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February 2016
Issue II Vol. V
5205 Greenwood Ave. Ste 110 West Palm Beach, FL 33407
561-588-3477 www.namipbc.org
MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT By Manuel Kushner
The Voice
Every Saturday I get together with my son, who happens to suffer from mental illness, so that we can enjoy each other’s company for the day. We’ve gone golfing, fishing, gambling, shopping, walking, swimming and exercising. This Saturday, however, we cleaned his apartment. As my son was repeatedly apologizing for not being more fastidious with his housekeeping, an old CSI episode involving a mentally ill and dangerously violent killer was blaring on the television. I was struck by the contrast between the reality of my docile son, who felt so badly about “making me” spend the day helping him clean his apartment, and the fantasy television portrayal of mentally ill people as dangerous killers.
Of course, the goal of television and the movies is to entertain, and so what’s presented is often more dra-matic, more dangerous, and more sensationalized than what we experience in real life. Even allowing for such exaggeration, however, the media undoubtedly perpetu-ates the misunderstanding that people with mental ill-ness are criminal or violent. Perhaps the portrayal of the mentally ill as being violent makes the average person feel safer by isolating the risk of violence to a well-defined group, who are often powerless to point out the fallacy of such portrayal. When an estimated 46 percent of American adults experience some type of diagnosable mental illness or substance-abuse disorder during their lifetime, however, there really is no “us versus them” scenario.
The fact that most mentally ill people are not violent stands in stark contrast to the impression most Ameri-cans get from the popular media. The reason for this disconnect is simple: Studies show that most news re-ports about people with mental illness focus on danger-ousness and violence. People who abuse alcohol or drugs are nearly seven times as likely as those without sub-stance abuse problems to be violent, and yet we rarely see drunken disorderly people portrayed in the media as perpetrators of violence. A disorderly businessman who consumed too much alcohol and who takes a swing at someone is not a newsworthy event, but a mentally ill person who acts violently, it is often front page news.
Popular media affects not just how we view people with psychiatric illness, but how we think about the disorders themselves. Recovery is seldom shown in the media, and so people have little sense from the stories they see and read that mentally ill people get better with treatment. The irony of the media presenting re-peated stories of stereotyped mentally ill people who commit violent acts, is that stories of people with men-tal illness who recover, and who go on to lead produc-tive lives, would be far more surprising and enlighten-ing to the public.
Maybe the media would be interested in hearing how after several years of struggling with the onset of schizophrenia in his mid-twenties, my son finally got the right medication that allowed him to rebuild his life? Perhaps the public would like to know that at the depths of my son’s protracted illness, he wrote the names of his parents and his brothers on a piece of pa-per because he knew he was becoming increasingly ill, and he worried he would forget us? Little did we know at the time that one day my son would recover to the point that we could appreciate the joy of spending the day together cleaning an apartment. Ours is just one story. We still have a lot of work to do to enlighten the public on our many dramatic stories of courage, perse-verance and recovery.
We answered 181 phone calls
5 attended the Cognitive Enhancement Therapy
11 attended NAMI Presentations
44 participated in NAMI Peer Council and
N.O.W. activities
30 attended NAMI/PBC Family Support Groups
125 attended NAMI Connection Groups
30 attended the NAMI/PBC Y oung Adults Group
4 attended the NAMI/PBC Adolescent Support
Groups
In December NAMI/PBC served 430
individuals
WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING
NAMI at Project Homeless Connect - January 22nd 2016 By Peter Davey
On January 22, through Homeless Project Connect, the Homeless Coalition of Palm Beach County was successful in bringing the homeless population and providers together for to distribute clothing, meals, haircuts, HIV testing, health screenings and other services. The Homeless Coalition has been the voice for the homeless, advocating for their rights and a place they can call home for over 25 years.
During the event, NAMI staff mingled with many familiar organizations known to us through Peer Specialist train-ing, Motivational Interviewing instruction, religious affiliation, or as friends. There were multiple rooms being
utilized, and NAMI had a table set up with all of our resources. We interacted with roughly 60 people who came to our outreach table. Our table contained general information on mental health and the services we provide. One volunteer came to us and asked the question "Where do the homeless go to sleep?" Someone standing at our table stated, "First they go to the shelters, then if they are full they go to the parks but not near the openings, that's when they arrest you. Then there is fear (anxiety) when approached in the street. That is when mental illness comes into play. We need you guys. We need mental health."
Stigma was apparent at the Coalition as multiple people said, "I don't have that", when hearing that NAMI stood for National Alliance on Mental illness. Kim (NAMI Peer Specialist) explained that she read in in a book she was studying that we all are on the spectrum of mental illness at some point in our lives. I agreed and thought it was ironic that no one wanted to even hear about NAMI after the MI bomb was dropped.
We made sure to tell those present about family support offered by NAMI. We also spoke about the excitement of our new youth group and had a few people asking about the Children’s Behavioral Health Collaborative of which NAMI is a partner.
At the end of the day, we left a long sign-in list, the longest NAMI has had in a long time. There were many organi-zations involved. Haircutting, breakfast and lunch were offered free of charge to attendees.
On January 30, NAMI kicked off its new youth Social/Recreational Activity Groups based on feedback provided to our Peer Specialists.
For the first few months there will be group exercises and events where the teens can get to know one another and give their feedback for future groups or activities. Eventually, the teens will have the option to begin support groups. The groups will be broken in ages: 13-14 and 15-17.
Social/Recreational Groups and Support Groups will be co-facilitated by Peer Specialists and a Licensed Psychologist, Dr. Susan Brown. Any teens interested in participating should have their parents contact the NAMI office and speak with Peter or Kim.
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WHAT’S COMING UP
MEET OUR NEW BOARD MEMBER - LADI MARCH
Page 3
NAMI PEER COUNCIL MEETING
The next NAMI Peer Council Meeting will be
held on Friday, February 26, 2016, 5:30 pm at the Lake Worth NAMI Office, 1520 10th Avenue, N., Suite D
Lake Worth, FL 33460
Followed by BINGO, Pizza and Prizes!
THE “GIRLS” STRAWBERRY U-PICK
Join is for a tour, pizza, beverage,
and fun for all - $5 per/person.
14466 S. Military Trail Delray Beach, FL 33484
Call Chris or Michael at 561-588-
3477 to RSVP.
Ladi March is an entrepreneur at heart. She has had the wonderful opportunity to explore the world of small business ownership. Though off to a rough start, persever-ance and vision helped to push this small business owner in the right direction. Ms. March is a Florida-licensed General Contractor. Specializing in Contract Management, she has secured her place as majority owner of BrinMar Construction and Develop-ment Group (BCDG,Ltd). Ladi has been featured in the Business Journal for spear heading efforts advocating for small business ownership among minorities, the hard-to-employ, and veterans entering into the civilian workforce.
Ladi is equally passionate about pursuing opportunities to advocate and secure resources for the men-tal health community. This passion was fueled by the diagnosis of her own son and her determination to help him create and live the very best life possible in victory over mental illness. She founded a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, Mind Over Matter, to raise awareness and provide support to both individuals living with mental illness and the families affected in the underserved communities. She is a trained NAMI Family-to-Family instructor and also assists NAMI with local presentations to university students who are pursuing careers in mental health by sharing her personal story and the resources she has found through NAMI. Ladi is a strong advocate as well, working closely with Rep. Bobby Powell’s office and speaking before the Palm Beach County Commissioner’s hearings.
No stranger to hard work, Ladi has been successful in balancing the workload that goes hand-in-hand with growing two very different businesses. Eager to spread encouragement and offer advice to the vast amount of women business owners, Ladi makes every effort to share both her experience and the knowledge she has gained over the last decade with anyone interested in moving into entrepreneurial capacities.
IN THE NEWS
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VOLUNTEER POSITIONS AVAILABLE:
Part-Time IT MANAGER - NAMI is looking for an indi-vidual with extensive IT experience to fill its volunteer IT Manager position. This is the perfect service for someone who has extra time and wants to be a part of a great team! Qualified candidates, please send your resume to [email protected].
OUTREACH SPECIALISTS - Anyone interested in help-ing individuals who are receiving services at PBC sub-stance abuse programs and their families learn about NAMI, please contact the office at 561-588-3477.
PAID POSITION AVAILABLE:
DEVELOPMENT COORDINATOR - NAMI is looking for an individual who has experience/interest in running major events, engaging and tracking donors, identify-ing and soliciting major gifts, researching and writing grants, and representing NAMI in the community. For more information, please contact our office at 561-588-3477.
CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM
By Dorothy Kelleher
If you have a loved one in crisis
and need the services of a CIT officer,
you should call 911 and give the nec-
essary information to the dispatcher,
making sure the dispatcher under-
stands that you do need a CIT officer
sent to the scene. NAMI and CIT
work closely together in providing
this service.
NAMI FEBRUARY GENERAL MEETING
TRAUMA INFORMED CARE
WHAT IS IT AND WHY IS IT IMPORTANT?
Presented by Katherine Murphy
Katherine Murphy serves as Director of Programming at NAMI of Palm Beach County. She is a
community educator with experience working with diverse populations. She provides in-service
trainings on Trauma Informed Care and Cultural Competency to area professionals. .
Monday, February 25, 2016
NAMI Palm Beach County
5205 Greenwood Avenue, Upstairs Training Room
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
6:00-8:00 pm - Free and Open to the Public
Please RSVP by calling 561-588-3477
Peer and Family Support Groups Call 561-588-3477 for more information
NAMI/PBC Connection Recovery Support Groups
Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D Lake Worth, FL 33460 Saturdays 6:00-7:30pm
Delray Beach (Toole Building So. County Mental Health Center) 16158 S Military Trail, Delray Beach, FL 33484 Mondays 1:45-2:45pm & Wednesdays 10:15-11:30am
Hypoluxo (Amigos Group — Jeff Industries) 111 E Coast Avenue, Hypoluxo, FL 33462 Mondays 2:30-4:00pm
Jupiter (Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network) 140 Intracoastal Pointe Dr., Suite 208, Jupiter, FL 33477 Mondays 5:30-7:00pm
NAMI/PBC Young Adults Group 18-35 Year Olds
Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D, Lake Worth, FL 33460 First 3 Fridays of the month 6:00-7:30pm
NAMI/PBC Adolescent Support Groups
NAMI/PBC Family Support Groups
West Boca (West Boca Raton Library) 18685 State Road 7, Boca Raton, FL 33498 1st Tuesday 6:30-8:00pm
Boynton Beach/ Delray Beach (Hagen Ranch Library) 14350 Hagen Ranch Road, Delray Beach, FL 33446 2nd Tuesday 6:15-7:45pm
Jupiter (Southeast Behavioral Health) 140 Intracoastal Pointe Dr, Ste 208, Jupiter, FL 33477 3rd Thursday 6:30-8:00pm
Other Local Support Groups for Peers
Other Local Family Support Groups
Family Grace Group First Presbyterian Church Youth Building 717 Prosperity Farms Road, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 1st Monday 6:30pm Jeni Ayers 561-309-5675 [email protected] for more information
Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness Friends and Family Support Group Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness Office 1649 Forum Place #2, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Wednesdays 7:00-8:30pm 866-662-1235
GROUP MEETINGS
South County Mental Health Center Depression Bipolar Support Alliance 16158 S Military Trail, Delray Beach, FL 33484 1-877-858-7474 for directions ALL DISORDERS (Building E. — Toole Building) Wednesdays 7:00-9:00pm
Peer Place Support Center 2100 45th Street, Suite B12, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 561-712-0584 for directions and information DRA (Living in the Now) (12 Step Co-occurring) Sat. 10am Here & Now (12 Step) Saturday 11:00am-12:00pm Peer Support Mon-Fri 9:00am-4:00pm; Sat 9am-1pm
Fair Oaks Pavilion (Behind Delray Community Hospital) 5440 Linton Blvd, Ste 1010, Delray Beach, FL 33484 Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) 561-716-7511
Jupiter Fire Station No. 19 322 N. Central Boulevard, Jupiter, FL 33458 561-575-9787 for information Depression/Bipolar Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm
Holy Trinity Church 211 Trinity Place, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Nancy Drevich 561-499-6716 for information Depression/Bipolar Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm
West Boca Medical Education Center 21644 State Road 7, Boca Raton, FL 33428 For directions and info: Jason Spielman 954-217-1757 OCD 1st Thursday 7:30-9:00pm
Living Grace Group 1st Presbyterian Church Youth Bldg. 717 Prosperity Farms Rd, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 1st Tuesday 6:30pm, Contact Ken 561-379-5675,
Trauma Support Group Center for Trauma Counseling, Inc. 801 Lake Worth Road, Suite 101, Lake Worth, FL 33467 Contact Helya 561-444-3914
Support for Eating Disorders Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness 1649 Forum Place #2, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm *18+ males and females 866-662-1235
Jupiter 50 South US Highway 1, Suite 309, Jupiter, FL 33477 Grades 7-8: Mondays 5:30-6:30pm Grades 9-12: Mondays 6:30-7:30pm
Page 5
NAMI/PBC N.O.W. (NAMI on Wednesdays)
Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D, Lake Worth, FL 33460 Wednesdays 11:00am-4:00pm
Non-Profit Organization
US Postage Paid
West Palm Beach, FL
Permit No. 1327
National Alliance on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County
Mollie Wilmot Center—Palm Healthcare Pavilion
5205 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 110
West Palm Beach, FL 33407
Or Current Resident
NAMI Membership exists at 3 levels: Affiliate, State & National. NAMI is a 501(c)(3) non-
profit, charitable organization—contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.
Together, we can continue to fight for all those affected by mental illness. PLEASE NOTE: In
order for NAMI/PBC to receive your full donation, please send your donation to the NAMI/
PBC office. Thank you!
Contributions benefit NAMI|PBC, a not for profit tax exempt organization. A COPY OF
THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF NAMI|PBC
(CH 6498), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SER-
VICES AT WWW.800HELPFLA.COM OR BY CALLING TOLL FREE 1-800-435-
7352 WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY EN-
DORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. NAMI|PBC
receives 100% of each contribution.
Members are NAMI/PBC’s lifeblood; your member-ship helps us continue to
provide free outreach, support & education. In bringing mental health
issues to wider attention, we advocate for better
treatment. As our mem-bership base grows, our voice becomes stronger.
Respect, Compassion & Hope … NAMI Works!
I’d like to support NAMI PBC with a donation of: __ $25 __ $50 __ $100
other: $____
5205 Greenwood Ave., Suite 110, West Palm Beach, FL 33407
T: 561.588.3477 F: 561.588-3499
Email: [email protected] Website: namipbc.org
I’d like to volunteer for NAMI/PBC’s 2016 Walk. I wish to receive NAMI National’s solicitations.
Check here for renewal: Date:_______
Name:______________________________
Address:____________________________
City/St:_____________________________
Zip:_________....Phone:_______________
Email:______________________________
MEMBERSHIP: Regular $35 Open Door $3
SPONSORSHIP: Family $55 Professional $65 Corporate $250
