Volume : Fall 2013

NAMI Louisville is dedicated to educating family members, professionals, and the general pub-lic to dispel myths and misperceptions about mental illness. Our programs and services are aimed toward eradicating the stigma of mental illness, enhancing the hope of recovery, and improving the quality of life for those whose lives are affected by serious mental illness..

For family members affected by someone’s illness

Date: 2nd Saturday Place: First Lutheran Church 417 East Broadway (Door C) Time: 10:00 a.m. Date: 3rd Thursday Place: Christ Lutheran Church 9212 Taylorsville Rd Time: 7:00 p.m. Date: 4th Sunday Place: Christ Lutheran Church

9212 Taylorsville Rd Time: 2:30 p.m.

You are not alone!

CONTACT US!

NAMI Louisville 914 E. Broadway Suite 150 Louisville, KY 40204 Tel: 502-588-2008 namilou@namilouisville.org Twitter: @NAMILouisville Facebook: facebook.com/nami.louisville

Louisville Our Mission:

Grow With Us! Step Forward for Mental Health Walk Team Challenge

Step Forward for Mental Health!

Family Support Groups

Help us

Help Others

Volunteer Today!

Step Forward and Share Your Story

Volunteers Speak Out New Family-to-Family Offerings

INSIDE THIS VOLUME

Upcoming NAMI and Community Events & More

Step Forward for Mental Health Walk 2013 Sponsors Alliant-HAS Purchasing Solutions

Bee Line Courier Service, The Brook Hospitals, Coventry-MHNet, Kentucky Protection & Advocacy, Stites & Harbison, PLLC

Paula C. & W. Frank Harshaw

Norton Healthcare Our Lady of Peace Kentucky One

Health Passport Health Plan

Central State Hospital

Bill & Katie Pasko

John Conti Gourmet Coffee

United Graphics WellCare Health Plans

Konica Minolta Business Solutions

Humana CareSource Seven Counties Services, Inc.

Transformations

Mark Your Calendar Page 2

NAMI Louisville Board of Directors, 2013 George Hersch, President Clarence Rode, First V.P. Donna Scott, Second V.P. Todd Schiavone, Treasurer Eric Cecil, Secretary Liz Curtis Kathy Dobbins Jean Marlatt Henry Ramona Johnson Marsha Wilson NAMI Louisville Office Michael Gray, Office Administrator 914 E. Broadway, Suite 150 Louisville, KY 40204 502 588-2008 www.namilouisville.org

We

Aim

For

Better

Coping

skills

NAMI’s 5th Principle of

Support

Upcoming NAMI Events

Step Forward for Mental Health Walk October 6—Waterfront Park Harbor Lawn 2:00pm

additional information—www.namilouisville.org/walk

Family-to-Family Courses Beginning September 10 and the first week of January

NAMI Basics COURSES Beginning later this year. Call 502-588-2008 for more information.

NAMI Annual Meeting and Holiday Party Sunday, December 8th Christ Lutheran Church

Upcoming Community Events

Bridgehaven Annual Family Picnic September 17th, 5:00-7:00pm—Bridgehaven Courtyard

Bridgehaven members, staff, volunteers, supporters, and their families are invited for free food, games, and giveaways.

Bridge Builder Breakfast

December 4th, 8:00-9:00am—Mellwood Arts Center For more information call Donna at 502-585-9469.

If you are a member of the Louisville mental health community and would

like your events listed in our newsletter, please contact us at 502-588-2008.

Like us on Facebook!

NAMI Louisville is dedicated to keeping our members and the community updated on our activities, events, educational

offerings and support groups through social media.

Facebook.com/nami.louisville @NAMILouisville

On behalf of the Board of Directors, I want to share the very exciting steps we have taken this year to grow NAMI Lou-isville. Why do we want to grow? NAMI Louisville has a proven ability to impact families affected by mental illness. We wit-ness it through our Family-to-Family courses, our support groups, and Social Club. Independent researchers agree that our programs are “evidence based,” meaning simply that they make a difference in the lives of participants. Despite all the great work we have done in our community, we estimate NAMI Louisville is reaching less than 1% of those affected by mental illness in the Louisville metro area. Based on the known occurrences of mental illnesses, there are over 300,000 people in our area in need of our services. NAMI Louisville consequently has an opportunity to dramat-ically improve the lives, not only of those directly impacted with mental illness, but the entire community.

Why would we not take up this challenge? Our Board believes we should! So given this simple challenge of growing NAMI Louisville, the Board of Directors are underway to build the vision, the plans, and resources necessary to establish a more impactful NAMI affiliate in metro Louisville. Here are a few of the major steps we have taken so far in 2013:

Recruited & Trained 17 new Family-to-Family Instructors (F2F) Increased the frequency of F2F classes and set a regular annual calendar for F2F classes Trained instructors in NAMI Basics, a 6-week class for parents, caregivers, and foster parents with children &

adolescents afflicted with mental illness Conducted our Inaugural Family-to-Family Class Reunion Hired a full-time Office Administrator Hired the Pepper Group and their partner C2 Strategic Communications to help us “get the word out” and

build the brand of NAMI Louisville Obtained the resources of Sullivan University College of Technology and Design to build a new website that

will act as a vital resource to our members Over the next several months we will be conducting our annual walk (integral to building our financial resources), and beginning the process of building a five year plan to propel NAMI Louisville to 2018. We are excited about these steps. We hope you are as well. Please join our effort and “Step Forward for Mental Health.”

Sincerely, George Hersch President, NAMI Louisville

Step Forward for Mental Health Page 3

Will you Step Forward for Mental Health? You can join the Board of Directors in their effort to grow NAMI Louisville.

Here are some simple ways:

Attend the 2013 Walk on October 6 – Have fun, bring your family and friends, build a Team Become a NAMI member. For NAMI Louisville to be a powerful voice and advocate for change, we must have a

large and involved membership. Step Forward – Be a member now – Go to namilouisville.org If you want to do more – Call Michael Gray @ 588-2008 and volunteer your talents. We’ll find a way to make it

work in your schedule and lifestyle.

Join us on October 6 at Waterfront Park Page 4

TEAM CHALLENGE

Join the NAMI Louisville TEAM CHALLENGE by forming a personal walking team and earn

bragging rights for your business, your family, your friends!

There are two challenges:

WILL YOUR TEAM RAISE THE MOST FUNDS FOR THE WALK?

OR

WILL YOUR TEAM HAVE THE MOST WALKERS AT THE WALK?

OR BOTH?

Throw down the gauntlet. Accept the challenge. Start Now - Form your Team.

Create your personal fundraising page. Instruct your walkers to pre-register online by September 30 at

www.namilouisville.org. Encourage your team to invite others to sponsor them and make a contribution.

(Only teams registered on our website are eligible for the Team Challenge.)

Check In begins at 2:00 PM Day of the Walk

Team Photos between 2-3:00 PM

NAMI Louisville wants to hear from you. We’re asking you to step forward and share your story. We want to hear from the people who have suffered from mental illness and the fam-ilies and friends who have been affected by their struggles. By sharing how you have stepped forward to deal with mental illness, we be-lieve you’ll inspire others to follow suit. One in four Americans will face mental illness this year and it’s important they know they are not alone. We want people to know that mental illness may be a part of who a person is, but it does not define that life. Treatment and a strong support system are the foundation of the recovery process. We want to hear from the consumers who know their hard work and dedication are rewarded with hope for a better life. We also want to hear from families and friends who have seen their quality of life improve by stepping for-ward to deal with mental illness. Living with mental illness is not easy. It can be a daily battle, but there is strength in numbers. Step forward, share your story and inspire others. You can submit your story, 300 words or less, online at http://www.namilouisville.org/

yourstory or send your story to NAMI Louisville, 914 E. Broadway, Suite 150, Louisville, KY 40204.

Step Forward and Share Your Story Page 5

NAMI Louisville Volunteers Step Forward Page 6

Being a volunteer can be self-fulfilling, educational, and can help organizations about which I care deeply. I

choose to spend a good deal of my time helping NAMI Louisville.

My personal reasons for volunteering for NAMI Louisville are simple; it allows me to:

1. Help provide support for my fellow “consumers” through education.

2. Share my testimony, and success stories in dealing with my diagnosis.

3. Explain how to use coping skills to get through each day.

My key components of continued recovery are setting goals, being compliant with my medications, and

staying active (e.g., walking, prayer, surrounding myself with positive peers, playing basketball, and

volunteering) in organizations like NAMI Louisville and Seven Counties.

As a “consumer”, recovery means keeping a daily plan or routine that I follow each day, which keeps me

active and moving “forward” with my recovery. For me, “recovery” means being active (volunteering) with

organizations like NAMI Louisville.

I have been a volunteer for over 7 years with multiple mental health agencies in Kentucky and Ohio. I was a

computer and wellness volunteer for The Recovery Center located in Cincinnati and a NAMI Mentor

instructor for NAMI Hamilton County. My participation in grass roots fundraising helped me interact with

various groups of people. In addition, I have participated in Seven Counties Services mental health education

seminars partnered with NAMI Louisville.

I have been a NAMI member since 2008. I have completed Peer-to-Peer, Peer-to-Peer Mentor Training,

volunteered at NAMI walks, volunteered by supporting the many booths set up at Kentucky conferences, and

helped my local NAMI Louisville affiliate with tech support and administrative duties.

The NAMI family has been good to me and I eagerly seek to assist NAMI organization and its affiliates

whenever possible.

Dante Murry, MA, KPS

When Should You Call Kentucky Protection and Advocacy (P&A)?

When you feel like you are being treated unfairly because of your disability Have trouble accessing goods/services needed to help with your disability Have trouble with Special Education in public schools Feel that you are being treated unfairly in a psychiatric hospital Need information on your protected rights Have been denied an accommodation Have issues regarding Medical Waivers Have questions about guardianship of adults with disabilities Have questions about a situation and you don’t know where to turn

P&A can NOT assist with obtaining SSI, SSDI, or VA benefits.

100 Fair Oaks Lane, 3rd Floor Frankfort, KY 40601

502-564-2967 www.kypa.net

Go Green RECEIVE NEWSLETTER BY E-MAIL

To receive the newsletter by e-mail, contact us at

namilou@namilouisville.org

Family-to-Family and NAMI Basics Page 7

Social Club Calendar 2013

September 15th October 6th The October event will be the Walk at Water-front Park November 17th

Upcoming Family-to-Family Courses NAMI Louisville is offering a Family-to-Family course beginning September 10 and another course beginning the first week of January. The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free twelve week course for family caregivers of individ-uals with severe mental illnesses. The courses are taught by trained family members and are free to class par-ticipants. The courses include information about mental illnesses, up-to-date information about medications, current research related to the biology of brain disorders and evidence based, effective treatments to promote recov-ery, special workshops for problem solving techniques, guidance on locating appropriate supports and ser-vices within the community, and more. The course starting on September 10 will meet every Tuesday at 6pm at 914 E. Broadway. Please contact NAMI Louisville if you would like to sign up or have any questions. You can reach us at 502-588-2008, at namilou@namilouisville.org, or by stopping by our offices between 10am-3pm Monday-Friday.

NAMI Basics Teachers Trained

NAMI Louisville is pleased to announce that four NAMI Basics instructors from the Louisville area received training in August and we are preparing to offer NAMI Basics courses in the months ahead. NAMI Basics is the new signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illness. The course consists of six classes and participants will focus on achieving several major goals. We will keep you informed on upcoming class dates and locations.

NAMI Connections Meetings (facilitated by individuals who are in recovery)

Center One—Seven Counties @ Champion Trace

Date: Tuesdays

Place: 4710 Champion’s Trace

Time: 3:00—4:30 pm

Christ Lutheran Church

Date: 3rd Thursday

Place: 9214 Taylorsville Rd

Time: 7:00pm

Christ Lutheran Church

Date: 4th Sunday

Place: 9214 Taylorsville Rd

Time: 2:30pm

Contact:

Janet Massey, 502-807-9096

Pat Sims, 502-386-1785

Sandra Fleeks, 502-712-4196

NAMI Louisville,502-588-2008

Individuals living with a mental illness Recovery Support Groups

Depression-Bipolar Support

Alliance (DBSA) Meetings

Providing support for those individuals with a

mental illness and their family members

Date: Tuesdays & Thursdays

Place: St. Paul’s United Methodist Church,

2000 Douglass Blvd. Room 110,

Time: 7:30-8:30pm (coffee afterwards)

GLBT DBSA

Date: Monday

Place: 2263 Frankfort Ave

Time: 7:30-8:30 pm (coffee afterwards)

Indiana Group Clark Memorial Hospital

Date: Monday

Place: 1220 Missouri Ave Hallway 1 N Rm 1941

Jeffersonville, IN

Time: 7:30-8:30pm

For more information contact: Mike 502-635-6142 or

Maureen 502-303-0999 or go to DBSALouisville.org

914 E. Broadway

Suite 150

Louisville, KY 40204