqueline Astle, San Rafael, CA
Elizabeth S. Holden, Eugene. OR
Loeb Family Foundation
Linda K. Pontious, Grass Valley, CA
Elizabeth Chamberlain, Woodside, CA
Gunnar Christiansen, MD, Santa Ana, CA
Venona & John Levine, Walnut Creek, CA
Ralph Nelson, Visalia, CA
Victoria Link, Rolling Hills Estates, CA
Mark Gale, West Hills, CA
Ronald & Pat Stone, Modesto, CA
Palmyra Cameron, Los Angeles, CA
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All donations,
large and small,
are greatly appreciated by
NAMI California and help
us achieve our mission
at the state level.
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This educational newsletter is supported, in part, by an educational grant from Lilly USA, LLC. For further information concerning Lilly grant funding visit www.lillygrantoffice.com. |
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