Dalton and Rome Classes

NAMI Rome completed two Family-to-Family classes recently. Thanks so much for the wonderful teachers, Frances and Jearel Helton, Nancy Gross, and Joyce Van Leuven, for taking time to share their knowledge with eager and receptive students (shown in the pictures above). Family-to-Family is NAMI’s flagship educational course. It’s been around for years and is considered to be a “best practice” offering. NAMI Rome would like to be offer it continually but need a steady stream of students. This FREE course takes commitment on the part of the student as it meets on 11 consecutive weeks and at 2 ½ hours per lesson. Word of mouth remains our most effective advertising means. Additionally, we need teachers in Rome and Dalton so we can continue offering Family-to-Family. If you have takend the course, you may be ready to give back by becoming a teacher. There are upcoming training sessions and we want to send candidates. For more information, call us at 706-506-5010 or email us at namiromega@gmail.com.

NAMI Rome, 3 Central Plaza, Box 317 Rome, GA 30161 www.namiromega.org namiromega@gmail.com 706.506.5010

Matters of the Mind November/December 2015 Issue 6 Volume 4

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NAMI Basics is a six-session, follow-on course to Family-to-Family designed specifically for parents and caregivers of children and youth who display emotional and/or behavioral issues. A mental illness may or may not have been diagnosed. NAMI Basics addresses childhood disorders such as ADHD, OCD, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Bipolar Disorder, and PTSD. In addition to learning about the disorders, the course delves into the importance of record keeping and preparing a crisis folder. Finally, students gain skills to use when interfacing with mental health providers, the schools system, as well as the juvenile justice system.

Parents, grandparents, and other family members profit greatly from NAMI Basics as do foster parents, teachers, and other caregivers.

NAMI Rome plans to offer NAMI Basics this winter and is in the registration process. Contact us at 706-506-5010 for more information.

NAMI Rome Board of Directors

NAMI Rome welcomes Jonathan Hurley, Bonnie Moore, and Todd Van Leuven to its board of directors. While Todd is in his second term, this is the first time Jonathan has served on the board. Bonnie has had a break for one year and will return to familiar territory. They join Jamie Griffin, Evan King, Joel Pierce, and Marta Turner to direct the activities of NAMI Rome. Many thanks to Frances Helton and Jim Moore for serving the past three years.

The board is looking for two members to volunteer to fill two vacant positions for the rest of 2016. If you are willing to roll up your sleeves and dig in to directing NAMI Rome, we would love to talk to you. Give us a call at 706-506-5010 .

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Rome Police Department hosted a Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) class in December. Shown are law enforcement officers from Floyd and surrounding jurisdictions and Floyd Medical Center security officers. Thanks to those who baked goodies and supplied fruit for the officers to munch on. They appreciated it greatly. Eighteen even joined NAMI.

If you’re caught up in an emergency and need to call 911, be sure to ask for a CIT officer and explain the nature of the emergency to the 911 operator. Live in Rome? Odds are good that a trained CIT officer will respond. The goal is for all police departments and sheriff offices to have 20% of its personnel trained.

NAMI’s two support groups play an essential role in helping people. Both are peer facilitated by people who have that “lived” experience with mental illness. Connection is for adults with a mental health diagnosis while FSG is for adults who have a loved one or friend with a mental illness. Both are confidential.

Rome FSG and Connection groups meet Mondays (except 4th Monday)

6-7:30 PM 1st United Methodist Church

202 E. 3rd Ave.

Rome

Dalton Family Support Group meets the first Tuesday of each month

6-7:30 PM Crosspointe Christian Center

2681 Underwood St.

Dalton

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Fun at our Christmas Party

NAMI Rome tried something different this Christmas. No big meal—just finger foods. Upper left picture shows the spread and the volunteers that made it happen. THANKS! Super desserts. It was a fun filled evening and put us in the right spirit for the holiday season.

Jim Moore presents a certificate of appreciation from NAMI recognizing Jamie Griffin’s role as a NAMI Connection facilitator. Jamie has facilitated support groups for several years and finds it very rewarding to see people getting help and support from the members of the support group.

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Howard Elrod was the featured presenter at the November educational meeting. He enlightened us about vitamins, herbs, massage, accupuncture, and other very interesting and helpful ways to be a healthy person. He is the owner of Healthy Touch Health Care, Inc., 504 Riverside Parkway in Rome. You may contact him at 706-232-0708 to learn more about his vast array of services. Jamie Griffin is shown presenting Howard with a silver ribbon in appreciation for his presentation.

SEARCHING FOR VOLUNTEERS

GOOD NEWS—After a year of not being able to host trainings, NAMI Georgia is setting up

sessions to train teachers and facilitators in 2016. NAMI Rome wants to pump up its contingent

of Family-to-Family/Peer-to-Peer teachers and Family Support Group/Connection facilitators.

Without volunteer teachers and facilitators NAMI would have to pack its bags. Several of our

teachers and facilitators have been doing it for years and quite frankly are tired. Won’t you

consider becoming a teacher/facilitator? Yes, it requires time but the rewards are well worth it.

Applications are being accepted—contact us at 706-506-5010 or email

namiromega@gmail.com to learn more.

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Be an Advocate

Georgia’s legislative body begins its 2016 session in mid January. NAMI Georgia is very interested in House Bill 705—see following summary.

2015-2016 Regular Session - HB 705 Mental health; require care provider to provide periodic opportunities for a patient to designate a family member or other individual as a person with

whom the provider may discuss the patient's medical condition and treatment plan; provisions

The purpose of this bill is for providers to ask patients under their care to consider involving others in their treatment plan. NAMI belives in the biopsychosocial method of care. We believe that recovery is indeed possible but it takes a team approach—and family members/friends are definitely part of the team. All too often have we heard of people being discharged without proper supports to only find themselves back in the same place where they started. You’ve heard of the revolving door syndrome. We often ask, “If only….” When the question is properly phrased and delivered often, the patient just may seek additional support from a family member or friend. Thanks go to Representative Katie Dempsey for introducting this piece of legislation. Click on this link to read the bill: http://www.legis.ga.gov/legislation/en-US/Display/20152016/HB/705 Be on the look out for ways to advocate for this bill.

Bonnie and Jim Moore are trained in a NAMI program—NAMI Smarts—which teaches on how to be an advocate at the local, state, and national levels. It consists of 3 related modules. They taught Module 1 last year in Rome and want to offer it again. Interested—call them at 706-232-4607.

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BOOK CORNER

Ending the Silence is a 50-minute presentation to students in a high school class made by two adults. One gives a power point presentation, which addresses childhood mental illnesses (names, facts/figures) and the other (young adult) talks about their personal high school experience. Bonnie Moore will love to talk to young adults about co-presenting ETS. Give her a call at 706-232-4607.

“I want control back in my life, but my 30 year old son has schizophrenia and I just can’t tell him to leave, can I?” This question is asked often during support group meetings. Many parents avoid the word “boundaries” and go on hoping against hope. Perhaps there are better ways to show your love and concern. Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results is the definition of what? Yes, insanity. If you find yourself in this fix, then do something about it. There are many good resources that help you through the boundary setting process. The first book addresses ways to support your loved one with a mental illness. The other two are general in nature, with the third being a spiritual approach to boundary setting. These books and others are for you to read and are located at the NAMI Rome trailer. Jim Moore

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CRISIS HOTLINE – 24 hour Georgia Crisis and Access Line, operated by Behavioral Health

Link and sponsored by the state: 1-800-715-4225

WARM LINE – 24 hour state-funded,

consumer-directed resource for anyone struggling with mental health issues:

1-888-945-1414 NAMI – the Nation’s Voice on Mental Illness – with more than 230,000 members, NAMI is

the leading grassroots advocacy organization solely dedicated to improving

the lives of persons with mental illness including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, obsessive compulsive

disorder, and anxiety disorders.

NAMI Rome is your local affiliate of the national organization. Please contact, visit or join us in our effort to erase the stigma

surrounding mental illness.

Your membership helps NAMI with its work improving the lives of persons with mental

illness. Membership into NAMI Rome automatically

enrolls you in NAMI Georgia and NAMI

Regular Member $35.00 Open Door Member $3.00 To Join On line - click here

or Print out a Membership Form and mail or bring to a meeting with cash or check

NAMI Rome Info Corner

NAMI Rome Board of Directors

President: Jim Moore Vice President: Marta Turner Secretary: Frances Helton Treasurer: Joel Pierce Members: Jamie Griffin Evan King Todd Van Leuven

As a non-profit corporation (501c3), NAMI Rome complies with US and Georgia statutes. Contributions may qualify as a charitable deduction for federal income tax purposes. Donors should consult with their tax advisors or the IRS to determine whether a contribution is deductible. That being said, NAMI Rome is able to accomplish its mission through kind contributions from the community.

NAMI Rome may be contacted at:

E-Mail namiromega@gmail.com

Phone 706-506-5010

Website

www.namiromega.org

Facebook

www.facebook.com/namiromegeorgia