October  16th, 2015
 
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NAMI-NYS News
NAMI-NYS is Proud to Announce Our 
2015 Award Winners

Each year, the NAMI-NYS awards are presented to those who are making extraordinary contributions to improving the lives of individuals and families impacted by mental illness. We are thrilled to announce this year's winners. The awards will be presented at the  2015 NAMI-NYS  Education Conference -Redefining Recovery: New Challenges, New Opportunities, New Hopes, taking place Nov.13-15 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.
2015 NAMI-NYS Award Winners


 
Criminal Justice Visionary Award-Sheriff Thomas Dart      

 

Max Gabriel Veteran's Mental Health Award-Judge Robert Russell           

 

Government Champion Award-Chirlane McCray, First Lady, City of New York

 

Affiliate of the Year Award-NAMI-Queens/Nassau

 

Muriel Shepherd Award-Marla Byrnes, NAMI Syracuse

 

Small Affiliate of the Year Award-NAMI Columbia County

 

Signature Program Award-Jodie Terhune, NAMI Rochester

 

Media Award-Lady Charmaine Day, NAMI NYC Metro

 

Young Leader Award-Alexis Hill, NAMI Mid-Hudson

 

Click here to REGISTER FOR THE CONFERENCE ONLINE. You can also register by phone by calling (518) 462-2000.


You can click here to view the conference brochure detailing the full weekend agenda. 

Today is the deadline to apply for a scholarship.You can  click here to obtain a scholarship application.

  Please note: Only NAMI-NYS members can apply for a scholarship and an application does not guarantee a registration. 

NAMI-NYS Trains New Group of 
Family-to-Family Teachers


Congratulations to our new NAMI-NYS Family-to-Family teachers. They completed the 3-day training over the weekend and are now well prepared and eager to teach their first F2F classes. Our trainers Geraldine Burton & Pam Solomon did a phenomenal job in teaching and making sure everyone was well equipped with all the tools and information they need to return to their affiliates. Thank you again and I look forward to hearing all the great things you will be doing as well as to see you teaching your classes.

Listen to NAMI-NYS Public Engagement Coordinator
on Taboo Talk

Earlier this week NAMI-NYS Public Engagement Coordinator, Matthew Shapiro, appeared on 2015 NAMI-NYS Media Award recipient Lady Charmaine Day's radio show Taboo Talk. Matthew discussed how mental illness has impacted him and his family, shared his 21 Pearls of Wisdom for Good Mental Health and the 2015 NAMI-NYS Education Conference. 

For those who did not have the opportunity to listen to the show, you can click here to hear the recording from blog radio.

NAMI News
NAMI and NIMH collaborate for a Capitol Hill Briefing Announcing Official Results from a 
Multi-Year Study on First Episode Psychosis 
(FEP) Programs: 

Take Action and Urge Our Congressional 
Representatives to Attend

NAMI and NIMH are collaborating on a Capitol Hill briefing announcing the official results from a multi-year study on First Episode Psychosis (FEP) programs. As communities grapple with how to better identify serious mental illnesses earlier and more effectively, this study provides answers. This briefing is important for our Congressional Representatives to attend for three reasons:
  • The NIMH funded study shows that with the right services, delivered at the right time, young people with psychosis get better.
  • This study provides clear justification for the continued requirement that states use 5% of their Mental Health Block Grant for FEP programs.
  • It features key findings from this major NIMH funded study on how and why FEP programs should be expanded to every community across the country.
These programs such as New York's own OnTrackNY have demonstrated that early intervention can greatly advance the recovery from the most serious forms of mental illness.
Action Alert  
TAKE ACTION TODAY!!!

Please email, call and tweet your Congressional Members today and ask them to mark their calendars and attend this critically important briefing:
  • What: NAMI and NIMH Briefing on Positive Research Results for FEP Programs
  • When: October 20th from 2 to 4 p.m. ET
  • Where: 2325 Rayburn Office Building, House Science Committee's Hearing Room
Click here to send a letter
Click here to call
Click here to Tweet

Celebrating Latino Culture and Creating Change

Latino culture is very family-oriented but also old fashioned and that can make it hard to openly talk about mental health without the stigma that comes along with it. The worst part of having a mental illness can be not having the right support group to help you through it, so it's so important that people can talk to their family about what they are going through and know that they won't be judged or shrugged off. Click here to read more. 
New York State News
Family Peer Support Services:
Partnering with Hospitals


On Friday, October 30th from noon-1pm will be the first in an occasional series of webinars exploring successful collaborations between New York State Family Peer Support programs and other service providers.

This webinar will describe the partnership between the Family Peer Support Services program of the Mental Health Association of Erie County, the Tower Foundation, and three hospitals: Bry-Lyn Hospital, Buffalo Psychiatric Center and Erie County Medical Center.  Presenters will describe how this partnership facilitates outreach, promotes engagement throughout a family and youth's hospital stay, and supports families when their children are discharged from the hospital. Presenters will offer their perspectives on what has contributed to the success and growth of this collaboration.

Target Audience: Providers of hospital (emergency, stabilization and inpatient) services for children and youth, Managed Care Organizations and Performing Provider Systems, Family Peer Support Services (FPSS) providers who are interested in expanding their work to include work with hospitals. 

Presenters:
  • Jenny Laney | Director, Child & Family Support Program, Mental Health Association of Erie County, Inc.
  • Chuck Colston | Program Officer, The Peter and Elizabeth C. Tower Foundation 
  • Dr. Michael Cumming, MD | Executive Director of Behavioral Health, Erie County Medical Center
  • Daryl Taberski | Clinical Supervisor, BryLin Hospital
  • Caitlin Neumann | Youth Peer Mentor, MHA Erie County. 
NAMI-NYS strongly encourages our members who offer education and support services to families impacted by mental illness to participate in this webinar.
http://www.mentalhealthnys.org/login/login.cfm?EventSID=547      
National News
 White House Rural Initiative Highlights the National Center of Excellence on Early Childhood 
Mental Health

Last week SAMSHA, in partnership with ACF and HRSA of the Department of Health and Human Services, announced the launch of the National Center of Excellence for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health Consultation.

The White House highlighted the launch with a blog by Roberto Rodríguez, Deputy Assistant to the President for Education, and Doug O'Brien, Senior Policy Advisor for Rural Affairs with the White House Domestic Policy Council. The Center for Excellence will be funded at about $6 million over the next four years to build strong state and tribal systems of early childhood mental health consultation and meet the social-emotional and behavioral health of young children and their families.

Read the full blog here and related blogs here and here.


The Second Chance Act: 
3 Things You Can Do to Help!


There has been a lot of talk lately on Capitol Hill about criminal justice reform, and it is expected that both the House and the Senate will take up the issue now that Congress is back in session.

We need your help to make sure that the Second Chance Act and the essential resources it provides for successful prisoner reentry are included in this discussion!

Click here to learn about the three things you can do to advocate to the Second Chance Act.

The Justice Center of the Council of State Governments will be participating in the Criminal Justice focus track of the 2015 NAMI-NYS Education Conference.

Providing Education in Jail can Dramatically Reduce Recidivism

This short news clip shows the advantages of allowing inmates to take college courses while in prison. The man profiled here is Johnny Perez, a former inmate who did 15 years in jail for armed robbery. Johnny e xplains how beneficial it was for him to take the college classes, and how different his post-prison life would be without having taken these courses. Click here to see the video. 

Johnny Perez will be a presenting on the mental health impact of Solitary Confinement at the 2015 NAMI-NYS Education Conference.

Experimental Tardive Dyskinesia Drug Hits Mark
 in Phase 3

A new drug being developed by Neurocrine Biosciences, NB-98854, is an experimental drug developed to treat tardive dyskinesia, a condition that can develop from long-term anti-psychotic drugs. It is now in phase 3 of development and is proving to be a promising advancement in the treatment of diseases like schizophrenia, and other diseases. Click here to read more. 

The 2015 NAMI-NYS Education Conference will have a workshop on recognizing potential side-effects to long-term anti-psychotic drugs. 

Britain's  Royal Family Dedicating Themselves to Mental Health Awareness

This past week members of the British royal family have demonstrated their commitment to mental health and mental illness awareness. Prince William and Princess Kate both support different charities that work to raise awareness for mental illness and advocate to end the stigma that is associated with it. Prince Harry is a firm supporter of veterans who have physical disabilities and mental illness as a result of their time in the service. 

Click here to read about Prince William and Princess Kate's efforts.

Click here to read about Prince Harry's efforts. 
NIMH News

NIMH Update

Click here to read the latest Update from NIMH.

NIMH Resources for Engaging the Public in 
Research Participation

Click here to read about NIMH resources to engage the public in research participation. NAMI-NYS strongly encourages our affiliate leaders and Signature Program facilitators to encourage people and their loved ones to participate in clinical trials as research provides hope for better understanding of psychiatric disorders.

The 2015 NAMI-NYS Education Conference will feature a workshop session on participating in NIMH research trials.

Read the Latest Edition of NIMH 
Outreach Connections

Click here to read the edition of NIMH Outreach Connection, which details the work of the NIMH Outreach Partnership program. This edition details many of the sessions from the 2015 NIMH Outreach Partner Meeting, including the NAMI-NYS meeting summary.

NAMI-NYS is proud to serve as the NIMH Outreach partner for New York State.


Signature Programs
October 17 - Join NAMI Mid-Hudson as they host a new NAMI Basics course.  Classes will be held on Saturday mornings from 9am - 3pm for three weeks. For more information or to register contact Jo Ann Brown at (845)832-6368 or by e-mail

October 25-NAMI Rockland will present a special NAMI In Our Own Voice program co-sponsored by the Friends of the Finkelstein Memorial Library, Spring Valley. Contact (845) 359-8785 for more information. 


Save the Dates
October 16 - "Ask the Doctor," Dr. Ellen Leibenluft, Diagnosing Bipolar Disorder.  11 am to 12 noon.  (888)858-6021, Participant Code 309918#.
 
October 18 - #MusicForTomorrow, join singer-songwriter/activist Anthony Rispo for a fundraising initiative as well as a movement for mental health/wellbeing for the community.  The live performance is at the Winery at St. George in Mohegan, NY, on Route 6 at 6 pm.  Contributions accepted at indiegogo.com.
 
October 18 - Join the American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, Capital Region chapter for their Walk for R.I.T.A.  The walk will be held at the Saratoga County Fairgrounds.  To learn more about click here

October 20 - Join NAMI Rochester as they host the 14th Annual Jessica Henderson Memorial Event at the School of the Arts from 6:00 - 8:30 pm.   This year's speaker will be Kevin Hines, an award winning speaker, author and mental health advocate who reaches audiences with this story of an unlikely survival and his strong will to live.  His book, "Cracked, Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt" shares the message of learning to live mentally well in the face of mental illness. For more information or to register, go to www.namiroc.org , or call  (585) 423-1593. Registration is $15 and includes a light reception and book signing. 

October 21 - Join NAMI Westchester for their first Educational Event with Dr. Xavier Amador.  This event will be Wednesday from 1:00 - 4:30 pm at St. Vincent's Hospital.  For more information click here
 
October 21 - Join NAMI Rockland for their annual Breaking the Silence.  Topics addressed will be ADHD (Attention Deficit Disorder): Triumphs and Challenges.  Will take place at Cultural Arts Center of Rockland Community College in Sufferen.  Suggested donation $15, students admitted for free.  For tickets and information call NAMI Rockland at (845)359-8787 or www.namirockland.org .
 
October 22 - Join NAMI April of Brooklyn for a free showing of No Kidding! Me 2! by Joe Pantoliano at 7pm, located at South Beach Psychiatric Clinic, Brooklyn.  For more information contact (718)375-0600.

October 22 - Families for Depression Awareness is presenting a free, 1-hour Bipolar Disorder in Adults webinar (with additional 15 minutes Q&A) at 7pm.  Designed for adults with bipolar disorder, their family caregivers, and the general public.  Read more and register at www.familyaware.org/trainings.
 
October 23-The Brain & Behavior Research Foundation will be hosting their complimentary 27th Annual New York City Mental Health Research Symposium at the Kaufman Music Center located at 129 West 67th St. in NYC. The 2015 Outstanding Achievement Prizewinners and select Young Investigators will present the latest research discoveries across brain and behavior disorders along with a special Keynote Presentation, followed by interactive audience Q&A. Click here for more information and to register.. 

October 23 - "Ask the Doctor," Dr. Jackie Feldman, Jail Diversion.  11 am to 12 noon.  (888)858-6021, Participant Code 309918#.
 
November 4- The Mental Health Association of Westchester Community Conversation.  7pm to 9pm.  Rosenthal JCC of Northern Westchester, 600 Bar Ridge Road, Pleasantville, NY.
Raising Our Youth With The Best of Intentions: The Hidden and Not-So-Hidden Pressures for Success, Is There Really an Alternative?  You are invited to join us for a vital conversation about the messages we explicitly convey to our children, how we can better recognize stressors and how best to respond and what we can do to increase emotional resilience short and long term.  Panelists include Christopher Borsari, Shari Applebaum and Barbara Bernstein.

November 4-6 - Join the Association for Community Living for their 36th annual conference. The conference will be held at The Sagamore Resort, for more information click here.

November 7 - Join NAMI Columbia County and the Apogee Center, with the cooperation of Parsons Child and Family Center for an all day workshop with Dr. Daniel Fisher on Emotional CPR.  Pre-registration will be needed for this event and the cost is $10 per person.  To learn more contact NAMI Columbia County by phone (518)336-0246 or e-mail.

November 8 - Team Daniel Running For Recovery From Mental Illness is running their 3rd Annual 5K run/walk at North Hempstead State Park (Bar Beach) in Port Washington, NY at 9am.  Sign up is on active.com look for Team Daniel.  Proceeds will be going to support NAMI/BBRF/and other Mental Health charities.

November 9- December 11- The Mental Health Empowerment Project Presents: Free Peer Specialist Training in Troy, NY.  Tues-Wed-Thurs each week.  9am-4pm.  To register or for more information please contact Marianne at the Empowerment Exchange.  (518) 235-2173.

November 10 - Join the Brain and Behavior Research Foundation as they welcome Carol A. Tamminga, M.D., for their monthly webinar.  Dr. Tamminga's topic will be Schizophrenia.  The webinar will be from 2pm -3pm, click here to register.

November 13-15 - Join us for the 2015 NAMI-NYS Education Conference.  Click here to learn more.       
TO HAVE YOUR EVENTS FEATURED IN THE NAMI-NYS NEWS RELEASE PLEASE EMAIL EVENT DETAILS TO MATTHEW SHAPIRO.  

NAMI-NYS | 99 Pine Street Suite 302| Albany, New York 12207 | (518) 462-2000