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In This Issue

2015 NAMIWalks Butler County

A NAMI Transition

Welcome our New Staff

Kroger Rewards Update

Volunteer Recognition

Upcoming Education Mtg Speakers

Annual Business Meeting Notice

The Rusty Ball

FREE Money for NAMI BC

Book Reviews

Membership Update

Upcoming Events

NAMI Butler County Board of Directors

Chairperson
Lindsay Buchanan   
Vice-Chairperson
Nancy Holtkamp
Secretary    
Paula Harrison
Treasurer 
Chris Gaal 
 
Maxine Apke
Brad Arnott
Charlie Borton
Rebecca Woods 
NAMI 
Butler County  

Executive Director
Rhonda Benson, MSW
(513) 860-8386

 

Associate Director
Alyssa Louagie
(513) 850-8387

Program Director
Denyce Peyton
(513) 860-8396 
   
5963 Boymel Drive
Fairfield OH 45014
 
Fax: 
(513) 860-9241
 
NAMI National  
President
Jim Payne, J.D. 
 
Executive Director
Mary Giliberti, J.D.

3803 N. Fairfax Dr.
Ste. 100
Arlington, VA 22203
 (703) 524-7600
NAMI Ohio

Executive Director
Terry Russell

1225 Dublin RD
STE 125 
Columbus, OH 43215 
(614) 224-2700
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  Check our website & facebook page for updates on:  Meetings, speakers, mental health news, latest blog entries, &  volunteer news 

Attention all Kroger Shoppers!  We Need You! 

 

In case you haven't heard, you can now earn dollars for NAMI simply by signing up online using your existing Kroger Plus Card! Click here for more info!  If you have difficulty signing up, just give Alyssa Louagie a call at (513) 860-8387 and she will walk you through it or even register you over the phone if possible. 

What is a NAMI Ambassador?

-Promotes NAMI & its services to the community
-Represents NAMI at special events 
-Recruits volunteers 
 
Join Us! Meetings for 2015 are the third Thursday of January, May, July, September and November at 5:30 PM at the NAMI Office located at 5963 Boymel Drive in Fairfield. 
  
  
Letter from the Executive Director   
I have come to think of October as the beginning of the New Year for NAMI Butler County because the second Saturday in October is when we have the NAMIWalks Butler County. The NAMIWalks is the celebration of all we have accomplished in the past year and all that we hope to accomplish in the new one. It is our major fundraiser and so helps determine what programs and services we will be able to fund in the coming year. It is also a powerful reminder that our community is embracing mental health and fighting stigma, as the number of NAMIWalks participants and volunteers continues to grow.

Reflecting back on the last year, I am so proud of what we have achieved together:
  1. Expanded our Family to Family program - more instructors, 2 new locations in West Chester and Oxford, and an additional Family Support Group in Oxford.
  2. Offered NAMI Connection peer to peer support group at Beckett Springs Hospital each Monday and expanded our volunteer base.
  3. Developed a program for 8th grade health classes that presents an overview of mental health disorders, the importance of early treatment, and the harm caused by stigma and bullying. Personal stories told by our volunteers make this program extremely impactful.
  4. Started our Faith Outreach initiative, our In Our Own Voice program, and have seen an increasing number of requests for us to speak at all three Miami campuses, local community groups and faith communities.
  5. Increased the number and type of awards we gave out at our annual awards dinner to reflect a wider range of service providers who deserved recognition!
Our new year's resolutions for the next year are to continue all the programs above as well as...
  1. Offer NAMI Basics this October 2015 and create a support group specifically for parents and caregivers of youth in 2016.
  2. Expand our NAMI Connection program by adding new groups in Oxford and Middletown.
  3. Continue to collaborate with the newly formed BCMHARS Board and service providers in the community to reach common goals.
Great things are happening at NAMI Butler County, so please come join us for our New Year's Celebration October 10th at the Fitton Center and help us show that mental health matters!
Rhonda   


Saturday, October 10th, 2015 
Registration Opens: 8:30 AM 
Walk Starts: 10:00 AM

Fitton Center for Creative Arts
101 S. Monument Ave
Hamilton, OH 45011

A NAMI Transition
By Denyce Peyton, Program Director
 
Since February 2013, I have served NAMI Butler County as Volunteer Coordinator and Program Director. I have enjoyed working on staff here, and believe our team has made some significant strides in program development, outreach efforts and NAMIWalk proceeds. As you all know, the mission of NAMI requires commitment, perseverance, patience and teamwork. No one person can possibly accomplish all the objectives we set for our affiliate; it requires cooperation and teamwork of responsible individuals on staff and our terrific volunteers.
 
In the next couple months, I will officially leave my position as Program Director with NAMI to refocus on other interests. Janalee Lennartz will assume the position of Program Director and I know you will support her efforts. I will continue to volunteer as Family to Family and support group facilitator (and other activities) as I have in the past. NAMI remains an important part of my life and that of my family. I have grown as an individual through my NAMI experience and look forward to further growth and fun as a volunteer. This isn't farewell because anyone who hangs around NAMI Butler County will continue to see me.
 
I extend my heartfelt gratitude to all volunteers who have offered support and cooperation to me. Please continue your support of NAMI because you are the lifeblood of the organization. I appreciate the opportunity to work with Rhonda and Alyssa and am grateful for the time we have spent as a "super stigma reduction" team!
Denyce Peyton
 ----------------------------------------------

Our heart-felt gratitude goes out to Denyce for the almost three years she has given NAMI Butler County. She has performed her job here with compassion, dedication and a lot of laughter. She treats everyone with dignity and respect and we have all come to love her. She promises to be around, and we intend to hold her to that promise. We wish Denyce the very best in her growing venture with genealogy research.
 
Denyce will be at the NAMIWalk October 10th and we will be celebrating her time as a NAMI staff person (I'm not calling it a going away party) at our Walk Celebration November 19th so please plan to join us.
Rhonda and Alyssa
Welcome Our New Staff   
 
Program Director
We are excited to have Janalee Lennartz  join the NAMI Butler County staff as Program Director. Janalee graduated from Heidelberg University with a BS in Psychology and Sociology and the University of Kentucky with a Masters of Social Work. She worked for 15 years in the field of mental health and developmental disabilities before leaving to focus on raising her 2 daughters.  She has been an active volunteer at their school and a Unit Leader, Assistant Coordinator and Troop C  oordinator for an American Heritage Girls local troop. Please give Janalee a warm welcome when you see her. 

Special Projects and Community Outreach
 Megan Schultz is a native of Hamilton, OH. She graduated cum laude from the University of Central Florida with a BS in Psychology and returned home to start work for Butler County Department of Job and Family Services. After 5 years with JFS, Megan went to work for Liberty Mutual Insurance/Safeco Insurance where she worked closely with customers to understand and resolve their claims. After a short time staying home to care for her son, Megan is excited to join the staff here at NAMI Butler County to assist with special projects and community outreach. Please welcome Megan to the team.

Kroger Community Rewards Update 

   

Thank you so much to our wonderful Community Rewards partners! Because of you, we received a check in the amount of $262.95 thanks to 23 supporting households for the months of May, June and July.



If you shop at Kroger, even occasionally, please take the time to register your KrogerPlus card at www.krogercommunityrewards.com. The community rewards program is FREE, and it does not affect your fuel rewards at all. You still earn fuel rewards as always,  but Kroger will donate money to the non-profit of your choosing as well! It only takes a few minutes to register - you need an email address and your KrogerPlus card number.  If you are not participating in the program, we urge you to please consider supporting NAMI Butler County!    
Volunteer Recognition 
 
We often express our appreciation to respective volunteers for sharing their time, efforts and skills to help NAMI fulfill its mission. In this issue, we want to share with all our readers, what a wonderful job Diane DeVore and Ben Heroux are doing as NAMI Connection facilitators.
 
NAMI Connection is a peer-facilitated group for adults living with mental illness which provides an opportunity to share challenges, strategies, and successes with others who understand. Peers, trained in the support group model and process facilitate the Connection groups.
 
For several months, Diane and Ben have diligently led the NAMI Connection groups sponsored by NAMI Butler County, held at Beckett Springs Hospital in West Chester. They alternate weeks; however, this activity requires commitment and diligence from them to maintain this schedule and perform as effective facilitators. Their perseverance allows NAMI Butler County to continue sponsoring the Connection group on a weekly basis. We express our appreciation to them for a Job Well Done!
 
Additionally, we thank Jenny Souders who assists as a mentee in the program, and our team of Family Support group facilitators; Susan Dodgson, Jo Koch and Gwen Reynolds who lend support to Diane and Ben. Three or four volunteers have expressed interest in attending the next regional NAMI Connection facilitator training in early December to increase our team of trained Connection facilitators.
 
So, the next time you see these wonderful volunteers, please say "Thanks"!
 
Upcoming Education Meeting Speakers:
Join us for our free Education Meetings the third Thursday of the month at 7:00 PM.  Meetings are held at the Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board office located at 5963 Boymel Drive in Fairfield.  All are welcome! 
 
October 15th: (Rescheduled from September)
Dr. Megan Marlow O'Connor, PhD, ABPP-CN, Riverhills Neuroscience
The Cognitive Effects of Mental Illness 
Dr. O'Connor will speak about the cognitive features of mental illnesses including Bipolar, Schizophrenia and Major Depression, and their response to treatment. Dr. O'Connor is a clinical neuropsychologist who specializes in the assessment of cognitive dysfunction due to a variety of causes such as mental illness, dementia, learning disabilities and more. She received her Bachelor of Science from The Ohio State University and her PhD in Psychology from the Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science in Chicago,  IL. 
 
November 19th:
NAMIWalks Celebration & Annual Member Meeting
Join us as we celebrate the 2015 NAMIWalks Butler County! We invite everyone who participated in the walk to join us for light refreshments and an evening of gratitude for our volunteers, Team Captains, donors, participants, sponsors and more. Prior to the event will be our annual member meeting.

December 17th:  
NO EDUCATION MEETING - HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
Annual Business Meeting for NAMI Butler County 
 
NAMI Butler County will be holding its first Annual Business Meeting on November 19, 2015 at 6:15 at our offices located at 5963 Boymel Drive, Fairfield OH.
 
The primary purpose of this meeting will be to vote on our by-laws. The by-laws will be sent out to all members in good standing (anyone who has paid their membership dues within the last 12 months) 30 days prior to this meeting for their review. At this meeting there will be a discussion period, where our current Board of Directors and Executive Director will answer any questions and address any concerns and then a vote will be taken. If the by-laws do not pass by a 2/3 vote of all the members present at the meeting, the by-laws will need to be revised and a special meeting called at a later date. Please plan to join us for this important meeting and stay to celebrate the 2015 NAMIWalks Butler County at 7:00 pm.

**Please note that if you do not receive a copy of the by-laws by October 20th, your membership has lapsed and needs to be renewed in order for you to vote at this meeting.

The Rusty Ball 2015
Mark your calendars! The Rusty Ball will be held on October 24, 2015 at 8:00pm at the Duke Energy Convention Center.

$75 tickets include 4 tickets for beer/wine/soft drinks/water. 
$85 tickets include 4 tickets for liquor/beer/wine/soft drinks/water. 
Purchase tickets here and select NAMI Butler County as your beneficiary organization!

FREE Money for NAMI Butler County! 

Are you taking advantage of all of the ways you can support NAMI Butler County at NO ADDITONAL COST TO YOU??  Each of the programs below will donate a portion of purchases to us! EVERY LITTLE BIT HELPS!  


AMAZON SMILE: www.smile.amazon.com  (search for National Alliance on Mental Illness of Butler County when signing up). Register and start all of your Amazon shopping through the Smile link, and Amazon will donate 0.5% of all eligible purchases to NAMI Butler County!

KROGER COMMUNITY REWARDS: www.krogercommunityrewards.com (search for NAMI Butler County when registering). Register your KrogerPlus card with the Community Rewards Program, and NAMI Butler County will receive up to 4% of your total purchases. Currently, we receive about $750 a year through this program. We'd love to increase this to $1,000!!  You must re-register each year for this program!

iGIVE: www.igive.com (search for NAMI Butler County when registering). This is an online shopping link to hundreds of stores who donate anywhere from 0.8% to 15% to NAMI Butler County.  You must start shopping at the iGive site for NAMI Butler County to receive credit for your online shopping. This can be used in conjuction with AmazonSmile! There is a browser add-on that can be downloaded to remind you about iGive when you shop at participating sites!
Book Reviews
by NAMI Volunteer, Shannon Combs

 Where Are the Cocoa Puffs?
By Karen Winters Schwartz
 
This book details the life of a young woman named Amanda and her family. Amanda is diagnosed with bipolar disorder in high school and it creates a lot of turmoil for those who love her. Read how her mother struggles with the mood swings and to keep her in school and how her psychiatrist father struggles to let others treat her. This book is a must read for anyone who has a family member afflicted with bipolar disorder. 
My Rating:  

Membership Update 

 

 We currently have 104 members as of September 30, 2015 and 1,218 people who receive our email communications. Remember, however, that your NAMI membership is a one-year membership, and therefore needs to be renewed each year. Please don't forget to renew your membership before it expires!  

Member Button 
Sign Up or Renew Online click "add to cart" and pay with PayPal! 

Annual Membership Dues:

Individual ...........................................................................$35.00

Open Door (Hardship cases).............................................$3.00

Calendar of Events
Oct - Dec  2015    
Oct 1      Family-to-Family Support Group - 6:30 PM  
Oct 5      NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)
Oct 10    2015 NAMIWalks Butler County - 10:00 AM (Fitton Center) 
Oct 12    NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)
Oct 13    NAMIBasics Class begins - 6:30 PM
Oct 15    Education Meeting -  7:00 PM - Cognitive Effects of Mental Illness

Oct 19    NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)

Oct 26    NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)   

Nov 2     NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)  

Nov 5     Family-to-Family Support Group - 6:30 PM

Nov 9     NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)
Nov 16   NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)

Nov 19   Annual Business Meeting - 6:15 PM  

               2015 NAMIWalks Butler County Celebration - 7:00 PM 

Nov 23   NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)   

Nov 30   NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)

Dec 3     Family-to-Family Support Group - 6:30 PM                

Dec 7     NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)
Dec 14   NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)

Dec 17   NO EDUCATION MEETING - HAPPY HOLIDAYS

Dec  21  NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)

Dec 28   NAMI Connection Support Group - 6:00 PM (Beckett Springs)   

   

Address for Beckett Springs - 8614 Shepard Farm Dr, West Chester, OH 45069

Address for Fitton Center for Creative Arts - 101 S. Monument Ave., Hamilton, OH 45011 

 

All events are held at the NAMI Offices - 5963 Boymel Dr, Fairfield (located inside the Butler County Mental Health and Addiction Recovery Services Board) unless otherwise indicated.