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Quote of the Week:
"The time is always right to do what's right."-Martin Luther King, Jr.
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Quick Links
Click here to watch the latest episode detailing the importance Crisis Intervention Teams.
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We hope our readers enjoyed their Martin Luther King Day holiday weekend and had time to reflect on Dr. King's legacy and how it pertains to the social justice issues around mental health services. This edition of the NAMI-NYS E-News features two of these social justice issues for individuals and families impacted by mental illness: housing and insurance parity as well as opportunities to make your voice heard. Also featured are the videos from the 2017 NAMI-NYS Honors Leaders of Mental Health Awareness. In accepting his award, honoree Ron Powers gave a stirring speech detailing why mental health issues are social justice issues.
Today Governor Cuomo will be delivering his budget address. NAMI-NYS will be providing an analysis of the budget proposal later this week.
As always, we want to know about the work you are doing.
Please email
[email protected] with details and pictures about your work. This way we can feature it in the E-News and print Newsletter. Showcasing your work will allow others to learn from you, and that's the best way we can grow together as an organization.
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Watch the NAMI-NYS Honors Leaders in
Mental Health Awareness Presentation
One of the highlights of the 2017 NAMI-NYS Education Conference was the inaugural NAMI-NYS Honors leaders in Mental Health Awareness ceremony. NAMI-NYS recognized the work of Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and author Ron Powers, Super Bowl champion Keith O'Neill and acclaimed musician Matt Butler. For those who were unable to attend or those wanting to relive to inspiring evening videos of the presentations and acceptance speeches and Matt Butler's musical performance are now available.
NAMI Buffalo to Collaborate with
Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra This Week
To all music lovers and supporters of those who struggle with mental illness and their families. NAMI Buffalo is thrilled to announce a very special first-of-its-kind collaboration with the Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra (BPO). The BPO is offering a 35% discount for the January 17, 2018 concert
Rachmaninoff and His Psychiatrist, with Richard Kogan, renowned pianist and psychiatrist, and Stefan Sanders, conductor.
The BPO is offering discount tickets ranging from under $20 to just over $30 each (full price at $29-49), depending on the seating section. To receive a 35% ticket discount, use code NAMI35 when you place your ticket order. You can call
716-885-5000 or go to
www.bpo.org to order.
Rachmaninoff dedicated his beloved Piano Concerto No. 2 to the psychiatrist and vionlist who cured his writer's block and deep depression. Pianist and psychiatrist Dr. Richard Kogan recounts this fascinating saga and pairs it with a dramatic performance of the challenging composition under the baton of Stefan Sanders.
Dr. Kogan is a Clinical Professor of Psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College and the Artistic Director of the Weill Cornell Music and Medicine Program. He has been praised for his "exquisite playing" by The New York Times and The Boston Globe wrote that "Kogan has somehow managed to excel at the world's two most demanding professions."NAMI Buffalo & Erie County recently included an article on Dr. Kogan's work in their Summer 2017 Challenger newsletter, which you can
click here to read.
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People With Serious Mental Illness
Remain Priced Out Of Housing
As many of our readers know, housing for people with mental illness is NAMI-NYS's leading advocacy issue. Having a safe and stable place to call home is a critical component of recovery for people with mental illness. NAMI recently detailed a newly released report by the Technical Assistance Collaborative Inc. in partnership with the Consortium for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) Housing Task Force, "Priced Out: The Housing Crisis for People with Disabilities." The article explains how America's current housing crisis has a large impact on people with disabilities, including people with serious mental illness.
Make Your Voice Heard on Housing Issues in New York State
As we stated above, housing with wraparound support services is the primary advocacy issue for NAMI-NYS. We need your help to tell our legislators about the importance housing and all the issues of our Action Agenda.
Click here and register to join us at our Legislative Advocacy Day on March 7th.
Click here to watch the episode of Mental Health Now focusing on housing.
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Syracuse Hospital to Build Long-Awaited
Psych Unit for Teens
The state has approved a plan by Upstate University Hospital to open an 8-bed inpatient psychiatric unit for teenagers, a project Upstate has been considering for 13 years.
The $3.2 million unit on the seventh floor of Upstate's main hospital downtown will open in 2019. It will provide treatment for 12- to 17-year-olds for five to seven days.
Increasing the number of inpatient psychiatric beds for youngsters was one of the recommendations contained in a youth mental health task force report issued last year. The task force was created by Rep. John Katko, R-Camillus (the 2017 recepient of the NAMI-NYS Legislative Champion Award) and Assemblyman William Magnarelli, D-Syracuse. NAMI Syracuse participated in the task force.
Click here to read more about the youth mental health task force.
Project Access Report
In December, we told you about the Project Access report conducted by the North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center in Long Island which looks to expose insurance companies not adhering to mental health parity in coverage and other obstacles to accessing mental health care..
"This report verifies what we have long known: Insurance companies and the government are not living up to their responsibility to provide people with q
uality, affordable and timely mental health and addictions care. Even though they are legally bound to have adequate networks of care they fall far short of that mandate" says Andrew Malekoff, executive director and CEO, North Shore Child and Family Guidance Center.
Click here to learn how to make your voice heard on this issue and tell Governor Cuomo that the state must do more to investigate parity and access issues.
New York Times Provides a Look Inside a
Suicide Prevention Center in Puerto Rico
The New York Times documentary series offers a harrowing look at a suicide prevention center in Puerto Rico. The recent hurricane and the ongoing disarray left in its aftermath in Puerto Rico has caused immense damage both physically and mentally to the island's residents. This ten minute documentary shows the efforts of the counselors of the suicide to address the needs of traumatized residents.
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Trump Administration Ends Registry for Substance Abuse and Mental Health Programs
The federal government has ended a national registry designed to provide information to the public about evidence-based mental health and substance use interventions and programs.
The National Registry of Evidence-based Programs and Practices (NREPP), which is funded and administered by the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), has existed since 1997 to help people, agencies and organizations identify and implement evidence-based behavioral health programs (such as the NAMI Family-to-Family program) and practices in their communities, according to the website.
But the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), the department under HHS that manages the program, wrote on its website that the contract for the database had been discontinued.
Elinore F. McCance-Katz, MD, PhD, Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use (SAMHSA) issued a statement regarding the National Registry of Evidence Programs and Practices and SAMHSA's new approach to implementation of evidence-based practices (EBPs).
Singer Rick Springfield Discusses His Depression and
How He Has Contemplated Suicide
Actor and singer Rick Springfield is the latest celebrity to discuss personal mental health issues. Springfield says he's been battling depression his whole life and that he has considered suicide as recently as last year. In talking about the song "Suicide Manifesto" from his upcoming album Springfield said, "
Suicide Manifesto' is stuff I think about. I've been close to it. When Robin Williams and Chester (Bennington and Chris Cornell) and those guys ... I didn't go, 'Oh that's terrible.' I went, 'I get it.' I get being that lost and dark." He added, "You're in so much pain that you just want it to end. I have been there and I know what it's like and I understand. It's just part of your makeup."
This morning, ABC's Good Morning America featured an interview with Springfield where he tells people considering suicide to "know this moment will pass." Click here to watch.
Family Members of the Mentally-Ill Homeless Worry More During the Winter Months
The Washington Post recently spoke with Kerry McBride who talked about how her son Michael, a 23-year-old with paranoid schizophrenia, was experiencing his first winter of homelessness.She details how quickly the illness had seized him, and how, in just three years, he had gone from a sweet and loving college student to delusional, homeless and alone.
The article explains how McBride and many other families have become
"hidden casualties - consumed by worry and frustration, unable to get relatives to come inside from the cold, dreading that the phone will ring and someone will tell them that their sons or daughters or spouses have died on the street, and they hadn't been able to stop it." The story goes on to tell other stories that are all too familiar to many NAMI-NYS families.
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NIMH Update
Share Your Input on Research Priorities for the All of Us Research Program
Clinical Trial Recruitment
The primary purpose of this research study is to evaluate the safety and effectiveness of the oral drug AV-101 (an antagonist of the glycine receptor) versus placebo. The study aims to determine if this experimental drug has antidepressant effects and fewer side effects than other novel treatments for depression.
We are enrolling moderately depressed individuals between the ages of 18 and 65 with hard-to-treat major depressive disorder. This inpatient study lasts up to 14 weeks and procedures include a medication taper, taking the research drug, taking placebo and 4 brain imaging scans. Optional procedures include a lumbar puncture and catheter placement in the spine two times. After completing the study, participants receive short-term follow-up care at the NIH while transitioning back to a provider.
The study is conducted at theNIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland and enrolls eligible participants from across the USA. Travel arrangements are provided and costs are covered by NIMH (arrangements vary by distance). There is no cost to participate and compensation is provided.
or call 1-877-646-3644 (1-877-MIND-NIH [TTY: 1-866-411-1010].
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January 23-Webinar on Conflict Resolution Resources for Peers
Do you know how to communicate effectively in conflicts and where to find resources for when conflicts escalate? This program introduces conflict resolution processes, skills you can use to manage conflicts, and resources you can access when you need help. We will specifically highlight conflicts related to mental health and roles peers can play in resolution. All participants will receive access to online resources they can use immediately following the presentation. Dan Berstein, MHS will be the presenter. Dan is the Vice Chair of the Diversity Committee of the American Bar Association's Section of Dispute Resolution. He developed the Dispute Resolution in Mental Health Initiative at the CUNY Dispute Resolution Center.
The webinar will be held on Tuesday, January 23 at 2pm. Click here to register.
January 24-
NAMI Westchester will be holding a Town Hall on Advocacy issues. Matthew Shapiro, NAMI-NYS Associate Director, Public Affairs will be presenting on NAMI-NYS's 2018 Advocacy Action Agenda and Michael Orth, Commissioner, Westchester County Department of Community Mental Health will be participating and answering questions about local mental health issues.
The event will be taking place from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m., at St. Vincent's Hospital, Conference Center 275 North Street, Harrison, NY 10528. It is free to attend but registration is required. Click here to register.
January 25
-Webinar on ABLE Accounts, 2018 promises to be another exciting year for ABLE. In addition to the expected launch of several more ABLE programs across the country, there will also be other significant changes to ABLE that have either already taken place as of January 1, 2018, or that will be implemented over the course of this year. The purpose of this webinar is to summarize and explain these changes. Specifically, the webinar will touch on:
- 2018 Increased Annual Contribution Limit
- Ability to Rollover Funds from a 529 College Savings Account into an ABLE Account
- Additional Allowable Contributions by the Beneficiary as a Result of Employment
- Access to the Retirement Savings Contributions Credit (Saver's Credit)
Moderator Chris Rodriguez, Director, ABLE National Resource Center, will also be joined by a group of expert panelists, comprised of national disability-related policy experts, as well as leaders in the ABLE industry.
This webinar will take place Thursday, January 25th from 2:00-3:30 p.m. ET.
February 9th
-MHA of Fulton and Montgomery Counties will be hosting Fun Fever-A Night of Stand Up Comedy, to benefit their new support group for families who have lost a loved one to opiates. The event will take place at the Country Club of Amsterdam, 130 Guy Park Ave. Amsterdam.
JANUARY 25-
Capital District Family Services presents:
An Overview of E.C.T.
by Marcos Nieves, MD. CDPC Chief of Psychiatry. Thursday January 25th 5:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m. CDPC Family resource Center. For more information or to register contact Frank Grecco Director of Family Services (518) 549-6816.
MARCH 13-CAIC Advocacy Day 2018
On any given day, as many as 4,000 people are locked in isolated confinement in New York's prisons and jails. This practice is ineffective, unsafe, and inhumane. It causes people detained in terrible conditions to deteriorate psychologically, physically, and also harms their families and communities. On March 13th 2018, people will come together from across the state in Albany to demand an end to this torture! Meet with legislators, learn, and rally to get the Humane Alternatives for Long-Term (HALT) Solitary Confinement Act [A. 3080/ S. 4784] passed.
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JANUARY 9-NAMI Rockland Basics Spanish Class (Bases Y Fundamentos). Tuesdays, January 9, 2018 - February 13, 2018
6:00 pm to 8:30 pm at The Stony Point Conference Center
17 Cricketown Road, Stony Point, NY 10980.
Co-Teachers: Marilyn Matos & Barbara Martinez
To register call NAMI Rockland at (845) 359-8787 or 8784 (Melinda) or email:
[email protected].
JANUARY 27-NAMI Rockland NAMIHomefront:
Saturdays, January 27th - March 3, 2018, 9:30 AM - 12 Noon. Rockland Community College (RCC) 145 College Road, Suffern, NY 10901. Co-Teachers: Chris Vanasse & Melinda Gonzalez
FEBRUARY 20-NAMI-NYC Metro NAMI Homefront, Tuesdays, February 20 - March 27, 2018, from 6pm - 8:30pm, Manhattan VA Medical Center, 423 East 23rd Street, 3 West Conference Room J, New York, NY 10010. To register, please contact NAMI-NYC Metro Helpline (212) 684-3264.
FEBRUARY 26-NAMI-NYC Metro Peer-to-Peer Spanish Class (De Persona a Persona), Mondays, February 26 - April 30, 2018, from 5pm - 7pm, NAMI-NYC Metro, 505 8th Avenue, Room 1103, New York, NY 10018. To register, please contact NAMI-NYC Metro Helpline (212) 684-3264.
MARCH 1-
Nami Queens Nassau Family-to- Family. Thursdays March 1-May 17 2018, 7:00 pm -9:30 pm at the Walk in Love for Jesus Church, 906 Newbridge Rd, North Bellmore NY 11710. To register: Please contact NAMI Queens Nassau at (516) 326-0797 or ( 718) 437-7284 or [email protected], or www.Namiqn.org, or www.facebook.com/namiqn. Co-leader Carol Ann Viccora ( 516) 221-6168 Elizabeth Janow.
MARCH 6-
NAMI Queens Nassau Family-to-Family. Tuesdays March 6- May 23 2018, 4:00 p.m.-6:30 p.m. atThe LaGuardia Community College, ECLC 31-10, Room MB09, Thomson Ave. LIC, NY 11101.To register: Please contact NAMI Queens Nassau at (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284 or [email protected]. or www.namiqn.org or ww.facebook.com/namiqn Co-Leaders: Sonya Evariste (718) 482-5217John Johnson.
MARCH 8-NAMI Rockland Family-to-Family. Thursdays, March 8, 2018 - May 24, 2018, 6:30 PM - 9:00 PM. Location: NAMI Rockland Rockland Psychiatric Center, 140 Old Orangeburg Road, Bldg. #57, 1st Floor Meeting Room, Orangeburg, NY 10962.Co-Teachers: Chris Vanasse & Marlene Becker. To register call NAMI Rockland at (845) 359-8787 or email: [email protected]
MARCH 17-
Nami Queens Nassau Family-to -Family. Saturdays March 17 -June 2, 2018,1:00 -3:30 pm at The Greater Springfield Community Church, 177-06 129th Ave. Jamaica, NY 11434 To register please contact NAMI Queens Nassau at (516) 326-0797 or ( 718) 437-7284 or [email protected], or www.Namiqn.org, or www.facebook.com/namiqn, Co-leader Susan Gambler (718) 297-0024 Sharon Ecke.
March 19-
Nami Queens Nassau Family-to-Nassau. Mondays March 19-June 18, 2018, 6:30 pm -9:00 pm at Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock 48 Shelter Rock Road,Manhasset, NY 11030. To register: Please contact NAMI Queens Nassau at (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284 or [email protected]. or www.namiqn.org or www.facebook.com/namiqn. Co-Leaders:Ellen Ritz RN (516) 330-9778 or [email protected]
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