Contra Costa’s Voice on Mental Illness July 2014

NAMI Contra Costa September 2018 1

Contra Costa’s Voice on Mental Illness July 2014 61714 1200P

The NAMI Contra Costa Newsletter is available on the web at: www.namicontracosta.org

You can get a copy of this newsletter and/or the electronic newsletter by e mailing: [email protected]

Email: [email protected] Phone Number 24/7: (925) 465-3864 Office Number: (925) 942-0767

If Your Family Faces The Challenge of Mental Illness . . . E mail: [email protected]

September 2018 GENERAL MEETING

Thursday, September 20, 2018

7:00 - 9:00 p.m.

Speaker

Marie Scannell, Ph.D.

Topic

Mobile Crisis

Response Team

A major breakthrough for Contra Costa

County. Marie will give us the details of how the Mobile Crisis Response Team

will work. It may be thing you need for

your next crisis.

See the article on page 5 .

:John Muir Hospital Concord Campus

2540 East Street

Concord

Open To The Public- Free Admission

NAMI CONTRA COSTA

MOVES

New NAMI Office

NAMI IN MOTION

“Save The Date”

Saturday

September 22, 2018 Pleasant Hill Community Park

The Major Event of the Year!

(See page 7)

Since NAMI Contra

Costa began in 1978, it has

never had an office quite like

the new one.

It is on the ground

floor of the office building

that the E. J. Phair restaurant

is in. That’s across the street

from Todos Santos Plaza

(park) in downtown Concord

at 2151 Salvio Street, Suite V.

It’s all a result of the

contract NAMI received from

Contra Costa County to put

NAMI volunteers and Crash

Courses throughout the county.

The Crash Course that

began in February, 2016 in down-

town Concord will continue.

There will be three more in

Antioch, Richmond and Danville.

(Continued on page 4 )

NAMI Ribbon Cutting

Friday, August 24, 2018 Right: Vice mayor, Carlyn Obringer

Middle: NAMI President, Charles

Madison, Left: Mayor of Concord, Edi Birsan.


NAMI-CC Care and Support Groups Central Contra Costa County

3rd Monday of Each Month, 7:00 to 9:00 p.m., John Muir Medical Center , 1601 Ygnacio

Valley Road, Walnut Creek Campus, downstairs in the Epstein Conference Room. Park in the

FREE public garage on the La Casa Via side of the hospital. The group is facilitated by Sharon

Madison and Bob Thigpen. Email: [email protected], or call: (925) 256-9640, (925) 957 5139.

Open Our Hearts Family Member Support Group

No Meeting In September 2018 For family members of adults with mental illness.

4th Monday of Each Month 7:00 pm to 8:30 pm

Temple Isaiah

945 Risa Road, Lafayette

(In The Talmud Torah Center, Room E204)

Call Karen at (925) 945-7272 or

email at [email protected]

www.openourhearts.net

NAMI Contra Costa Writers’ Group All writing levels welcomed. 1st Tuesday of Each Month, Not

July.

10:30 a.m. to 12:00 Noon Rainbow Center-2118 Willow Pass Road, Concord

Roberto Roman 925-957 5105

Support Group for Parents of

Adult Children with Mental Illness Meets the 2nd Sunday 2-3:30 pm

San Ramon Valley United Methodist Church 902 Danville Blvd., Alamo, CA 94507

Karen Scalzi: (925) 820-7495 or [email protected]

Marilyn Clarke: (925) 837-5243 Office: (925) 837-5243

NEW HOPE SUPPORT GROUP

Offering support, education and resources to parents, caregivers of children, teens and young adults diagnosed with a mood disor-

der. Meets the 2nd Monday of each month

Lafayette/Orinda Presbyterian Church 49 Knox Drive, Room 204, in Lafayette

7:00 to 9:00 p.m. Christina Mellin 925-899 0862

NAMI CC Mandarin Program Family Support Group

Language: Mandarin中文 2nd Saturday of every month

Time 10:00 to 12:00 Noon Location: DCBC, 2278 Camino Ramon, San Ramon,

CA 94583 Contacts: Shelly 925-238-6286; [email protected]

NAMI West County Support Group 2nd Wednesday Each Month 6:30—8:00 pm

Richmond Medical Center of Kaiser

901 Nevin Avenue– 3rd Floor Room 317 Conference Rm 1 Richmond Contact Dr. Sumchai 510-237 9277 or

E mail: [email protected] NAMI SPANISH LANGUAGE

FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP—PITTSBURG

1st Thursday each month 7:00-8:30 pm

Faith Based-ALL Creeds Welcome!

Church of the Living God

1125 Harbor St. Pittsburg

Veronica: 925-250 4032

defamiliaafamilia@namicontracosta

The Crash Course A comprehensive orientation to the

resources in Contra Costa to help

with recovery

EVERY Wednesday night 5:30 pm

2151 Salvio St., Concord, 2nd Floor #201

[email protected] 925-676 5771

Free-RSVP NOT Required

Brentwood Support Group Last Monday Evening of the Month

Raley’s Grocery Store

2400 Sand Creek Road, Brentwood

7:00 pm to 9:00 pm

Contact: Laurel Howard-Fong 925-437 1751

[email protected]

SPANISH SUPPORT GROUP 3RD Tuesday 6:30-8:30 pm

Salvation Army, 4900 Appian Way, El Sobrante

Alejandra, 510-837 4077

mailto:[email protected]


NAMI Contra Costa

National Alliance on Mental Illness

OFFICERS:

Charles Madison, President

(925) 256-9640 [email protected]

Mark Cohen, Secretary

[email protected]

David Kahler, Treasurer (925) 676-5771

[email protected]

BOARD OF DIRECTORS

Barbara Scott Susan Horrocks Al Farmer Guy Qvistgaard

Don Green Michele O’Keefe

Tony Khalil

Emeritus Board Member: Kay Derrico

Executive Director

Gigi Crowder

COMMITTEES:

Don Green Criminal Justice

Shelly Ji Mandarin Groups

Susan Horrocks Membership

David Kahler Publishing

Peggy Luna Newsletter

Veronica McManus F 2 F Spanish

Barbara Scott Nominating Committee

Nancy Seibert Family-to-Family

Clare Beckner Database

Richard Derrico Behavioral Health Court

Gigi Crowder FaithNet Coordinator

Kay Derrico Outreach Committee

Michelle Wong e news

Karen Cohen e news

Steve Sullivan Librarian

Douglas Dunn Political Advocacy

George Mimms Faith Net Coordinator

Newsletter Group Fran Martin Peggy Luna Bill Boyle

Dick Owens David Myers

David Kahler Caroline Jackson

Email: [email protected] Website: www.namicontracosta.org

Phone: (925) 676 5771 90918 Sun1213P MMMM

Newsletter Deadline:

20th of Each Month

PRESIDENT’S

COLUMN

NAMI Contra Costa Mission Statement

Our Mission is to provide support, outreach, educa-

tion and advocacy to families affected by and Indi-

viduals living with a mental illness.

CONGRATULATIONS

TO ALL We held our official

opening and ribbon cutting for

our new offices and new Family

Volunteer Support Network Pro-

gram on August 24th.

It was a grand party and

well attended by NAMI members

and friends. We received Procla-

mations from Supervisors Karen

Mishoff and Candice Anderson.

Marcus Harris from NAMI CA

gave us many kudos and Concord

Mayor Edi Birsan and Vice

Mayor Carlyn Obringer wel-

comed us to their city.

Dr. White from the

County sent congratulations and

Erika Jenssen from Anna Roth’s

office congratulated us on behalf

of Anna Roth. Warren Hayes

gave a brief, in person, update on

the importance of the new pro-

gram in

our Coun-

ty.

We are

looking

for a CPA

to join

our

NAMI

team to

volunteer

on our

Finance Committee. If you know

someone, please contact me or

Barbara Scott, who is the Chair

of the Nominating Committee.

A special thanks to all

who attended our General

Meeting on Thursday August

16th to provide the required vote

to adopt our new bylaws.

I also want to thank

our speakers from that evening.

The Spirit leadership spoke

about their next Spirit program.

Retired Judge Don Green spoke

on how the LPS laws affect us

and our loved ones. Fatima

Matal Sol, Program Chief of the

Counties Alcohol and other

Drugs (AOD), and Trisha

Seastrom gave an introduction

to their program.

The very best to all and

remember that everyone counts.

FAMILY ADVOCATE

Bob Thigpen 925-957 5139

[email protected],

Bob Thigpen is the

County’s Family Advocate.

You can talk directly with him at the Crash Course.

(925-676- 5771)

E mail: [email protected]


Contra Costa Behavior-

al Health’s Office for Consumer

Empowerment is currently ac-

cepting applications for the 2019

Service Provider Individualized

Recovery Intensive Training

(SPIRIT), to enroll parents,

caregivers, and family members,

as well as individuals who have

navigated behavioral health ser-

vices into the SPIRIT classes at

Contra Costa Community Col-

lege.

This peer-based, family

-oriented course will teach skills

needed to work as a family/

parent/peer provider in the be-

havioral health field.

The focus is on hope,

resiliency and empowerment to

provide peer support insight for

parents, family members, care-

givers and clients of behavioral

health.

The interactive class-

room approach engages people

of lived experience in real life

situations and role playing. Fre-

quent presentations by providers

from Community-based Organi-

zations and Contra Costa Behav-

ioral Health Services offer addi-

tional perspective to this very

unique college course.

Past SPIRIT graduates

have gone on to volunteer at

local County Behavioral Health

agencies and other Community-

based Organizations, become

gainfully employed and/or in-

crease their overall quality of

life as proud contributing mem-

bers of our community. Applica-

tions can be found at

cchealth.org after typing the

word “SPIRIT” into the search

menu. Applications are due Oc-

tober 12, 2018. For more infor-

mation, please contact SPIRIT

instructors: Quincy Slatten @

(925) 957-5113 or Michael Pe-

tersen @ (925) 957-5143.

Map to: NAMI Office

2151 Salvio Street, Suite V

(Ground Floor) Concord

Gran

t Street

Salvio St.

Willow Pass Road Note: Grant Street is 1.4 miles from #680

X

NEW BY-LAWS PASS By Sue Horrocks

It was standing room only

at our August General Meeting.

Over 100 people, one third of our

membership, attended the meeting

to pass our new by-laws. Many,

many thanks to each and every one

of you who attended.

This new document is part

of our re-affiliation process with

NAMI National. Every affiliate

must complete a long list of re-

quirements to maintain their affili-

ate status. Board President Charles

Madison, with the help of Board

Member Don Green, have been

instrumental in writing a document

which will be acceptable to NAMI

National. They have worked along

- side our Executive Director Gigi

Crowder to provide all the neces-

sary and acceptable documents.

With the approval of these new by-

laws our re-affiliation is on the fast

track for approval. This is vital to

maintaining, preserving and fur-

thering our NAMI CC mission.

The new by-laws will be posted on

our website when they are ap-

proved by NAMI National.

NEW TEACHERS

TRAINED NAMI CC now has it’s

very own Teacher Trainers! Glo-

ria Davidson and Vicki Deem are

now certified by NAMI National

to train new Family to Family

teachers. Alejandra Escobedo

and Mercedes Marquez are now

certified trainers for NAMI Basics

in both English and Spanish.

In August they trained 16

Family to Family teachers and 18

NAMI Basics teachers using our

beautiful new training room at the

Volunteer Family Support Net-

work. Being able to train our own

teachers will prevent burn out and

infuse new energy into both of

these outstanding and vital NAMI

Signature Programs.

PARKING

At The New

NAMI Office

2255 Salvio Street

Parking at the new

NAMI office is not difficult.

There are usually spaces availa-

ble on the street. If not, there is

a four story parking garage

across the street at 2255 Salvio

Street, It is a FREE public gar-

age.

TODOS

SANTOS

PARK

Mt D

iablo

Street


VOTE NO PROPOSITION 2

By Doug Dunn

Proposition 2, “The

No Place Like Home Act,” is a

$2B bond for homeless hous-

ing on the November 6 ballot.

Though we desperate-

ly want supported housing for

the severely mentally ill,

NAMI-Contra Costa has sub-

mitted voter guide information

strongly opposing this meas-

ure. Here’s why:

If passed, the non-

partisan Legislative Analyst’s

office states that this measure

“means less funding would

be available for local mental

health services.”

On a $2B 30-40 year

bond, at least $2.2-3.6B or

at least $2.10-$2,80 in

current and future MHSA

treatment funds are re-

duced for every $1 spent

on brick and mortar hous-

ing regardless of whether

each county “wins or los-

es” their competitive bid

for these funds. It takes

7% of MHSA funds right

“off the top” for each of

the counties’ MHSA fund-

ing annually for the next

30-40 years.

Effect on Contra Costa

County: At least $2M-

3.7M/yr. annually for 30-

40 years in MHSA treat-

ment services funds even

if it loses the competitive

bid.

(Continued In The Next Column)

Treatment and services not

specifically funded.

Legislation says “mentally

ill,” not the “seriously mental-

ly ill” as specified in the 2004

Voter approved Mental Health

Services Act (MHSA).

Severely “squeezes” county

level MHSA housing spend-

ing decision authority .

Does not resolve the issue of

NIMBYism stigma inherent

with many current local build-

ing ordinances.

For the above reasons, we urge a

NO vote on Proposition 2.

NAMI Basics for Spanish

Speaking Parents

What: in Spanish, a free NAMI

Basics class to educate and sup-

port parents and care givers who

have children and adolescents

with behavioral or mental health

issues.

When: once weekly for six

weeks starting in October, 2018

Where: Oakley

To register, get details about the

class content, or to obtain infor-

mation on location and time, con-

tact Alejandra Escobedo at 510-

237-9277 or

[email protected].

MOBILE CRISIS

RESPONSE TEAM (See the box on page 1 column 3)

The Mobile Crisis Re-

sponse Team (MCRT) is now

operating! The MCRT is made up

of licensed therapists, Community

Support Workers, and in time will

include a nurse.

The goal of the MCRT is

to de-escalate psychiatric emer-

gency situations in the community

in order to decrease the need for

5150 holds. Currently, calls are

answered Monday - Friday 7am –

11:30pm. The next phase will

expand hours to include overnight

hours Monday – Friday, followed

by increasing the hours to include

weekends, with the goal of having

24/7 coverage before the end of

the year.

In addition to responding

in the community to the immedi-

ate situation that led to calling the

crisis line, the team will have a 30

day period for follow-up during

which they will focus on linking

individuals to a variety of services

to help them stabilize and prevent

ongoing crisis experiences.

The number to call is

833-443-2672. The MCRT will

respond to all calls about a crisis

in Contra Costa County. They

will respond in all regions of the

county to homes, community

agencies, and if needed, on the

street.

The MCRT notifies the

local police department, for safety

back up, before dispatching a

call. If after all efforts to stabilize

the situation, it is necessary to use

a 5150 hold, the police will ar-

range transportation to Psychiatric

Emergency Services in Martinez.

The MCRT will follow

up with PES and with the individ-

ual while at PES and after dis-

charge.

The MCRT will also

provide support and resources to

families and other significant peo-

ple who support the individual

who is experiencing a crisis.

mailto:[email protected]


FAMILY TO FAMILY

EDUCATION

COURSE

In an effort to prepare for

the presentation of many 2019 Fam-

ily to Family Education Courses in

Contra Costa county, teachers were

recently trained.

Course curriculum and

training materials are written by

NAMI National and the training

process is led in every state by cer-

tified NAMI trainers. NAMI Contra

Costa is proud to have Gloria Da-

vidson, Vickie Deem and Mer-

cedes Marquez on the team as F2F

trainers. We appreciate very much

the time and commitment of the

following persons, shown below,

who participated in the weekend

training of teachers on August 10-

12, 2018.

The Family to Family Edu-

cation Course is a free 12 week

series. The Fall courses have be-

gun in Brentwood, Lafayette and

Richmond. In October there be will

information on 2019 courses and

registration contacts.

Front row- Coordinator Nancy Seibert, Trainers Gloria Davidson, Ruan Frenette and Vickie Deem. Not pictured

Debbie Cunningham.

Back row, left to right, Carlos Qunintanilla, Rick Green, Aram Boyd, Alma Aviles, Danielle Salet, Buck Reesor,

Ana Torres. Middle row- Juanita Florido, Yolanda Guerrero, Michele OKeefe, Jo Fetterly, Cathy Farrar.

DEPRESSION IN SOCIETY

FRIDAY, October 5th 7:30 pm In honor of National Mental Health Awareness

Week of Prayer . . .

Please join us as we feature three empowering speakers.

Elliot Kallen: Founder of “A Br ighter Day”

Uniting Depression and Stress Resources with Teenagers

Graham Wiseman: Teen Esteem– Empowering and

Educating the community on the challenges young people

face.

Tom Tamura, MA, LMFT-

Executive Director, Contra Costa Crisis Center

$18. Suggested Donation

A portion of the proceeds go to

A Brighter Day Charity

RSVP: [email protected]

Congregation B’nai Shalom

74 Eckley Lane, Walnut Creek, CA.


NAMI Contra Costa

2151 Salvio Street

Suite V

Concord, CA,

94520

Phone: (925) 465-3864

Email: [email protected]

Stamp

DONATION FORM

Amount ___________ . Mail to:

Treasurer, NAMI Contra Costa

2151 Salvio Street, Suite V

Concord, California

94520

Note: Tax ID #68-0209474

(No goods or services have been received

from the following donor or donors)

Name ____________________________________

Address __________________________________

City _________________ Zip ________________

Phone ________________ Cell _______________

Email Address ____________________________

3rd Monday Support Group September 17, 2018 7:00 p.m.

John Muir Medical Center

Walnut Creek

Epstein Meeting Room

Basement Area (See page 2)

Email: [email protected]

To:

From:

APPLICATION FOR MEMBERSHIP

NAMI CONTRA COSTA Make check payable to NAMI Contra Costa

Complete this information and please return to:

Treasurer

NAMI Contra Costa

2151 Salvio Street , Suite V

Concord, California

94520

Name

_______________________________________

Address ______________________

City _________________ Zip ___________

Phone _________________ Cell ___________

Email Address: _____________________________

___________________________________________

Renewal New Member

Open Door $ 5 General Membership $40

Questions About

Mental Illness?

Crash Course Every Wednesday

E mail: [email protected]

Contra Costa’s Voice on Mental Illness July 2014

Documents

Transcript of Contra Costa’s Voice on Mental Illness July 2014