In This Email:

• NAMI Wichita's Rooted in Strength: Honoring Emotional Fitness Through Culture and Community Updated Information - July 19
• Volunteer Opportunities - Rooted in Strength - July 19
• Support Groups Updates - Upcoming Changes starting in August 2025
• NAMI Hearts+Minds - Registration Open - 2nd Session is July 10
• Upcoming Virtual NAMI Peer-to-Peer Class - Registration Now Open
• Upcoming Event Calendars - July and August 2025

Rooted in Strength:

Honoring Emotional Fitness Through Community and Culture - July 19, 2025

The event will be in Room 180 of the WSU Metroplex which is located in the southeast corner of the building. Attendees, please enter through door "N" with the covered walk-way. This is a family-friendly event. Come-and-go or stay for the entire event! See below and the flyer for more information.

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

11:45 a.m. - Doors Open

12:00 p.m. - Welcoming Remarks - Eric Hargrave

12:15 - 1:00 p.m. - Session 1: Shattering Stigma: Open Conversations on Emotional Fitness

Panelists: Bernestine Williams, Winnia Sithideth, Ngoc Vuong, Elizabeth Brunscheen-Cartagena

1:00 - 1:30 p.m. - Break - Resource Tables, Activity Tables, Door Prize Giveaways

Music from Handpan Dan

1:30 - 2:30 p.m. - Session 2: Therapy Uncovered: Breaking Myths and Finding Support (Audience Q&A included)

Panelists: Jamaal Jones, Yeni Silva-Renteria, Dr. Rhonda Lewis

2:30 - 3:00 p.m. - Break - Resource Tables, Activity Tables, Door Prize Giveaways

Music from Handpan Dan

3:00 - 4:00 p.m. - Session 3: From Symptoms to Solutions: Expert Answers on Mental Health Care (Audience Q&A session)*

Panelists: Dr. Htet Htet Lin, Dr. Hiba Abualama, Dr. Alisha Sapkota, Dr. Rojal Rijal

*Styled after NAMI Wichita's monthly "Ask the Doctor Hour"

RESOURCE TABLES

• Bel Aire Recovery Center
• Breakthrough Clubhouse
• CPAAA
• COMCARE
• DCCCA
• Fountain of Life Ministries
• GetYaColorOn
• Grace and Hope Recovery
• Hunter Health Clinic
• Kansas Association for Black Psychology
• Mental Health America of South Central Kansas
• NAMI Wichita
• Project Access
• Ross & Associates Counseling Services
• Sedgwick County Health Department
• Soma Therapy
• Suspenders4Hope (WSU)
• The Gates Institute
• Urban League of Kansas
• Valley Hope Addiction, Treatment, and Recovery
• Wichita Area Sexual Assault Center
• Wichita State Community Engagement Institute
• Safe Streets Wichita, Inc.

FREE ACTIVITY TABLES

• Calming Bottles
• Gratitude Journals
• Photo Booth
• Kid's Coloring Corner

FREE GIVEAWAYS

• NAMI Wichita Swag Bags (until supplies run out)
• Door Prizes (must be present to win) including:
• Texas Roadhouse gift basket
• Self Care gift basket
• Jewelry by Soul Sisters Custom Designs
• Game On gift card
• and much, much more!!

NAMI WICHITA UPCOMING

VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES

(please reply to this email if interested!)

NAMI Wichita runs on volunteers! We are looking for Rooted in Strength volunteers! We have a variety of opportunities and areas were we need assistance:

• 2nd Photographer
• Gratitude Journal table (3 spots)
• Calming Bottle table (2 spots)
• Photo Booth (2 spots)
• Welcome Table (1 spot)
• Microphone Runners for Q&A during Sessions 2 and 3 (2-4 spots)
• Door Greeters (3+ spots)
• Kids' Coloring Corner (2 spots)
• Set up assistance (3+ spots) (11:00 a.m. start time)
• Tear down assistance (4+ spots) (4:00 p.m. start time)

If you are interested in helping out, even for a partial shift, please contact Tara Gwynn at t.gwynn@namiwichita.org with your name, phone number, and where you would be able to help out, and if you plan on staying for the entire event or what hours you are available. Please also include the same information for anyone else in your family/group that will be volunteering as well! You do not need to be a NAMI Wichita member to volunteer.

UPCOMING CHANGES TO

NAMI WICHITA'S SUPPORT GROUPS

As many of you may know, all of our support groups have been growing! Additionally, many of you and the community at large as requested that NAMI Wichita create additional support groups so there are more options than once or twice a month as well as a non-evening option. Further, our current situation of offering hybrid (both in-person and virtual together) support groups has become untenable. To address each of these needs, we will be making some changes to our support group schedule starting in August 2025.

SHARE AND CARE SUPPORT GROUPS

Starting in AUGUST 2025, the Share and Care Support Group that meets on the 4th Tuesday will become an IN-PERSON ONLY support group. They will still meet at the College Hill United Methodist Church at 6:30pm.

We will be ADDING a VIRTUAL ONLY Share and Care Support Group on the 2nd Tuesday starting August 12. This group will meet at 6:30 p.m. via Zoom.

We will be sending out a reminder email with the Zoom link just like we do with all of our other recurring monthly meetings. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the virtual Share and Care Support Group every 2nd Tuesday!

CONNECTION RECOVERY AND FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS

Starting in SEPTEMBER 2025, the Connection Recovery Support Group that meets on the 3rd Tuesday will become an IN-PERSON ONLY support group. They will still meet at Breakthrough Club at 7:00pm after "Ask the Doctor Hour"*. Family Support Group will remain in-person only.

We will be ADDING a VIRTUAL ONLY Connection Recovery Support Group and Family Support Group on the 1st Tuesday starting September 2. These groups will meet at 10:00 a.m. via Zoom.

We will be sending out a reminder email with the Zoom link just like we do with all of our other recurring monthly meetings. Everyone is welcome and encouraged to attend the virtual Connection Recovery and Family Support Groups every 1st Tuesday morning!

*(Ask the Doctor Hour will still be a hybrid meeting - in person with a Zoom option).

Please note that you do not have to choose one over another support group with these changes! If you want to attend a support group every week, we would love to have you!!

Last note, as our support groups grow, so does our need for additional support group facilitators! By creating 3 new support groups, we are stretching our current facilitator pool quite thin. Simply volunteering 2-4 hours a month, whether you are a peer or a family member, will help us keep providing the much needed support groups we are currently offering. To start the conversation about what it takes to become a support group facilitator, please respond to this email with your interest.

NAMI Hearts+Minds Registration open

Session 2 is July 10!

NAMI Virtual Peer-to-Peer Registration Open!

If you have any questions about the contents of this NAMI Wichita weekly update, please contact:

Tara Gwynn

NAMI Wichita Executive Director

t.gwynn@namiwichita.org

Resource Line: 316-686-1373

https://www.namiwichita.org