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Now every Friday: Conference updates to your in-box. 

-- Bettie Reinhardt, MPH

This week's guests: You're going to be sleepy - verrry, sleepy on this week's show. Jennifer is joined by MHSOAC Commissioner Dr. David Pating, Chief, Addiction Medicine at Kaiser Permanente San Francisco and Dr. Deborah Lee, MHSOAC Consulting Psychologist to talk about sleep. Why is it so important to overall mental health,  and why does Dr. Pating see so many patients who cannot get it at this time of year. Sometimes, a great start to PEI begins with a good night's rest!

Also, on the show: Addiction to methamphetamines can destroy an individual. It can destroy a family.  But,  you can break the addiction, survive and thrive such as our guest Dwayne Clements, substance abuse counselor now at the LA County DMH. How did he kick alcohol and meth and how did he get his life and family back? Another example of the impact of programs which are funded through Prop. 63!

Tune in this weekend to Los Angeles-based Free Your Mind Projects radio show for the weekly Mental Health Services ACTION segment. The ACTION segment highlights Prop 63 and can be heard on the following stations:

• KFWB AM 980 (Los Angeles) Saturdays at 7 p.m.
• KSTE AM 650 (Sacramento) Saturdays at 8 a.m.
• KNEW AM 960 (San Francisco) Saturdays at 6 p.m.
• KCBQ AM 1170 (San Diego) Sundays at 4 p.m.     
• KERN AM 1180 (Bakersfield) Saturdays at 5 a.m.
• KGFM Soft Rock 101.5 (Bakersfield) Sundays at 5 a.m.
• KMJ FM 107.9 (Fresno) Sundays at 6 a.m.

*Also, a special half hour edition can be heard on KSTE AM 650 (Sacramento), Sundays at 7 a.m.; KNEW AM 960 (San Francisco) Saturdays at 5 p.m.; KKSF NEWSTALK 910 (San Francisco) Saturdays at 5 p.m.; and KMYT Smooth Jazz 94.5 FM (Inland Empire) Sundays at 9:30 a.m.

The shows are archived on http://freeyourmindprojects.com/index.php/Radio-Shows/ and on www.mhsoac.ca.gov. 

Through the California Mental Health Services Authority's (CalMHSA) Stigma and Discrimination Reduction (SDR) Initiative, grants of up to $30,000 are available to rural and small county community-based organizations and/or county government service providers.

Grants in the amount of $10,000 to $30,000 will be awarded to small-or-rural-county community-based organizations or counties to host Community Dialogue events. The Community Dialogue events will bring together opinion leaders, business owners, health care professionals, law enforcement officials, educators, family members, etc., and people who have experienced the devastating effects of stigma and discrimination because of mental health challenges to view an upcoming documentary produced by KVIE and engage in a discussion about stigma in their own lives and community.  

The documentary is slated to air on 13 PBS televisions stations statewide in May 2013.  Grant applications that outline collaborative efforts, hosting of multiple events, conducting of events that reach multiple small counties, and/or direct and focused contact with community decision-makers will be eligible for grants of up to $30,000. Grants of up to $10,000 may be awarded for applications that outline a single event.

Please find the attached grant application packet for additional information. Intent to apply and questions are due Friday, March 29. All final applications should be submitted by 5:00 p.m. Friday, May 3. Please feel free to share this information with community-based organizations in your small county. Please direct questions and correspondence to grants@rs-e.com.

Interested in becoming a part of NAMI California's Board of Directors?  Have skills in governing a state-wide organization and working as part of a team?

NAMI California is seeking qualified candidates to sit on our State Board of Directors.  We are searching for candidates that have specific skills in:

• Financial Oversight
• Non-profit law
• Editing and writing
• School aged and TAY experience and knowledge
• Legislative analysis

SAMHSA's scholarship application to financially support consumers who wish to participate in the 2013 NAMI National Convention is now available. Please distribute the attached application to your members. The application is also available at www.nami.org/convention under "FAQ".

The following are SAMHSA's guidelines for the scholarship:

• To be eligible, applicants must be a mental health consumer and a U.S. citizen
• The scholarship will pre-pay the convention registration fee, hotel expenses (based on double occupancy), airfare and per diem (daily allowance for meals and incidental expenses).
• The deadline for submitting the application is April 4, 2013 (no exceptions).
• In order to be considered for a scholarship, applicants must complete and submit an application via U.S. mail postmarked on or before April 4, 2013. No faxed or e-mailed submissions will be accepted.
• Applicants will be notified via email or mail by May 7, 2013 if they have been awarded a scholarship or not.
• Questions about the application can be directed to Jamila Henderson at 703-516-7968  or by email at SAMHSAscholarship@nami.org

• The Family Perspective: Engaging and Working with Families. Annie Kim and Bettye Foster, Family Education and Resource Center
• Keeping The Village Strong: Utilizing WRAP® for Family Wellness. Ruth Pasillas-Gonzales