January 20, 2017

 
In This Issue
2-NAMI News
3-New York State News
4-National News
5-NIMH News
6-Save the Dates
7- Signature Programs
 
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This edition of the NAMI E-News includes our analysis of Governor Cuomo's Executive Budget proposal. As you'll see, the budget is a bit of a mixed bag and your voice will be needed at the 2017 NAMI-NYS Legislative Advocacy Day.
You will also notice that several of this week's articles detail the need for reforms in the criminal justice system, which is one of our advocacy priorities. 

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. 

Hope Starts With You!
NAMI-NYS News
NAMI-NYS Analysis of Governor Cuomo's Budget Proposal Demonstrates the Need for NAMI-NYS to Project Our Advocacy Voice
This week Governor Andrew Cuomo unveiled his budget proposal for fiscal year 2017-18. Click here to read NAMI-NYS's analysis of the budget and how it addresses the needs detailed in our 2017 Action Agenda.

As is usually the case, the Executive Budget Proposal is a bit of mixed bag. Positives include continued investments in Kendra's Law as well as investments in initiatives to improve the criminal justice-mental illness interface. NAMI-NYS is concerned about inadequate investment in housing, what looks like a reduction of another 100 beds from the state hospital system, a lack of commitment to the mental health workforce and no investments in veterans' mental health. 

In reading the analysis, it will be clear that we will need the legislature to address many of the shortcomings in this budget. We need you to lend your voice to this cause by participating in our  2017 Legislative Advocacy Day which will be taking place on Tuesday, February 14th. You can click here to visit the event's webpage to learn about our 2017 Legislative Agenda and register for the event. We encourage all of you to participate in the day and help us project our advocacy voice.

NAMI-NYS Participates in Historic First CIT Training Offered by the Albany Police Academy


On Tuesday, January 17th, NAMI-NYS Associate Director for Public Affairs Matthew Shapiro took part in the first CIT type training offered to cadets at the Albany Police Academy. NAMI-NYS applauds the Albany County and the Albany Police Department for their commitment to providing their officers with the tools to best handle interactions with people living with a mental illness and their families. NAMI-NYS believes all police need this training and providing it as part of academy training is a very progressive initiative. We thank Lt. Flack of the Albany Police Department for including us in the training to offer the perspective of people living with a mental illness and their families and what they experience during a crisis. 

The Troy Record Details NAMI Rensselaer's Expansion  in the Capital Region

NAMI Rensselaer continues to expand its offering of Signature Programs throughout the Capital Region. The Troy Record detailed how the affiliate is broadening their reach. As Sandra DiNoto, the affiliate's vice-president, stated: "We have been getting a lot of families from Albany County attending our programs in Rensselaer County, so we are reaching out to be closer to their needs."

Click here to read the article which lists the upcoming offerings throughout the region. 

NAMI Mid-Hudson
Welcomes Their Newest Ending The Silence Presenter



NAMI Mid-Hudson continues to be a leader in infusing schools in Dutchess and Ulster Counties with mental health awareness. Their newest Ending the Silence presenter,  Faridah Nsubuga, recently had numerous presentations at Wallkill High School.
NAMI News
NAMI CEO Mary Giliberti Appears on 
Through the Noise Radio

Click here to listen to NAMI CEO Mary Giliberti's appearance on  Through the Noise Radio. 

New York State News
New OMH Find a Program Portal

The State Office of Mental Health (OMH) recently migrated the "Find a Program" portal on their public website to a new IT platform. The new Find a Program tool should provide a user experience similar to that of the former, with layout differences primarily on the advanced search page. The data source and refresh schedule for this resource will remain the same.

Click here to view the new portal.  For individuals or organizations that have the old portal link in existing materials (such as websites, bookmarks, or documents), OMH recommends that you update your materials with the new link as soon as practicable. During this transitional period, the old link will automatically redirect users to the main page of the new portal.

It's time for New York to do right by Kalief Browder's Family and Pass Reasonable Criminal Justice Reforms


Daily News Staff Writer Shaun King wrote an opinion piece on criminal justice reforms he believes are needed in New York City, including one of NAMI-NYS's advocacy platforms of raising the age for which individuals may be charged as an adult.  As King points out, New York is one of only two states in the nation that charges those as young as 16 years old as adults. In the piece, King describes 16 year old Kalief Browder's experience at Riker's Island while he awaited disposition of his case, which was eventually dismissed, and the toll it took on him.  Kalief eventually took his own life not long after he was released.

Click here to read more. 

NYC Paid Millions for Flawed Mental Health Reports
 Parents and Children Lived with the Consequences
 
For more than a decade, Montego Medical Consulting, a for-profit company, has been under contract with New York City's child welfare agency. The city has paid Montego hundreds of thousands of dollars a year to produce thousands of evaluations in Family Court cases - of mothers and fathers, spouses and children. Those evaluations were then shared with judges making decisions of enormous sensitivity and consequence: whether a child could stay at home or would be safer in foster care; whether a parent should be enrolled in a counseling program or put on medication; whether parents should lose custody of their children altogether.

In 2012, a confidential review done at the behest of frustrated lawyers and delivered to the administrative judge of Family Court in New York City concluded that the work of the psychologists lined up by Montego was inadequate in nearly every way. The analysis matched roughly 25 Montego evaluations against 20 criteria from the American Psychological Association and other professional guidelines. None of the Montego reports met all 20 criteria. Some met as few as five. The psychologists used by Montego often didn't actually observe parents interacting with children. They used what was deemed outdated or inappropriate tools for psychological assessment.

Click here to read more. 

National News
SAMHSA's Practicing Recovery Focuses on
Recovery Oriented Services in the 
Criminal Justice System

The latest issue of SAMHSA's Practicing Recovery looks at how diversion programs assist people with mental health and/or substance use conditions access services and reduce sentencing to jails or prisons.

These collaborative approaches between the criminal justice system, behavioral health providers, and individuals with behavioral health conditions and their families are effective at helping people access services instead of incarceration for minor offenses. Many of these programs take an approach that incorporates recovery-oriented treatment and monitoring, with other recovery support services and hope for a positive future.

Click here to read more. 

NIMH News
  
Two NIMH Grantees Receive Prestigious 
Presidential Award
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) congratulates two NIMH grantees who received the 2017 Presidential Early Career Award for Scientists and Engineers (PECASE). Mary Kay Lobo from the University of Maryland School of Medicine and Eric Morrow from Brown University are among the 102 scientists and researchers named as PECASE recipients. 

Click here to read more.

 Research Study Recruitment: Brain Imaging of Childhood Onset Psychiatric Disorders, Endocrine Disorders and 
Healthy Volunteers

NIH Behavior and Brain Imaging Research Study currently enrolling children and young adults (5-25 years old) with X & Y chromosome variations. Participation includes an initial 2-day outpatient visit and a visit every 2 years to the NIH Clinical Center in Bethesda, Maryland. Compensation, transportation within US, lodging, and meal allowance provided. For more information, contact Jonathan Blumenthal, MA at [email protected] or (301) 435-4516.



Save the Dates

CLICK HERE to learn more.


January 25th -  NAMI Westchester will be holding their 2017 Advocacy Event featuring NAMI-NYS Associate Director for Public Affairs Matthew Shapiro and other speakers. The event will be taking place from 7-9pm at St. Vincent's Hospital 
275 North Street, Harrison, NY 10528

Click here for more information.

February 14-NAMI-NYS Advocacy Day. Meeting Room 4 Empire State Concourse. More info coming next week.

February 16-  Capital District Psychiatric Center Family Services presents "Overview of Mobile Crisis Services" featuring Katie Flanagan, LCSW. The discussion will take place at the CDPC Family Resource Center located at  75 New Scotland Ave, Albany, NY 12208
beginning at 5pm and will be followed by a family support group.

Click here to register and for more information.

February 16- NAMI Westchester will hold a screening of "People Say I'm Crazy" at the Picture House, 175 Wolfs Lane, Pelham, NY 10803

Doors open 6 p.m. -- Screening begins at 6:15 p.m.
Panel Discussion to follow screening with leading professionals
in the field of schizophrenia and individuals living in recovery.
Tickets $15 per person
Tickets must be purchase in advance by February 12, 2017

Click here for more information.

March 7- Information meeting for 2017 NAMIWallks NYS. More information coming soon.

APRIL 5- NAMI of Central Suffolk's  Educational/Informational Speaker Series offers: SAVE A LIFE WITH NARCAN TRAINING ! The free training, is given by Suffolk Co DOH and will enable participants to recognize an opioid overdose, administer intranasal Narcan and take additional steps until EMS arrives. Participants will receive a certificate of completion and an emergency resuscitation kit that includes nasal Narcan . Hope you can join us at Mather Hospital Port Jefferson Conference Rooms One and Two at 7:30 pm.

April 21-2017 "A Brighter Day" event at Glenpeter Jewelers. Click here for more information.
Signature Programs
JANUARY 11- 
NAMI Rochester Family-to-Family. Wednesdays, January 11th - March 29th, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm.NAMI Rochester Office, 320 N. Goodman Street, Suite 103, Rochester, NY 14607. Contact Beth Winslow-D'Amico at (585) 423-1593 or [email protected]

   JANUARY 21-  NAMI Mid-Hudson offers a three-week NAMI Basics course through February 4th. The course will be held from 9am-3pm at the North East Community Center located at 51 South Center Street Millerton  NY 12546. 

To register, please contact: Jo Ann Brown, Program Director (845) 832-6368 or email: [email protected]  

Click here for more information. 
 
JANUARY 23 -  NAMI Long Island  Family to Family.  Mondays starting Jan 23 until April 24 (no class Jan 20 and Feb 6).  Syosset Hospital 221 Jericho Turnpike, Syosset, NY 11791. Contact information: Vincent Esselborn  (516) 742-7839 Home, (516) 941-8946 Cell.

JANUARY 24- NAMI Rensselaer will be starting a Family Support Group the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of each month 6:00 pm-7:30 pm at the Church of Latter Day Saints, 420 New Scotland Ave, Albany NY 12208. Contact information:Jeff Kellert (518)-527-5669/[email protected] or Christine Rickeman (518)462-2000 / [email protected]

JANUARY 30- NAMI Rensselaer Family to Family. Mondays Starting January 30 until April 24, 6:00 pm- 8:30 pm. NAMI-NYS Office 99 Pine St. Suite 105, Albany, NY 12207. Contact information: Mary Beth Nelligan at [email protected] or Christine Rickeman at (518) 462-2000 / [email protected]

MARCH 2 - NAMI Queens Nassau Family-to-Family. Thursdays March 2nd - May 18th 7:00 pm- 9:30 pm. Walk in Love for Jesus Church, 906 Newbridge Road, North Bellmore,L.I. NY 11710. Contact [email protected] / (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284 or Carol Ann Viccora (516) 221-6168 / Elizabeth Janow (516) 742-8413.  

MARCH 8 -NAMI Rochester in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs will be offering a NAMI Homefront course through April 12th. The course will be offered on Wednesday's from 6-8:30pm at Vet Center located at Crossbridge Office Park, 2000 S. Winton Rd, Bldg 5, Suite 201 Rochester, NY 14618.

Click here to register. 

MARCH 13 -NAMI Buffalo Family to Family.Monday's from 6:00-8:30 pm at St. Pauls Church, 4007 Main St, Eggertsville, NY . Contact Jackie Thompson at
 (716) 208-5016

APRIL 4 - NAMI Queens Nassau Family-to-Family. Tuesdays April 4th - June 27th, 6:30 pm-9:00 pm. Unitarian Universalist Congregational at Shelter Rock, 48 Shelter Rock Road, Manhasset, NY 11030. Contact: [email protected] / (516) 326-0797 or Ellen Ritz RN  [email protected] / (516)330-9778
Rev. Val Gittens [email protected] / (516) 749-4432 

APRIL 6 - NAMI Rochester Family-to-Family.  Thursdays, April 6th - June 22nd, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm.  
NAMI Rochester Office, 320 N. Goodman Street, Suite 103, Rochester, NY 14607.  Contact Beth Winslow-D'Amico at (585) 423-1593 or [email protected].

SEPTEMBER 6 - NAMI Rochester Family-to-Family. Wednesdays, September 6th -November 29th, 6:30 pm - 9:00 pm.  
NAMI Rochester Office, 320 N. Goodman Street, Suite 103, Rochester, NY 14607.  Contact Beth Winslow-D'Amico at (585) 423-1593 or [email protected].
 
2017 NAMI-NYS TRAINING SCHEDULE
Please contact your local affiliate program leaders for more information and how to enroll.

NAMI Ending the Silence
March 4th, 2017
Trainer: Jodie Terhune
Location: NAMI Rochester Office
 
NAMI Family-to-Family Teacher Training
March 10th-12th, 2017
Trainers: Ann Canastra & Cheri Caiella
Location: Comfort Suite Cicero-Syracuse
 
NAMI Basics Teacher Training
April 1st-2nd, 2017
Trainers Almarie Tulloch & Karen Alvarez
Location: NAMI Rockland Office
 
NAMI Peer-to-Peer Mentor Training
April 21st-23rd, 2017
Trainers: Cynthia Scott & Donna Israel
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
 
NAMI Family-to-Family Teacher Training
May 19th-21st, 2017
Trainers: Patti Sacher & Bonnie Goldberg
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
 
NAMI Homefront Teacher Training
May 20th-21st, 2017
Trainers: Pam Solomon & Jerry Burton
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
 
NAMI Support Group Facilitator Training
March 25th-26th, 2017
Trainers: Pat Sine & Jack Goldstein
Location: NAMI Rochester Office
 
NAMI Support Group Facilitator Training
June 3rd-4th, 2017
Trainers: Deniece Chi & Nancy Parker
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
 
NAMI In Our Own Voice Presenter Training
June 3rd-4th, 2017
Trainers: Bill Perun & Chris Wasilenko
Location: NAMI Rochester Office
 
NAMI In Our Own Voice Presenter Training
June 24th-25th, 2017
Trainers: Cynthia Scott & Lady Charmaine Day
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
 
NAMI Family-to-Family Teacher Training
October 20th-22nd, 2017
Trainers: Patti Sacher & Bonnie Goldberg
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
 
NAMI Homefront Teacher Training
October 21st-22nd, 2017
Trainers: Pam Solomon & Jerry Burton
Location; NAMI-NYS Office Albany


To have your events and Signature Programs listed in the E-Newsletter contact Christine Rickeman at [email protected].   

NAMI-NYS | 99 Pine Street Suite 105| Albany, New York 12207 | (518) 462-2000