Summer 2016 NAMI-NYS Annual Educational Conference STOMP OUT STIGMA New Horizons in Recovery: Breakthroughs in Research and Treatment November 11-13, 2016 Desmond Hotel and Conference Center in Albany RECO Y OU N VER G HEALTH AD Y U LT ENGAGEMENT FOCUSE EFFE CTIVE P Come help us D ART CENTERED N ERSH WORKPLACE MENTAL Stomp Out Stigma PERSON IPS MS TRAUMA I OGRA NF URE PR at the ORMED NAT NEWNEW HORIZONS SIG ININ RECOVERY:RECOVERY: INAUGURAL NAMIWalks ADVOCACY EARLY INTERVENTION BreakthroughsBreakthroughs at Jennings Landing in Albany inin ResearchResearch andand TreatmentTreatment HOPE PORT “Down By the River” SUP Saturday, September 24th This year’s conference will not only detail new breakthroughs in research and treatment of various psychiatric disorders but will also explore the four crucial elements impacting people living with a mental illness and their families: ■ The importance of forming of recovery teams comprised of people living with a mental illness, their families and service providers ■ improving mental health in the workplace and getting people living with a mental illness back into the workforce NAMIWalks NYS is honored to welcome super bowl ■ the need to recognize and address trauma champion Keith O’Neil as grand marshal of our first ■ how to make our voices heard on the key inaugural walk. Mr. O’Neil is also the founder of “4th advocacy issues of our time and Forever Foundation” who are proud sponsors of In commemoration of Veterans Day on November NAMIWalks NYS. The foundation is dedicated to raising 11th, we will also be honoring our veterans with a awareness of mental illness as well as funding special tribute at the conference. research on ways to alleviate mental illness. See more details about the conference inside on page 13. See inside for more details A Publication of the National Alliance on Mental Illness | New York State CONTENTS Newsletter Appeal 3 Executive Director’s Message PLEASE SUPPORT OUR ANNUAL APPEAL! Help us to sustain the momentum and continue the progress 4 President’s Message that our members, volunteers and supporters began over thirty years ago 5 New Board Members and continue to make every day. In the Spotlight 6-7 Legislative Conference WHAT ARE YOU SUPPORTING? 8-9 Ribbon Campaign NAMI-NYS provides funding and resources for scheduled for September 24th in Albany. 10-12 NAMIWalks NAMI programs throughout the state. Last year, Our hope is that in walking to raise awareness over 1000 individuals took the Family to Family about mental illness in the state capital, 13 Education Conference Course, 160 took the Peer to Peer Course, we will generate even more awareness and 14-19 Affiliate and Training more than 7500 people attended In Our complement the successful NAMIWalks already Own Voice presentations, over 1500 young established in other regions of New York. 20 National Convention people attended The weekly e-news 21 NIMH/Reaffiliation Ending the Silence ■ Family to Family Course ■ Peer to Peer Course produced each presentations, 22 Media/Helpline ■ In Our Own Voice Presentations ■ Ending the Friday by NAMI-NYS over 200 people reaches more 23 Fundraising Silence Presentations ■ Parents and Teachers as attended Parents than 8500 email and Teachers as Allies Presentations ■ NAMI Basics Course ■ addresses and Allies presentations, NAMI Family Support Groups and Connections the NAMI-NYS and almost 400 Groups ■ Educational Conference ■ NAMI-NYS Facebook and individuals took Twitter followers Information and Referral Helpline ■ Ribbon the NAMI Basics exceeds 4100. Course. NAMI-NYS Awareness Campaign ■ Legislative Advocacy Day The semiannual is also responsible ■ New York State NAMIWalks ■ Weekly E-News ■ print newsletter is for the training of Semiannual Print Newsletter ■ Mental Health delivered to over all teachers and 4000 recipients. Now ■ NAMI on Campus Clubs ■ presenters, as well NAMI-NYS also Support NAMI-NYS as the support started an through the State group leaders for the 50 NAMI Family Support educational television show, Mental Health Groups and Connections groups spread Employees Federated Now, that highlights different aspects of throughout New York. mental illness, including programs and Appeal (SEFA) Campaign The appeal also supports the annual information affecting those with mental The SEFA campaign allows Educational Conference, providing information illness and their families. NYS employees to designate on topics relating to all aspects of mental NAMI-NYS has also been focused on illness. It also supports the NAMI-NYS a portion of their paycheck educating young people. We have increased Information and Referral Helpline and to be automatically donated training for programs like Ending the Silence the informational resources distributed and have been working to promote NAMI to a charity of choice. to the public throughout the state. Last year, on Campus clubs. New York also recently NAMI-NYS disseminated 53,630 pieces of established the first high school NAMI club literature, including pamphlets, brochures and we have received encouragement NAMI-NYS’s and booklets to NAMI affiliates, community from school officials and mental health organizations and individuals, as well as SEFA Number is: professionals to bring NAMI clubs to high at its own tabling events. 999-00281 schools throughout the state. Our increased The appeal helps to fund NAMI-NYS’s presence on social media is another valuable advocacy efforts, including the Ribbon tool in our efforts to reach young people. If you are a NYS employee Awareness Campaign, which raises We have also established a small endowment awareness about mental illness and the please designate NAMI-NYS so that we can rely less on grant funding, stigma associated with it and allows the as your SEFA charity. which can be unpredictable and highly opportunity to build partnerships within the competitive. An endowment ensures a If you have friends or family community and collaborate with schools, steady flow of funds that can help ensure who are NYS employees businesses, municipalities, hospitals and other NAMI-NYS’s continued existence for many please ask them to designate NAMI-NYS non-profit organizations. Appeal funds enable years to come, funding programs and as their SEFA charity. us to hold our successful Legislative Advocacy advocacy efforts into the future. ■ Day every year. 2016 will also be the first year for a New York State NAMIWalks, which is 2 Summer 2016 ■ NAMI | NYS News Executive Director’s Message By Wendy Burch Over the past few months, NAMI has been NAMI ribbons all through May. We hope to a lot of energy active throughout the state with exciting repeat the success next May and will leave and are eager to initiatives that raise awareness and offer the information on how to run the campaign volunteer, so I education and support for those living with on our website for all to reference. hope our affiliates mental illness and their families. We had an Reaching out to young people has also been will give them the outstanding legislative day in February, where a goal of NAMI-NYS, and I am so pleased opportunity to help so many NAMI members and supporters came that our NAMI affiliates have been expanding accomplish our out to advocate for more funding and better their outreach through NAMI’s Ending the mission of helping legislation for those affected by mental illness. Silence and Parents and Teachers as Allies. others. It is vital that services are available to those New York currently has 8 active NAMI on In reaching out to who need it-it is also so important that the Campus clubs, with another 29 formed the public, especially public understands the needs of those living and pending official recognition from young people, social media with a mental illness and recognize that NAMI’s national headquarters. We have is a fantastic tool. NAMI-NYS currently has people with mental illness should not be also established our first NAMI high school over 1100 Facebook and Twitter followers, stigmatized, but treated with the respect club here in New York. Katherine Wallace, and it is growing every day. Both are a great accorded to everyone. daughter of NAMI-NYS volunteer Bill Wallace, way to distribute information and get I was thrilled to see how the NAMI affiliates formed a club at Emma Willard School in Troy, conversations started. throughout the state embraced the Ribbon New York. The NAMI at Emma club has already Finally, the NAMIWalks in Rochester, Awareness Campaign originally launched contributed much to the local community Westchester, Long Island and New York City by NAMI Westchester. As many of you know, and received an award at the What’s Great were huge successes-kudos to those affiliates NAMI Westchester and NAMI Mid-Hudson in Our State Children’s Conference. We have who organized and participated in the walks presented at the Educational Conference in received requests from other local school in those areas. NAMI-NYS is excited to be November on the campaign and their success districts to duplicate the club’s success holding our own NAMIWalk in the fall. I hope in building collaborations with the community, and are working with them to establish you will all join us on September 24th here as well as raising awareness with the general clubs in their schools. I urge our affiliates in Albany for our walk. Together we can public. The response was overwhelming, and to reach out to colleges and high schools stamp out stigma! ■ the state of New York was blanketed with in their areas. These young people have The NAMI-NYS Staff Wendy Burch Sharon Clairmont Matthew Shapiro Executive Finance and Public Engagement Director Business Office Manager Coordinator [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Tammie Paradis Shaniqua Jackson Christine Rickeman Affiliate Development State Program Helpline Coordinator Coordinator Coordinator [email protected] [email protected] [email protected] Heide Garner • NAMIWalks Manager • [email protected] Alicia Burns Heide Garner was hired in January as the Walks Manager for the Inaugural NAMI- Office NYS NAMIWalk to be held in September 2016.