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November 2015

Issue XI Vol. IV

5205 Greenwood Ave. Ste 110 West Palm Beach, FL 33407

561-588-3477 www.namipbc.org

MESSAGE FROM THE PRESIDENT By Manuel Kushner

The Voice

NAMI Palm Beach County’s Second Annual NAMI-Walks, Walking for Mental Health, will be held on the morning of November 14, 2015 at John Prince Park, located at 4759 Congress Avenue, in Lake Worth, Florida. It is a free event designed to both increase community awareness of the stigma associ-ated with mental illness, and to raise funds that will allow our organization to continue to prosper.

When I joined the board of NAMI Palm Beach County several years ago, I knew that we needed to improve the financial stability of our organization. I also knew that I had connections to financial re-sources that would allow me to dig deeper than most, and that would permit me to enlist financial support from friends and donors with significant re-sources. Fortunately, my fundraising efforts, and the fundraising efforts of others in our organization, have been successful.

We owe enormous gratitude to our larger donors, all of whom have been exceedingly gener-ous. Without intending to minimize the significance of these larger donations, all of which have allowed us to grow at lightning speed, I have always under-stood that the passion of our organization lies in its grassroots core. Anyone who thinks their contribu-tion is too small to make a difference, should know that of the $86,000 we raised at last year’s Walk, the majority of donations were $50 or less. These many small donations together, along with our larger do-nors, made the Walk one of our two most profitable fundraising events of the year. If a majority of our membership supports this year’s Walk the way they did last year, and in ways that are financially com-fortable to them, we will undoubtedly raise enough money to substantially expand our services through-out Palm Beach County to those that need us.

So raise money for the Walk if you can, but re-gardless, please be there to show your support. Last

NAMI Palm Beach County Annual Meeting

Join us November 19 at 5:30 pm for

Members’ Election of Directors

followed at 6:00 pm by our

November General Meeting

5205 Greenwood Ave., West Palm Beach, 33407

MENTAL HEALTH AND THE

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM –

AN INTRODUCTION Presented by

Flynn P. Bertisch Salnick, Fuchs & Bertisch P.A

year’s dignitaries in attendance included Com-missioner Paulette Burdick and Senator Joseph Abruzzo. We had over 600 people in attendance, and the media coverage allowed us to use the subject of the Walk as a springboard to present the most pressing issues confronting our mem-bership. We stood united as a cohesive group who share a common understanding of the needs of individuals living with mental illness in Palm Beach County. It was also an opportunity to connect with NAMI friends, both old and new, and enjoy South Florida weather on a beautiful Saturday morning in the fall.

If you need sponsorship brochures, sign-up sheets or any other information about the Walk, please contact our NAMIWalks Manager and Di-rector, Carol Passeser, at 561-588-3477, or at namiwalkspbc@namipbc.org. Carol is working hard to make sure this year’s event is even better than last year.

I look forward to seeing you on November 14th.

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WHAT ‘S NEW

Join us for our ANNUAL MEETING

and

November’s General Meeting

MENTAL HEALTH AND THE

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM – AN INTRODUCTION

Presented by

Flynn P. Bertisch Salnick, Fuchs & Bertisch P.A

Light Refreshments

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ATTENTION MEMBERS -- ELECTIONS!!!! Dear Members: Our Annual Meeting will be held on Thursday, November 19, 2015, at the NAMI Office Conference Room (Upstairs), 5205 Greenwood Avenue, West Palm Beach at 5:30pm, directly followed by our No-vember General Meeting at 6:00 pm (see below). Please plan to join us to place your ballot and meet our Board. A current listing of our Board Officers and Directors can be found at www.namipbc.org. The following Interim Directors will be on the Ballot: Kelly Everson, Psy.D - Dr. Everson is a licensed psychologist and co-owner of Palm Beach Behav-ioral Health and Wellness in Jupiter. She currently serves on the Board as an interim Director and vol-unteers her time for NAMI by writing monthly articles for The Voice and presenting on various topics for our General Meetings. Ladi March - Ladi is a local General Contractor and Permit Mitigator. She volunteers as a trained NAMI Family-to-Family Education instructor, has a family member with mental illness, advocates and currently serves on the Board as an interim Director. Manuel Kushner - Manny is a local Trust Attorney and has served the last three years as our Board President. He also has a family member with mental illness and is running for another term. Sean Davis - Sean is Co-Founder of Merton Venture Philanthropy and has served the last three years previously as our Board Vice President and currently as our Board Treasurer.

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IN THE NEWS

WHAT IS NEUROFEEDBACK?

Dr. Jaimie St. Ama, Palm Beach Behavioral Health and Wellness

Research indicates that it is possible to retrain or learn different brainwave patterns. This kind of training is re-ferred to as Neurofeedback. Through Neurofeedback, the brain is taught to engage in tasks of living with optimal brain wave patterns. This can lead to improvements in concentration, relaxation, sleep, performance, clearer think-ing, reduced negative emotions and states, impulsivity, and focus. Neurofeedback helps with self-regulation. The con-cept of Neurofeedback training uses an arousal paradigm. Based on this paradigm, some individuals with impairment are either over or under aroused. In order to seek a more natural and healthy state, Neurofeedback is used to help them achieve homeostasis. During a Neurofeedback session you are asked to sit in a comfortable chair in a quiet room. Several sensors are placed on your scalp. No current goes into the brain, rather the sensors are measuring what the brain is doing, similar to an EEG. The sensors attach to a computer that displays the wave activity. You will engage in a game or activity (similar to a videogame) that helps improve brain waves to the optimal level based on what you are trying to improve. You will hear a beep from the computer when you have achieved an optimal pre-determined level. The beeps will help train your brain to develop a healthier wave and make improvements that can last over time. This is a form of Operant Conditioning that is also employed with many therapy approaches. In con-junction with therapy Neurofeedback can help solidify goals and help you make lasting changes. Neurofeedback is commonly offered to athletes seeking to improve peak performance, to individuals with anxiety, symptoms of trauma, sleep problems, and concerns with attention, impulsivity, and increased or decreased activa-tion or arousal.

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Santa came early for NAMI PBC this year. On October 24 The Lane Spa, through its nonprofit M.C.L. Foundation, hosted their Annual Charity Event. Their staff se-lected NAMI to be the recipient of 100% of the proceeds from the day’s services

and raffles which amounted to over $8,000! They also provided us with a resource table so we could be there during the day to talk about our services and programs. NAMI is extremely appreciative to The Lane Spa for their generosi-ty, and we would like to share the story of Marcia Lane, the Spa’s owner, and how she pays it forward. In 1985, after being treated for alcoholism, Marcia was destitute and alone with her two-year old daughter, Crys-tal. After a year of sobriety, Marcia went for vocational help at Gulfstream Goodwill where they paid for her tuition to become a massage therapist and also paid for half her rent while she was in school. Ten years later, Marcia was able to secure a small business loan and opened The Lane Spa. Because she was so grateful for all the blessings she

had received from so many, she spent endless hours thinking of how she could help fami-lies in crisis. In 2002, the M.C.L. Foundation was created and along with her husband Jay; daughter, Crystal; and The Lane Spa, they have been donating to families for over 13 years. In addition to two major annual fundraisers for local charities, they now donate to local charities every month through their own food drives, donating school supplies, providing Thanksgiving Dinner and a toy drive for children at Christmas time. As we head into the holiday season, Marcia’s story is a reminder to all of us that one per-son can make a big difference!

Marsha Martino (left) with Marcia Lane (right)

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WHAT’S COMING UP and

WHAT’S BEEN HAPPENING

VOLUNTEERS NEEDED

We have jobs that need to be filled on Walk day from 5:30 am until 12:30 pm, from one hour on up. We will have a schedule with time slots, so that everyone gets to participate in the event and enjoy the fun. This event qualifies for Com-munity Service Hours providing you have the proper documentation. Send an email to nami-walkspbc@namipbc.org or call the office 561-588-3477 to sign up!

There is time left to register, create a Team or become a Sponsor for the 2nd Annual NAMIWalks Palm Beach County. You can also register the morning of the Walk, or can be a Virtual Walker. Virtual Walkers should register, encourage awareness and fundraising. When you raise $100 you will earn the Walk T-shirt.

WISH LIST

We can use the following items. Please be sure to clearly mark any item you loan to us so that we can properly return it . Any food item purchased and donated is tax deductible.

Photographer, Pop-Up Canopy Tents, Large Cool-ers, Ice, Water Bottles, Duct Tape, Zip Ties, Large

Clamps, Exterior Extension Cords, Ladders

Let us know if you can provide any of these items. We will need these items at 6:00 am on Walk Day. You can also drop items off at the Lake Worth office on Friday, November 13 after 12 noon. Please call the office or email Carol at namiwalk-

spbc@namipbc.org .

The Stein

Family

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IN THE NEWS

MONTHLY MEMBER TO MENTION: MICHAEL GARDEN

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N.O.W. (NAMI On Wednesdays)

Wednesdays from 11:00am-4:00pm

The NAMI PBC Lake Work Office is now open for Drop Inn. Join us for Arts & Crafts, Book Club, Games, Speakers, Computer Training, Advocacy, Movies and more. NAMI on Wednesdays (N.O.W.) drop-in this past month continues to be quite ac-commodating with peer participation. We have dec-orated mason jars, luminaries, picture frames, per-sonal journals and artificial flower arrangements.

Dear Peer Council Members: In lieu of a council meeting this month, all members are encouraged to attend the NAMIWalks on November 14, 9-12pm. Look forward to seeing you there!

OCTOBER’S FIVE AND SHINE!

The NAMI Peer Council

had another successful car

was in October. Thank you

for all who volunteered and

to those of you who

brought your vehicles in for

a good cleaning!

By: Mitzi Gelea Watson

Michael Garden usually writes this piece every month, but you and I know he is not going to write about himself. Yet, Michael is definitely a “Member to Mention.” As Peer Council President, Michael encourages peer bonding in fun, often unique, activi-ties every month. Some of us who might otherwise stay isolated, can’t resist going on a Delray Cruise or visiting the Jupiter Lighthouse. And peers develop a new respect for each other as we work side-by-side on our two very successful fundraisers.

Michael spearheaded our drop-in center N.O.W. (NAMI On Wednesdays), as Mi-chael christened it. He is there every Wednesday from 11:00 am to 4:00 pm to greet peers and help get projects started. People drop in, have lunch, work on arts & crafts projects, play board games, or just hang out and chat with each other.

Michael, we all appreciate and thank you for the many tasks that our excursions require from organ-izing a plan, to contacting members, to negotiating admission prices; far too many to mention here. You have done an amazing job in increasing the Peer Council membership from 4 to over 70 throughout the last several years, which is a further testament to your impact on the lives of others.

You are the pick of the bunch, Michael, and we are delighted to recognize your contribution to NAMI, especially the NAMI peers.

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IN THE NEWS

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We Want To Hear From You!

Give us a call, or send us a note telling us what you’d like to learn about.

NAMI PBC’s General Meetings are for you, our members, so provide us with topics that are of interest to you and we’ll get the experts!

CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM

By Dorothy Kelleher

If you have a loved one in crisis and need the ser-

vices of a CIT officer, you should call 911 and give the

necessary information to the dispatcher, making

sure the dispatcher understands

that you do need a CIT officer sent

to the scene. NAMI and CIT work

closely together in providing this

service.

DANGERS IN MISREADING RAISE PROJECT FINDINGS ON SCHIZOPHRENIA MEDICATION The new RAISE (“Recovery After an Initial Schizophrenia Episode”) project’s approach to first -break psychosis may signal the most encouraging breakthrough in schizophrenia treatment since the medication clozapine became available in the early 1990s.

But the results of this groundbreaking program for early-stage schizophrenia are being widely misrepresented or misun-derstood as an option for individuals at later stages of the disease – with potentially dangerous consequences. RAISE was tested for two years in teenagers and young adults who had experienced a single episode of psychosis. The program is deservedly a source of hope for young people on the brink of adulthood who find themselves experiencing psychotic symptoms for the first time – an episode often called a “first break.” According to study results published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, after two years, participants in RAISE were:

More likely to still be in treatment

More likely to be working or going to school

Experiencing significantly greater improvement in overall quality of life

Experiencing significantly greater reduction in symptoms

Experiencing these improvements while taking a lower dosage of antipsychotic medications

Alarmingly, some media, mental health groups, families, and individuals have focused on the medication results from RAISE as evidence that schizophrenia can be treated with lower doses of antipsychotic medication at any stage of the dis-ease.

This, in fact, flies in the face of the study’s findings. One of its strongest conclusions was that the benefits of the RAISE protocol diminish with each month the individual had been psychotic. Lower doses of medication appeared to be effec-tive in first-episode psychosis precisely because the individual had never experienced the neurological condition of psy-chosis before and hence was more responsive. RAISE was developed and tested with funding from the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) as a coordinated, ho-listic approach to first-episode psychosis. It involves comprehensive, team-based treatment that incorporates all of the following:

Individual resilience training

Family psycho-education

Supported education/employment

Phase-specific psychopharmacological treatment (i.e., treatment attuned to the first phase of schizophrenia)

Liaise with primary care

Seizing on the pharmacological protocol designed for a specific set of patients who meet a narrow set of criteria and gen-eralizing it to individuals who aren’t part of that population runs the risk of encouraging the embrace of a course of treat-ment that will undermine recovery, not support it. http://www.treatmentadvocacycenter.org/home-page/71-featured-

articles/2950-dangers-in-misreading-raise-project-findings-on-schizophrenia-medication

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Peer and Family Support Groups Call 561-588-3477 for more information

NAMI/PBC Connection Recovery Support Groups

Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D Lake Worth, FL 33460 Saturdays 6:00-7:30pm

Delray Beach (Toole Building So. County Mental Health Center) 16158 S Military Trail, Delray Beach, FL 33484 Mondays 1:45-2:45pm & Wednesdays 10:15-11:30am

Hypoluxo (Amigos Group — Jeff Industries) 111 E Coast Avenue, Hypoluxo, FL 33462 Mondays 2:30-4:00pm

Jupiter (Southeast Florida Behavioral Health Network) 140 Intracoastal Pointe Dr., Suite 208, Jupiter, FL 33477 Mondays 5:30-7:00pm NEW DATE

NAMI/PBC Young Adults Group 18-35 Year Olds

Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D, Lake Worth, FL 33460 First 3 Fridays of the month 6:00-7:30pm

NAMI/PBC Adolescent Support Groups*

NAMI/PBC Family Support Groups

West Boca (West Boca Raton Library) 18685 State Road 7, Boca Raton, FL 33498 1st Tuesday 6:30-8:00pm

Boynton Beach/ Delray Beach (Hagen Ranch Library) 14350 Hagen Ranch Road, Delray Beach, FL 33446 2nd Tuesday 6:15-7:45pm

Jupiter (Southeast Behavioral Health) 140 Intracoastal Pointe Dr, Ste 208, Jupiter, FL 33477 3rd Thursday 6:30-8:00pm

Wellington (Wellington Library) 1951 Royal Fern Dr, Wellington, FL 33414 2nd Monday 6:30-8:30pm

Other Local Support Groups for Peers

Other Local Family Support Groups

Family Grace Group First Presbyterian Church Youth Building 717 Prosperity Farms Road, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 1st Monday 6:30pm Jeni Ayers 561-309-5675 ayersjeni@gmail.com for more information

Alliance for Eating Disorders Awareness Friends and Family Support Group Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness Office 1649 Forum Place #2, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Wednesdays 7:00-8:30pm 866-662-1235

GROUP MEETINGS

South County Mental Health Center Depression Bipolar Support Alliance 16158 S Military Trail, Delray Beach, FL 33484 1-877-858-7474 for directions ALL DISORDERS (Building E. — Toole Building) Wednesdays 7:00-9:00pm

Peer Place Support Center 2100 45th Street, Suite B12, West Palm Beach, FL 33407 561-712-0584 for directions and information DRA (Living in the Now) (12 Step Co-occurring) Sat. 10am Here & Now (12 Step) Saturday 11:00am-12:00pm Peer Support Mon-Fri 9:00am-4:00pm; Sat 9am-1pm

Fair Oaks Pavilion (Behind Delray Community Hospital) 5440 Linton Blvd, Ste 1010, Delray Beach, FL 33484 Depression Bipolar Support Alliance (DBSA) 561-716-7511

Jupiter Fire Station No. 19 322 N. Central Boulevard, Jupiter, FL 33458 561-575-9787 for information Depression/Bipolar Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm

Holy Trinity Church 211 Trinity Place, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Nancy Drevich 561-499-6716 for information Depression/Bipolar Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm

West Boca Medical Education Center 21644 State Road 7, Boca Raton, FL 33428 For directions and info: Jason Spielman 954-217-1757 OCD 1st Thursday 7:30-9:00pm

Living Grace Group 1st Presbyterian Church Youth Bldg. 717 Prosperity Farms Rd, North Palm Beach, FL 33408 1st Tuesday 6:30pm, Contact Ken 561-379-5675,

Trauma Support Group Center for Trauma Counseling, Inc. 801 Lake Worth Road, Suite 101, Lake Worth, FL 33467 Contact Helya 561-444-3914

Support for Eating Disorders Alliance for Eating Disorder Awareness 1649 Forum Place #2, West Palm Beach, FL 33401 Thursdays 7:00-8:30pm *18+ males and females 866-662-1235

Jupiter 50 South US Highway 1, Suite 309, Jupiter, FL 33477 Grades 7-8: Mondays 5:30-6:30pm Grades 9-12: Mondays 6:30-7:30pm

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NAMI/PBC N.O.W. (NAMI on Wednesdays)

Lake Worth (NAMI Office) 1520 10th Avenue N, Suite D, Lake Worth, FL 33460 Wednesdays 11:00am-4:00pm

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We answered 183 phone calls

6 attended the Cognitive Enhancement Therapy 8 attended Peer-to-Peer Education

7 attended Provider Education 52 attended NAMI Presentations

69 participated in NAMI Peer Council and N.O.W. activities

32 attended NAMI/PBC Family Support Groups 162 attended NAMI Connection Groups

41 attended the NAMI/PBC Young Adults Group 7 attended the NAMI/PBC Adolescent Support

Groups

In September NAMI/PBC served 567 individuals

NAMI OFFICE HAPPENINGS

NAMI Palm Beach County welcomes its newest staff member, Kim Morales. Kim was hired last month as a part-time Peer Specialist for our REACH for Teens pro-gram. Kim recently completed the NAMI Peer-to-Peer Education and is scheduled to take the Certified Recov-ery Peer Specialist training this month. Kim’s bilingual skills will further NAMI’s outreach to Spanish-speaking families and their teens. Welcome Kim!

THE NAMI OFFICE WILL BE CLOSED NOVEMBER 26-27.

WHAT ‘S NEW

WHAT’S COMING UP

The NAMI Palm Beach County Board of Directors and Staff wish you

and your family a safe and joyous Thanksgiving holiday.

WHO JUST TIED THE KNOT???

On Sunday, October 25, our own Program

Director, Lynsey Poole, and her fiancée Samuel

Johnson, gave their wedding vows to each oth-

er in the Courtyard of the Lake Worth Casino.

The bride and groom looked wonderful in

the fall-themed ceremony. There was a deli-

cious reception that followed with a gorgeous

view of the ocean.

There was a large contingency of NAMI staff

who attended, with some surprise guests.

Join us in wishing Lynsey and Sam the best for

years to come!

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__ *Grand Benefactor $25,000/10 Tickets __ *Grand Benefactor Ticket $2,500 per person

__ *Benefactor Table $15,000/10 Tickets __ *Benefactor Ticket $1,500 per person

__ *Sponsor Table $10,000/10 Tickets __ *Sponsor Ticket $1,000 per person

__ *Patron Table $5,000/10 Tickets __ *Patron Ticket $500 per person

__ *Supporter Table $2,500/10 Tickets __ *Supporter Ticket $250 per person

__ *Contributor Table $1,000/10 Tickets __ *Contributor Ticket $100 per person

__ *Friend Table $750/10 Tickets __ Friend Ticket $75 per person

*Recognition of your generosity in the Benefit Program if received by December 4.

Donations are tax deductible to the fullest extent of the law.

Chairmen Margaret Donnelley, Manuel Kushner, Geri and Frank Morrow and the Luncheon Committee

Kindly request the pleasure of your company at our

Annual Luncheon

With Featured Speaker

Dr. xavier amador

Thursday, December 10, 2015 11:00 AM Silent and Tea Cup Auctions

12 O’clock Lunch and Program

Marriott West Palm Beach 1001 Okeechobee Boulevard

$75 per person

WHAT ‘S NEW

WHAT’S COMING UP

Speaker sponsored in part by

Contributions benefit NAMI|PBC, a not for profit tax exempt organization. A COPY OF THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND

FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF NAMI|PBC (CH 6498), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER

SERVICES AT WWW.800HELPFLA.COM OR BY CALLING TOLL FREE 1-800-435-7352 WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORI-

DA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY ENDORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE.

NAMI|PBC receives 100% of each contribution.

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Non-Profit Organization

US Postage Paid

West Palm Beach, FL

Permit No. 1327

National Alliance on Mental Illness of Palm Beach County

Mollie Wilmot Center—Palm Healthcare Pavilion

5205 Greenwood Avenue, Suite 110

West Palm Beach, FL 33407

Or Current Resident

NAMI Membership exists at 3 levels: Affiliate, State & National. NAMI is a 501(c)(3) non -profit, charitable organization—contributions are tax-deductible to the fullest extent allowed by law.

Together, we can continue to fight for all those affected by mental illness. PLEASE NOTE: In

order for NAMI/PBC to receive your full donation, please send your donation to the NAMI/

PBC office. Thank you!

Contributions benefit NAMI|PBC, a not for profit tax exempt organization. A COPY OF

THE OFFICIAL REGISTRATION AND FINANCIAL INFORMATION OF NAMI|PBC

(CH 6498), MAY BE OBTAINED FROM THE DIVISION OF CONSUMER SER-

VICES AT WWW.800HELPFLA.COM OR BY CALLING TOLL FREE 1-800-435-

7352 WITHIN THE STATE OF FLORIDA. REGISTRATION DOES NOT IMPLY EN-

DORSEMENT, APPROVAL OR RECOMMENDATION BY THE STATE. NAMI|PBC

receives 100% of each contribution.

Members are NAMI/PBC’s lifeblood; your member-ship helps us continue to

provide free outreach, support & education. In bringing mental health

issues to wider attention, we advocate for better

treatment. As our mem-bership base grows, our voice becomes stronger.

Respect, Compassion & Hope … NAMI Works!

I’d like to support NAMI PBC with a donation of: __ $25 __ $50 __ $100

other: $____

5205 Greenwood Ave., Suite 110, West Palm Beach, FL 33407

T: 561.588.3477 F: 561.588-3499

Email: info@namipbc.org Website: namipbc.org

I’d like to volunteer for NAMI/PBC’s 2015 Walk. I wish to receive NAMI National’s solicitations.

Check here for renewal: Date:_______

Name:______________________________

Address:____________________________

City/St:_____________________________

Zip:_________....Phone:_______________

Email:______________________________

MEMBERSHIP: Regular $35 Open Door $3

SPONSORSHIP: Family $55 Professional $65 Corporate $250