June 12, 2017

 
In This Issue
 
Quick Links


Follow us on Twitter




Click here to watch the latest episode featuring Dr. Robert Heinssen of NIMH
Join Our Mailing List
This edition of the NAMI-NYS E-News comes on the heels of our announcement of the 2017 NAMI-NYS Education Conference. We have received a lot of positive feedback from the initial announcement and look forward to having our readers join us in November.

This edition features the work of some our young adult leaders and initiatives to bring mental health awareness in schools. Once again our education conference will feature a focus track on children's mental health issues and a young adult focus track. This edition also contains information on people telling their stories about their battle with depression, a new multicultural training from the NYS Office of Mental Health and the latest Director's Message from NIMH Director Joshua Gordon.
 
As always, we want to know about the work you are doing. Please email  Matthew@NAMINYS.org 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 Announces Details of our 
2017 NAMI-NYS Education Conference

Last week, NAMI-NYS officially announced the details of our 2017 Education Conference- Engagement, Implementation, Intervention: Three Pronged Approach to Sustainable Mental Health Recovery. The conference will feature:
  • NAMI-NYS Honors Leaders in Awareness
  • Beyond Silence screening and panel discussion
  • With Engagement, Implementation and Intervention Recovery is Possible
  • Zero Suicide Panel
  • Presentation of the NAMI-NYS Excellence in Research Award and Research Updates
  • Town Hall 
  • Ask the Doctor
  • Focus tracks on children, criminal justice reform and veterans.
  • Workshop sessions
  • Wellness Track
  • Young Adult Track.
NAMI-NYS will be announcing many new additions in the coming weeks,

Click here to learn the details of our featured sessions.
Click here to register. 

NAMI-NYS Participates in Albany Pride

This past weekend, NAMI-NYS once again participated in Albany Pride Day in Washington Park. NAMI-NYS is proud to support the LGBTQI community. Outreach Coordinator Bill Wallace, Helpline Coordinator Christine Rickeman and office volunteer Mary Beth Honsinger staffed a table with NAMI-NYS information and mental health resources. Participating in the event also provided Bill and Christine an opportunity to network with other community leaders, and we look forward to developing these relationships and new community partnerships.

The 2017 NAMI-NYS Education Conference will feature a session on LGBTQI Mental Health. 

NAMI-NYS Young Adult Leader Diana Paige Leads a TedX Talk on Her Depression

"I am tired of living in a society where if your arm is broken, you get a cast, but if your brain is broken, you get outcast," NAMI Young Adult Leader Diana Paige said at a recent TEDx talk in Rochester. Paige delivered an exposé about her experience with depression, and how society must bolster sufferers of depression and mental illness instead of putting them down.
 
Diana opens her talk with the following message: "I am depressed, and that is okay." She stresses that depression is a physical illness like any other. Unlike other illnesses, however, mental illnesses carry an unprecedented stigma. One in five Americans suffers from some form of mental illness, a statistic on par with "brown eyes and silver cars," and Diana's talk revolves around recognizing and validating these experiences. Diana also reminds the audience that sometimes the best way to help someone in crisis is simply to listen, and that together we can "provide support and save lives."

Click here to watch Dianna's full presentation. 

NAMI-NYS Young Adult Leader Joseph Fusaro Receives the 
Sharon McCarthy Award for Dedication and Compassion

NAMI-NYS Young Adult Leader Joseph Fusaro (who gave the Young Adult Voice of Recovery presentation at this year's What's Great in the State event) was awarded the NAMI Westchester Sharon McCarthy Award for Dedication and Compassion for the work he is doing with NAMI Westchester and personally in helping to end stigma and educate our communities. The award was presented at NAMI Westchester's Annual Meeting and Volunteer Recognition Event on June 7.

The event also saw Eva Hale-Leighton, Board President, announcing the accomplishments over the past year. Treasurer Chris Gaur reported on the financial status of the organization. Allison Corbie, Audrey McInerney and Kristy Robinson were elected to the board of directors. More than 70 volunteers were recognized for their contribution in the growth in the affiliate's programs and advocacy and 105 individuals were recognized for their assistance in making the fifth annual NAMIWalks Westchester a success.

NAMI-NYS congratulates NAMI Westchester, Joseph, the new board members and all who have contributed to the affiliate's success. Hope Starts with You!

NAMI-NYS Congratulates Katherine Wallace, Founder of the First NAMI High School Club, on Her Graduation

NAMI-NYS congratulates Katherine Wallace on her graduation from Emma Willard, where she founded the first NAMI High School club in New York State. We thank Katherine for her dedication to raising awareness among her peers and leading the club members in advocacy projects. We wish her the best in her upcoming studies at Washington University in St. Louis, where we're sure she will interject the campus with mental health awareness. The group's co-leader  Ella Kolosek also graduated and we thank her and wish her continued success at Boston College.

NAMI-NYS is excited that the club's activities will continue after Katherine's graduation under the leadership of co-leaders  Grace Kolosek and Kayleen McGinnis.

You can click here to watch the Mental Health Now episode featuring Katherine discussing the NAMI at Emma Club. 

NAMI Mid-Hudson Offers  Youth Mental Health First Aid to Poughkeepsie High School Students

NAMI Mid-Hudson recently trained 23 young people in Youth Mental Health First Aid at Poughkeepsie, High School, the first such training in Dutchess County. The event was a major success and was attended by State Senator Sue Serino and A. K. Vaidian, MD, MPH, Commissioner of Behavioral & Community Health.

NAMI Mid-Hudson executive director Tina Yun Lee said of the training, "This training instills good citizenship skills in our youth and empowers a student to make a difference in their community. If you see something, to please say something. Youth Mental Health First Aid will give students at Poughkeepsie High School the tools they need to start a dialogue with their peers, change attitudes that are associated with the stigma of mental illness and save lives."

Click here to read an article about the training in the Poughkeepsie Journal.  

NAMI-NYS to Hold Second Bowling Fundraising Event


Following the success of May's Bowling for Hope event, NAMI-NYS will be holding Bowling for Hope Second Strike on July 21st from 6-8pm.

Come join us for another night of fun and friendship while supporting a great cause, the 2017 NAMIWalks NYS. The event will be taking place at the  East Greenbush Bowling Center, 570 Columbia Turnpike East Greenbush, NY 12061.

Ticket prices are: $12.00 without shoe rental; $15.00 with shoe rental. For any questions or to purchase tickets in advance, please contact Heide Garner at (518) 462-2000 or heide@naminys.org.
NAMI News
NAMI's "You Are Not Alone" Campaign Tackles 
the Struggle with Depression

"Every day you wake up to fight the beast, you are acting upon the resilience, courage and bravery of your being," an anonymous contributor wrote of the individual's depression as part of NAMI's "You Are Not Alone" campaign. On Tuesday, May 23rd, NAMI published this account of the contributor's battle with depression. The piece encourages self-validating dialogue about depression. "Depression is not a mood," the author affirms, but also warns readers not to be defined by their depression.  

Click here to read the story in its entirety. Have a story of your own to share? Click here to learn more about "You Are Not Alone," and to share it with the community.

New York State News
New York State Office of Mental Health Offers Training on Conducting Multicultural Spirituality Groups in 
Behavioral Health Treatment Settings



The New York State Office of Mental Health, Bureau of Cultural Competence (BCC) is continuing to offer the training on Conducting Multicultural Spirituality Groups in Behavioral Health Treatment Settings for Inpatient and Outpatient Programs and other Behavioral Health Settings.

The training will review the Manual: Conducting Multicultural Spirituality Groups in Behavioral Health Treatment Settings: A Group Leader Guide.

Click here to view the manual which presents a format for conducting culturally sensitive group discussions focusing on spirituality to promote mental health.

Click here to learn more.

How Ernst & Young Is Tackling Stigma and Promoting Mental Health For Employees
Nine months ago, business consulting firm Ernst & Young (EY)  launched a program entitled "R U Okay?" hoping to encourage openness and treatment of mental health in their employees. As part of this program, EY has collaborated with NAMI to promote acceptance of mental illness in the workplace.

EY employees embraced an environment where seeking help is the norm. Calls to their helpline went up, and mental health became an open subject which would not reflect on an individual's job. In a larger context, EY's program serves as a usable example for other companies and starts an overdue discussion normalizing the treatment of mental illness.

Click here to learn more from Forbes Magazine. 

In Fight Against Opioids In Hasidic Crown Heights, 
'Nobody's Immune'

A recent article in online newsmagazine DNAInfo detailed the response to an epidemic of overdoses in the Crown Heights neighborhood of Brooklyn. Seeing how overdose deaths have plagued the community, Operation Survival, a Hassidic Jewish drug prevention organization, is pushing for conversation on the issue.

At first, this closely-knit and deeply religious community was reluctant to admit to the problem, but thanks to community leaders such as Rabbi Shea Hecht and Yaacov Behrman, Operation Survival's program director, the community has opened up and addressed the fact that "nobody's immune" to 
addiction.

Taking the fight against overdoses a step further, Behrman has personally trained over 100 individuals in administering naloxone (also known by its brand name, Narcan®). Spurred on by New York City Mayor Bill DiBlasio, Behrman and Operation Survival have moved to make the drug, which counteracts opiates' effects to prevent overdose, available to members of the Crown Heights Hassidic community.


Click here to read more.

The 2017 NAMI-NYS Education Conference will include a workshop offering a Narcan Training. 

National News
New Class Of Drugs Shows Promise For The Treatment of Schizophrenia in Animal Models
 
The Brain and Behavior Research Foundation recently reported on how, by inhibiting a previously un-targeted nerve-cell receptor in the brain, researchers have discovered a new class of compounds that may be useful in the treatment of schizophrenia. In animal models of the illness, the team suggests that these compounds have the potential to provide treatment with fewer side effects, greater selectivity, and enhanced effectiveness.
 
Click here to learn more.

Senate GOP aims for June Vote on Obamacare Repeal

  On May 5, the House of Representatives passed a measure to repeal the Affordable Care Act. Now charged with the next hurdle in repealing "Obamacare," Senate Republicans scramble to deliver their own bill for a vote in the Senate before the Fourth of July recess. The holdup? Republican Senators are struggling to draft a bill which their fifty-two member majority will approve. In addition, the Senate bill must pass a fiscal review in the Congressional Budget Office before voting can occur, a process which may take weeks.

Among the holdouts to the bill is Senator Shelley Moore Capito of West Virginia, who opposes a full rollback of Obama's Medicaid expansion. Should the repeal pass the Senate, the Senate and House bills would be merged before being sent for President Trump's signature. As a footnote, the House bill must also pass review to ensure that it conforms to Senate rules before this merger can occur. With majorities in both House and Senate, the Republican Party sees the ACA repeal as a mandate to maintaining its legitimacy.

Click here to read more.

Nevada on the Verge of Trying Medicaid for All

"There is no way people can be productive members of society and take care of their families if health care is a privilege and not a right." This is the driving message behind Assembly member Michael Sprinkle's measure, which has passed the State Legislature in Nevada. Sprinkle's bill proposes that any individual qualifying for Affordable Care Act credits be able to buy into Nevada's Medicaid program.

With the exception of ambulance coverage, qualifying Nevadans would enjoy equivalent low-cost healthcare and prescription drug coverage from buy-in to this program as those on Medicaid due to low income or disability. Furthermore, Nevada's bill provides a framework for adoption of similar legislation in other states. The measure is now headed to the desk of Governor Brian Sandoval for approval or veto.

Click here to read more.
NIMH News
 Director's Message: The Future of RDoC

Those who attended the 2015 NAMI-NYS Education Conference will remember the presentation by Dr. Sarah Morris on NIMH's Research Domain Criteria (RDoC) program, which aims to eliminate the barriers of previous perceptions of psychiatric disorders to look at the patients and their symptoms in an individual way, thus generating the best treatments for the individual.

In his latest Director's Message, Dr. Joshua Gordon examines the program and it's possible future.

Click here to read more.

Dr. Gordon Featured on National Geographic Explorer
The National Geographic Channel's longest running documentary series, Explorer, featured several segments in their most recent episode about new treatments for mental illness and the mission to explore the most complex human organ - the brain. NIMH Director, Dr. Josh Gordon, is featured on the program and discusses current brain disorder research...and the need to do more.

Click here to watch. 

NIH Study Finds History of Solitary Confinement Is Associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder Symptoms among Individuals  Recently Released from Prison.

Click here to learn about a National Institutes of Health (NIH) study which 
 assessed the relationship between solitary confinement and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) symptoms in a cohort of recently released former prisoners.


Watch Mental Health Now Featuring
NIMH's Dr. Robert Heinssen

Click here to watch the episode of the NAMI-NYS produced television program Mental Health Now featuring Dr. Robert Heinssen, , Director, Division of Services and Intervention Research, the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH). The episode was recorded when Dr. Heinssen was one of the featured speakers at our 2016 Education Conference. In the episode, Dr. Heinssen discusses several NIMH initiatives, the road ahead with new director Dr. Joshua Gordon and how New York State took findings from the NIMH Recovery After Initial Schizophrenic Episode (RAISE) study to introduce the progressive early intervention program OnTrackNY.

Several NIMH Studies on Irritability in Children 
Looking for Recruits


Why study irritability? During the 1990s, there was a significant increase in the number of children being diagnosed with bipolar disorder. After years of studies, NIMH researchers concluded that, although children with severe irritability were being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, severe irritability and bipolar disorder are not the same. However, irritability, like bipolar disorder, can be very impairing for children, and little is known about what causes it or how to treat it. Therefore, today, NIMH clinicians continue to investigate severe irritability and the related diagnosis of Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD).

Children pass through many phases of development as they grow up. It can be hard to know if a child is going through normal development or showing signs of something more serious. Occasional outbursts are a normal outcome of being tired, uncomfortable, or frustrated. In some children, it can be chronic and explosive.

Children who enroll in NIMH studies have irritability that significantly impacts their functioning at home, in school and with other children.

Click here to learn more about the current studies and how to participate. 


NAMIWalks

2017 NAMIWalksNYS September 23rd

NAMI-NYS looks forward to building on the success of our inaugural NAMIWalks NYS. The 2017 NAMIWalks NYS will be taking place on Saturday, September 23rd, at Jennings Landing in Albany. You can click here to start your team and/or donate to the walk.  For more information you can email  heide@naminys.org.



Save the Dates

Click here to learn more and register for the 2017 NAMI-NYS Education Conference- Engagement, Implementation, Internvention: Three Pronged Approach to Sustainable Mental Health Recovery, taking place November 10-12 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.

June 13-Join the Brain and Behavioral Research Foundation for their latest
Meet the Scientist webinar. The topic is Obsessive Compulsive Disorder and the presenter will be Carolyn I. Rodriguez, M.D., Ph.D., Stanford University School of Medicine. The webinar will take place from 2:00 p.m.-3:00 p.m. EST. Click here for more information.

 
July 21-NAMIWalks NYS Bowling for Hope Second Strike.Friday July 21st, 6p.m.-8 pm at the  East Greenbush Bowling Center,  570 Columbia Turnpike,  East Greenbush, NY 12061.Tickets are $12.00 without shoe rental and $15.00 with shoe rental. Please contact Heide Garner at (518) 462-2000/ heide@naminys.org to sign up.

Signature Programs

JULY 12 - NAMI Rochester Basics. Wednesdays, July 12th - August 16th 6:00 p.m. - 8:30 p.m. at 320 N Goodman St., suite 102 Rochester NY. To register please contact NAMI Rochester at (585) 423-1593.

JULY 12-NAMI-NYC Metro Basics PROFESSIONAL CLASS (for professionals only). Wednesdays, July 12th - August 16th at 505 8th Avenue, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10018.  To register contact Deniece Chi at    (212) 684-3365 x 203 / parent@naminyc.org.

JULY12-NAMI Central Suffolk Basics. Wednesday evenings July 12th- August 23rd from 6:00 pm-8:30 pm at the Farmingville Mental Health Clinic, 15 Horseblock Place, Farmingville, NY 11738. Registration is required. Contact: Andrea Stolz, astolz@fsl-li.org (631) 223-5030. 

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 beth@namirochester.org.

SEPTEMBER 12-NAMI-NYC Metro Basics. Tuesdays, September 12 - October 17, 6:00 pm- 8:30 pm at    505 8th Avenue, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10018.   To register contact Deniece Chi at (212) 684-3365 x 203 / parent@naminyc.org.

SEPTEMBER 13- NAMI-NYC Metro Basics (SPANISH SPEAKING). Wednesdays, September 13th-October 18th, 6:00 pm- 8:30 pm at 505 8th Avenue, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10018.  To register contact Deniece Chi (212) 684-3365 x 203 / parent@naminyc.org. 

SEPTEMBER 14-NAMI-NYC Metro Basics. Thursdays, September 14th- October 19th 10:00 am-12:30 pm at 505 8th Avenue, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10018.  To register contact Deniece Chi at (212) 684-3365 x 203 / parent@naminyc.org.

NOVEMBER 1-NAMI-NYC Metro Basics. Wednesdays, November 1st-December 6, 6:00 pm- 8:30 pm at 505 8th Avenue, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10018.  To register contact Deniece Chi (212)684-3365 x 203 / parent@naminyc.org.

NOVEMBER 2-NAMI NYC Metro Basics. Thursdays, November 2nd - December 7th, 10:00 am-12:30 pm at 505 8th Avenue, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10018.  To register contact Deniece Chi at (212) 684-3365 x 203 / parent@naminyc.org. 

NOVEMBER 3-NAMI-NYC Metro Basics (SPANISH SPEAKING) Fridays, November 3rd - December 8th, 10:00 am-12:30 pm at 505 8th Avenue, Suite 1103, New York, NY 10018.  To register contact Deniece Chi at (212) 684-3365 x 203 / parent@naminyc.org. 


 
2017 NAMI-NYS TRAINING SCHEDULE
Please contact your local affiliate program leaders for more information and how to enroll.
NAMI In Our Own Voice Presenter Training
June 24th-25th, 2017
Trainers: Cynthia Scott & Lady Charmaine Day
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
NO LONGER ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS
NAMI Family-to-Family Teacher Training
July 14th-16th, 2017
Trainers: Ann Canastra & Cheri Caiella
Location: Comfort Suite Cicero-Syracuse
NAMI Homefront Teacher Training
September 16th-17th 2017
Trainers: Pam Solomon & Jerry Burton
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



To have your events and Signature Programs listed in the E-Newsletter contact Christine Rickeman at christine@naminys.org.   

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