REMINDER
EMERGENCY SERVICES WILL NO LONGER BE HANDLED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF MENTAL HEALTH. DUE TO PRIVATIZING OF SERVICES, BOSTON MEDICAL CENTER THROUGH ITS SUB-CONTRACTOR, BAY COVE HUMAN SERVICES, WILL HANDLE ALL EMERGENCY SERVICES.
Their 24-Hour Hotline is: 1-800-981-HELP (4357)
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From the desk of Jackie Lane, Executive Director NAMI CC&I
Garden Therapy and a Conversation
I think that we can all agree that contemporary living can be very stressful and attaining a balance in one's life can be a challenge, but a necessity in order to stay mentally healthy. Having grown up in Northern New York state in an area where farming was still a way of life and spending summers at my family's camp in the Adirondacks and at the cottage in the Thousand Islands, the natural world has always been a part of my life. Therefore, I suppose that it is no surprise that my natural tendency is to turn to nature and in this case horticulture (gardening) as a stress reliever and life balancer.
When asked to do a conversation about NAMI CC&I with Melinda Gallant for Sandwich community television, it was suggested that it be done in our gardens and I agreed that it would be a relaxing and peaceful setting in which to discuss a very serious and complicated subject. The attached is the result of that Monday morning in the Lane's garden.
To Watch: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X1bkDdXMA4s&feature=youtu.be
Tchau, tchau, Camilla! Is the summer really over??
In just a few days, Camilla Luppi, our summer intern, will be returning to the Roger Williams University campus for her senior year of undergrad work as a psychology major with a Spanish minor. It makes me long for the "good old days" when college started around the middle of September, after one worked at his summer job through Labor Day weekend and still had a few days to pack and party!
Having Camilla here has been an enlightening and positive experience for the NAMI CC&I staff, and in many ways, I feel that we have gained as least as much from her as she has gained from her experiences here this summer. (See her summary and evaluation of the internship below.) Camilla and her family came to this country from Brazil when she was six years old and through open conversations with her, we have gained significant insight into the assimilation process of a hardworking and industrious immigrant family on Cape Cod. We have also gained insights into the thoughts, feelings, and issues of college students as seen through the eyes of a student. Camilla, at Roger Williams, has served as a student mentor and will be a resident assistant this year, positioning her as a perceptive spokesperson for this demographic.
These two facets of this summer relationship with Camilla have put us into the position of being able to actively pursue two new programming initiatives, initiatives of which we have been speaking about for the past two or three years. Camilla has been able to connect us with valuable resources within the Brazilian community here on the Cape, and we are poised to begin some programming in Portuguese which will be held at three of the Brazilian churches in the area and taught by a bi-lingual licensed therapist. We have also been connected with a professional translator who translates both Brazilian Portuguese and American Spanish. We are also in the process of connecting with personnel at Cape Cod Community College and plan to set up a meeting prior to Camilla's departure with the hope of having her input as we work to develop programming for the college age student, a group we have not yet directly addressed.
Camilla, we wish you the best in your Senior year and good luck in your search for the best graduate program in your quest to become a therapist. We look forward to staying in touch and hope that you might find time for a project with NAMI CC&I during your long winter break. And, by the way, congratulations on becoming a United States' citizen on Monday, July 24, 2017!
Tchau, tchau for now!
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From Our Summer Intern...
When I first contacted NAMI Cape Cod, I knew the mere basics about what this great organization does: support, educate and advocate. At my first meeting with Jackie Lane, I learned about their free classes for the families of those diagnosed with a mental illness, the various support groups found throughout the Cape and the tremendous amount of work done by every staff member to create more resources for people affected by mental illness. My first big project while interning with NAMI Cape Cod was to research the link between diabetes and depression as well as other information about diabetes for the new Diabetes Resource Center(DRC) located at the YMCA but free to the public. At the same time, I learned a great deal about diabetes and filled the room with all types of resources for the public. Now, the DRC, is filled with articles, pamphlets, booklets, and books for all ages, including some handouts and booklets in Spanish. I am now working on stocking the room with some books and resources in Portuguese to better help the large Brazilian community on Cape Cod.
My second biggest accomplishment thus far during my internship was successfully creating a small focus group with important people in the Brazilian community. Two well-connected, educated, and key women from the Brazilian community joined Jackie and I for a meeting to discuss the needs of this community on the Cape. Being Brazilian myself, I had some notion of what the key needs and problems were, but Raffaella Almeida, LICSW, and Claudia Kennedy, a translator and a client advocate for the Catholic Social Services, explained the devastating obstacles this specific group of people face regarding mental illness. We were made aware of the stigma as well as the appalling lack of services and resources for the Brazilian people. On a positive note, I am optimistic that a successful partnership was created between Raffaella, Claudia and NAMI Cape Cod & The Islands, and that we can continue working on providing resources for such an underserved community.
Jackie encouraged me to attend important meetings and consequently, I have met a plethora of key people connected to the mental health system. I shadowed Jackie at meetings at the YMCA regarding the DRC with new potential partners and resources and I even sat in on a CCIT meeting where I had the pleasure of meeting several officers. I also attended several meetings with Kim Lemmon, NAMI's Outreach Coordinator. We went to a gathering about hoarding hosted at the Dennis Police Station, and we also attended a case conference where members of different organizations and communities discussed the implementation of the new mental health crisis line on the Cape. Jackie took me along to Nantucket, where we met with Ruth Blunt, the NAMI Nantucket Representative. However, my favorite trip of the summer was to Worcester State Recovery Center because I most likely would never have gotten the chance to visit this facility as a college student otherwise.
As my internship comes to an end, I can't help but reflect on all I have learned over the course of this summer. I have not only grown professionally, but academically and emotionally as well. Working closely with Jackie Lane, I have absorbed and learned much more than I had ever imagined I would. She not only exposed me to the issues in the mental health system, but she also taught me things like strategic planning and the importance of focus groups and these are all valuable concepts I would never have learned in a classroom as a psychology major. Her incredible work ethic and perseverance while fighting for things she believes in has inspired me tremendously. I watched her continuously speak her mind and advocate for the issues and things she wanted done and unknowingly, it was one of the greatest lessons I received here at NAMI: to never give up. One would think that once I learned and saw firsthand how fragmented and broken the mental health system was, that I would run away. Instead, NAMI Cape Cod's entire staff has only motivated and encouraged me to continue pursuing my passions. I am so thankful for my time here at NAMI and while I am saddened that my summer internship is almost at its end, I am excited to reconnect during school breaks.
Ribbon Cutting for the Diabetes Resource Center
I 
As an intern, my first big task was to find resources for the new Diabetes Resource Center (DRC) housed at the local YMCA. The Diabetes Resource Center is filled with loads of information on any aspect of diabetes and it is a free service for the entire community. Although there are many physical and nutritional changes when diagnosed with diabetes, the DRC is unique as it takes a whole person approach. Ultimately, this means that the Center does not only focus on exercise and diet, but also the stress and psychological sides of this disease as well. As I began my tasks as an intern, I quickly grew to know the comorbidity between depression and diabetes, and I was able to find great articles and handouts that explain the link between the two. Working with the help of others, I was successful in filling the room with resources for the public and creating a small library with topics ranging from general diabetes (Type 1 and 2), stories of those who live with the illness, educational literature for kids and exercise and cookbooks.
It is my hope that anyone who comes into the Center will walk out being more informed about this chronic illness. The center provides a wide variety of free books that can be lent out to the public, computers and printers, and even appointments with a nutritionist. The Center also has quite a few handouts and booklets in Spanish, and I am working on getting some books and handouts in Brazilian Portuguese to better help the large Brazilian community on Cape Cod. An educational program that encompasses the "whole person" approach will soon be available at no cost for those interested. Although it is NAMI's wish and goal that the users of the DRC will walk out more educated, I myself learned a lot while filling the room with the necessary resources. The most astonishing fact I learned while researching was how common the co-occurrence of both diabetes and depression is. It is known that being diagnosed with a chronic illness, like diabetes, can lead to depression and that being diagnosed with depression can lead to diabetes. Another major point that I am grateful to take away from this research is how much the "whole person" approach matters. Our bodies cannot function properly if a part, like our brain, is experiencing problems and the information the Diabetes Resource Center provides, strongly emphasizes that we should take care of our physical and mental health just as much.
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From the desk of Mary Zdanowicz, Esq.
To see the Department of Mental Health Budget for 2018:
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Distorted Mind: Mental Illness Revealed
by Michael Fortnam
If you have ever wondered what it is like to have a severe mental illness, this is the book to read. Michael Fortnam tells the story of his epic journey from mathematics student at Boston University to patient at a state psychiatric hospital.
He describes his illness with so much insight and poetry, that you begin to feel the pain he must have know. Learning to live with his mental illness was anything but easy. He experienced symptoms of depression, mania and psychosis.
Depression was "grief, sorrow, regret, hopelessness, and despair," but that only begins to describe the paralyzing effect it had on his life. "Manic bewilderment" was just the opposite of depression filled with energy and enthusiasm until eventually he broke from reality. He felt "spiritually divine or at least spiritually gifted."
Many of his experiences are all too familiar to people with serious mental illnesses who do not understand what is happening to their minds and do not know how to get help. He felt isolated and alone, so he would sit in South Station wishing and pretending he was part of the society that passed him by.
Eventually his paranoia resulted in arrest. He spent time in jail before a court ordered a psychiatric evaluation at a state psychiatric hospital. He describes his self-imposed stigma; he did not want to be like the "other patients." Finally, after nine months he emerged with a new understanding of his illness.
This 60-page memoir is easy to read in one sitting.
Distorted Mind is so well written you will not want to put it down.
Book reviewed by Mary Zdanowicz
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"You Are Not Alone"
Mental Health Primer
is Coming...
NAMI CC&I is producing a concise, user-friendly, free 60-page booklet containing 10 chapters on the most common issues facing families, friends and caregivers who are dealing with a loved one with a mental illness including: what to do in a crisis, how to deal with the police, what happens when you go to the hospital, myths of mental illness, medication and treatment options, how to apply for DMH services, how to navigate the legal system and much more. It will also have an up-to-date Resource List of inpatient and outpatient resources on Cape Cod. The lack of this kind of written information was seen as a crucial missing piece by many mental healthcare professionals as well as members of our classes and support groups. The goal of the Primer is to help allay fears, foster understanding and provide concrete information and education to those who need it so that they will be better able to deal with and help their loved one.
We are grateful to grants from Cape Cod Healthcare, The Edward Bangs Kelley & Elza Kelley Foundation and The Cape Cod Five Charitable Foundation to cover printing costs.
We expect to have the Primer available in 2017,
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Monthly Book Review
The Body Keeps the Score
Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma
by Bessel Van Der Kolk, MD
Dr. Bessel Van der Kolk, pioneer in trauma research and treatment and founder of The Trauma Center in Brookline, MA, has written a captivating, comprehensive and immensely readable book on how the body handles the profound impact of trauma.
With compelling case histories and personal anecdotes, Dr. Van der Kolk discusses how trauma, whether from combat, early sexual or parental abuse or neglect or exposure to physical violence, reshapes the brain and leads its victims to become 'stuck' despite traditional therapies and how it impacts their relationships, work and daily lives. He explores the connections between modern neuroscience, vast clinical experience and psychological understanding in order to fully appreciate the all-encompassing experience of trauma.
"Recovery from trauma involves learning how to restore a sense of visceral safety and reclaiming a loving relationship with one's self, one's entire organism." To do this, Van der Kolk points to his research as well as the research of other professionals to develop treatment strategies that combine both traditional therapies and more cutting edge therapies such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR). He touts the benefits of Mindfulness Training, Yoga, theater and the arts as part of the process of reclaiming a meaningful life.
Whether you are a mental health professional, suffer from PTSD or just curious about the fascinating interplay of mind and body, this almost can't-put-down book will not only give you a tremendous amount of information, but also a sense of hope that people dealing with the effects of trauma can be helped.
Book reviewed by Arlene Hoxie
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Annual Tribal Health Fair
On Saturday, July 22nd, Kim Lemmon attended to a resource table at the 8th Annual Tribal Health Fair sponsored by the Mashpee
Wampanoag
Tribe.
This year's theme focused on Mental Health and was supported by 20 plus organizations on Cape Cod who support residents during times of crisis and recovery.
Attendees enjoyed traditional food and festivities as well as raffles and exhibits.
Our Brazilian Portuguese Community
During July, we also met with members of the Brazilian Portuguese Community to discuss how NAMI might meet their needs. See article above from Camilla Luppi for more details.
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Ruth Blount
NAMI on Nantucket Program Coordinator |
The frantic pace of life for islanders in July and August can bring exhaustion and white-knuckled stress. It's essential, but so very difficult, to take time to breathe, to have healthy boundaries, to walk on the moors, to use wisdom of what to add or subtract in our schedules, and how to say no. I am writing this at 1:08 a.m., as I lay awake, knowing that staring at a computer screen will not bring sleep, and I need to apply the very things I just said we should do! The good news is that Fall is coming, and with it, a slight slowing of pace and increased connectedness to friends.
NAMI on Nantucket continues to grow in quiet ways this summer, preparing to implement a full program in the Fall. What is valuable beyond mere programming, is the support that comes from building relationships within our NAMI community.... Knowing that someone else understands exactly what you may be experiencing on your journey, and that a phone call is all it takes to be connected.
I am thankful for my NAMI family.
Here are some updates for July:
- The first Dragonfly Emotional Wellness Group met with Richard Ross and Christina Polachi as advisers, and it was an encouraging report. The group decided that goals would be socialization, group activities, hikes/ nature walks, yoga, and movie discussions. Most of all, the participants wanted a safe place to talk with like-minded people. The next meeting will take place on Monday, August 14, at 6:30 pm at the UU Meeting House. Starting in September, two meetings/ month will take place.
- NAMI Family Support Group - 2nd Tuesday of each month. This support group is growing and the group wisdom and support that is felt each month is a keystone to NAMI. So happy to report that Suzanne Defronzo is going to become involved as a co-facilitator. Suzanne has a heart to serve, and we are so grateful for her.
- Plans are being made for a Basics class in the Fall and two Family to Family classes in the new year (English and Spanish!)
- I am deeply grateful for the dedication, expertise, and energy that Jackie Lane, our NAMI CC&I executive director, has directed towards Nantucket. We are applying for a grant from the Community Health Initiative Healthy
Nantucket 2020, which would be administrated by NAMI, but represent all of the Nantucket behavioral health organizations here. It would provide a mass media campaign on Nantucket, explaining how to access help when needed, and helping to reduce stigma. We will keep you updated.
- David Glidden Travel Fund - we have half of our $20,000 launch goal. This fund will be available for individuals or families who have extra expenses (travel, child care, hotel) when needing off-island behavioral health services.
- Our amazing Dragonfly fundraiser is coming up September 21... heart-felt thanks to Kate Kling and dedication, which makes NAMI on Nantucket possible. Please show support for this event! (show link?)
I met a woman (now friend) a few weeks ago, who had rushed to the island because her child was experiencing a mental health crisis. There are no silver bullets, no magic pill to make it all heal immediately, but there is help available. My new friend, upon returning home to another state, was able to find a local NAMI group and attend a Family to Family class. Here is what she told me by email: "I joined a NAMI family class that meets on Wednesdays, 45 minutes away. It is wonderful. I am learning lots. With life crashing around my child, I am so thankful for a supportive group..." To me, that says it all.
That's July on Nantucket. Thanks to all of you
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And From NAMI on Martha's Vineyard
Our Support Groups continue to be well attended.
We've identified some grant funding resources and applications are underway.
In the Fall the group will begin work to better educate our island community on the mission and programs of NAMI to increase visibility and offer more support.
Cecilia Brennan is a new member of the NAMI Cape Cod & The Islands Board of Directors.
Please contact Cecilia at 201-981-5123 with questions or interest in becoming involved.
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60 Tips to Cope with Serious Mental Illness
in the Family
If you have a family member with a serious mental illness, remember these points:
1. You cannot cure a mental disorder for a family member.
2. Despite your efforts, symptoms may get worse, or may improve.
3. If you feel much resentment, you are giving too much.
4. It is as hard for the individual to accept the disorder as it is for other family members.
5. Acceptance of the disorder by all concerned may be helpful, but not necessary.
6. A delusion will not go away by reasoning and therefore needs no discussion.
7. You may learn something about yourself as you learn about a family member's mental disorder.
8. Separate the person from the disorder. Love the person, even if you hate the disorder.
9. Separate medication side effects from the disorder/person.
10. It is not OK for you to be neglected. You have needs & wants too.
11. Your chances of getting mental illness as a sibling or adult child of someone with schizophrenia are 10-14%. If you are older than 30, they are negligible for schizophrenia.
12. Your children's chances are approximately 2-4%, compared to the general population of 1%.
13. The illness of a family member is nothing to be ashamed of. Reality is that you may encounter discrimination from an apprehensive public.
14. No one is to blame.
15. Don't forget your sense of humor.
16. It may be necessary to renegotiate your emotional relationship.
17. It may be necessary to revise your expectations.
18. Success for each individual may be different.
19. Acknowledge the remarkable courage your family member may show dealing with a serious mental illness.
20.Your family member is entitled to his own life journey, as you are.
21. Survival-oriented response is often to shut down your emotional life. Resist this.
22. Inability to talk about feelings may leave you stuck or frozen.
23. The family relationships may be in disarray in the confusion around the mental disorder.
24. Generally, those closest in sibling order and gender become emotionally enmeshed, while those further out become estranged.
25. Grief issues for siblings are about what you had and lost. For adult children the issues are about what you never had.
26. After denial, sadness, and anger comes acceptance. The addition of understanding yields compassion.
27. The mental illnesses, like other diseases, are a part of the varied fabric of life.
28. Shed neurotic suffering and embrace real suffering.
29. The mental illnesses are not on a continuum with mental health. Mental illness is a biological brain disease.
30. It is absurd to believe you may correct a physical illness such as diabetes, the schizophrenias, or manic-depression with talk, although addressing social complications may be helpful.
31. Symptoms may change over time while the underlying disorder remains.
32. The disorder may be periodic, with times of improvement and deterioration, independent of your hopes or actions.
33. You should request the diagnosis and its explanation from professionals.
34. Schizophrenia may be a class of disorders rather than a single disorder.
35. Identical diagnoses does not mean identical causes, courses, or symptoms.
36. Strange behavior is symptom of the disorder. Don't take it personally.
37. You have a right to assure your personal safety.
38. Don't shoulder the whole responsibility for your mentally disordered relative.
39. You are not a paid professional caseworker. Work with them about your concerns.
Maintain your role as the sibling, child, or parent of the individual. Don't change your role.
40. Mental health professionals, family members, & the disordered all have ups and downs when dealing with a mental disorder.
41. Forgive yourself and others for mistakes made.
42. Mental health professionals have varied degrees of competence.
43. If you can't care for yourself, you can't care for another.
44. You may eventually forgive your member for having MI.
45. The needs of the ill person do not necessarily always come first.
46. It is important to have boundaries and set clear limits.
47. Most modern researchers favor a genetic, biochemical (perhaps interuteral), or viral basis. Each individual case may be one, a combination, or none of the above. Genetic predisposition may result from a varied single gene or a combination.
48. Learn more about mental disorders. Read some of our recommended books like
Surviving Schizophrenia: A Family Manual
by Dr. E. Fuller Torrey;
"I Am Not Sick, I Don't Need Help! How to Help Someone with Mental Illness Accept Treatment
, by Xavier Amador and
Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill
by DJ Jaffe.
49. From Surviving Schizophrenia: "Schizophrenia randomly selects personality types, and families should remember that persons who were lazy, manipulative, or narcissistic before they got sick are likely to remain so as schizophrenic." And, "As a general rule, I believe that most persons with schizophrenia do better living somewhere other than home. If a person does live at home, two things are essential-solitude and structure." And, "In general, treat the ill family member with dignity as a person, albeit with a brain disease." And, "Make communication brief, concise, clear and unambiguous."
50. It may be therapeutic to you to help others if you cannot help your family member.
51. Recognizing that a person has limited capabilities should not mean that you expect nothing of them.
52. Don't be afraid to ask your family member if he is thinking about hurting himself.
A suicide rate of 10% is based on it happening to real people. Your own relative could be one. Discuss it to avoid it.
53. Mental disorders affect more than the afflicted.
54. Your conflicted relationship may spill over into your relationships with others. You may unconsciously reenact the conflicted relationship.
55. It is natural to experience a cauldron of emotions such as grief, guilt, fear, anger, sadness, hurt, confusion, etc. You, not the ill member, are responsible for your own feelings.
56. Eventually you may see the silver lining in the storm clouds: increased awareness, sensitivity, receptivity, compassion, maturity and become less judgmental, self-centered.
57. Allow family members to maintain denial of the illness if they need it. Seek out others whom you can talk to.
58. You are not alone. Sharing your thoughts and feelings with others in a support group is helpful and enlightening for many.
59. The mental disorder of a family member is an emotional trauma for you. You pay a price if you do not receive support and help.
60. Support research.
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Peer Services
The Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance of Cape Cod (DBSA-CC)
meets every Wednesday from 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm
at the Cape Cod Medical Center, 40 Quinlan Way, Hyannis
(across the parking lot from Cape Psych Center)
Enter at the white portico and take the elevator to the conference room in the basement
DBSA-CC is a non-profit, self help organization run by and for people with bipolar and depressive illness. Family and friends are also welcome. There are no membership fees. We come together to share support and information with other members in similar situations.
For further information, contact Lois at 508-681-8598
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Dance In The Rain
Every Thursday Morning 11:00AM - 12:00PM. Come join women like yourself who live with mental illness. Find acceptance, understanding and discover friendships at Dance in the Rain Peer to Peer Collaboration 145 Barnstable Rd. Hyannis, MA (Upstairs from Procuts).
Founder/Executive Director/Peer
Dance in the Rain Whole Person Approach
Peer to Peer Collaboration
501 c 3 Non Profit Public Charity
508-364-4045
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Transportation Services....
The Cape Cod Regional Transit Authority provides a daily general public demand service called Dial-A-Ride Transportation (DART) that is a door-to-door ride by appointment transportation service. It is available to all 15 Cape towns, runs from 7:00 am to 7:00 pm on weekdays and more limited hours on weekends. It is easy to access and use.
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Tidbits...
Mark Your Calendars:
MASHPEE 2ND ANNUAL NIGHT OUT
Join us for Mashpee Police Department's 2nd annual National Night Out event on August 1st from 5:30pm-8:00pm on the lawn between the Police and Fire Departments. Bring your family and friends and join us for fun, food and a great time. We will be having raffles and prize giveaways, live music, "dunk-a-cop" in the dunk tank, police and fire vehicles on display as well as vehicles and representatives from Barnstable County Sheriffs Department and the United States Military. Many participating agencies and businesses will be on hand to provide information regarding outreach and support in many different areas for the public
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Diabetics and Family Support Day
Thursday, August 24, 2017 5:00 - 7:00 pm at the YMCA
Free community event to support Type 1 and Type 2 Diabetics as well as their families and caretakers. All ages are welcome. There will be:
- Live demonstrations
- Guest speakers
- Activities
- Refreshment
Mashpee Substance Use Task Force Drop-In Night
Providing substance use information, education and treatment resource options from local organizations. All are welcome.
First Tuesday of each month. 4:00 - 8:00 pm
Community Health Center of Cape Cod
107 Commercial Street, Mashpee (off Rte 28 near South Cape Village)
For more info, call 508-539-1411 or visit www.itsnevertooearly.com
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FAQ About Household Membership and Dues Increases Starting July 1, 2017
Overview of New Dues Structure:
- What are the new dues rates?
- $60 for Household Memberships; $40 for Individual Memberships; $5 for Open Door Memberships.
- What does NAMI consider a "household"? Is this rate for families only?
- A household consists of any individuals living at the same address. This could be a family in the "traditional" sense (spouses plus children) or even roommates. The NAMI Board chose "Household" to be more inclusive and to simplify the distribution of benefits. Keep in mind that this is not "Family" membership.
- What is a Household Membership?
- A Household Membership is a membership that is intended to allow all individuals living at the same address to be counted as members in NAMI with the benefits of membership being applies to each member listed as part of the household. The household membership will only receive one copy of the NAMI Advocate, but all other member benefits are granted to each listed member. While each member is counted as a member of NAMI, the paid household membership counts as ONE when determining Affiliate vote weight for NAMI Elections.
- What is an Individual/Regular Membership?
- This member is intended for one person to become a member of NAMI. We recognize there are two different names for this membership. NAMI is moving to call this an Individual Membership, but understand there many NAMI members know this as Regular Membership so that transition will happen over the next couple months.
- What is an Open Door Membership?
- Members may become members through an "Open Door" policy that allows for a reduced dues payment. Open Door members are defined by income or economic necessity, at the discretion of the Affiliate member or State Organization. Open Door members shall have all the rights and privileges of members who pay full dues.
- Are there any differences for the membership benefits between the three different rates?
- No, every membership is with the national, state and local levels and includes from the national NAMI office:
- One copy of the Advocate magazine, mailed twice per year
- Access to members-only areas of the NAMI.org website
- Discounts on National Convention registration rates
- Discounts on items in the NAMI Store
- Each NAMI Affiliate and NAMI State Organization offers additional
- membership benefits that vary depending on which group the member is a part of.
- Can an individual living in a household have their own, separate membership or do they have to be part of a Household membership?
- Yes, that person can still have their own Individual or Open Door membership even if they are living in the same household as a group with a Household membership.
- Is everyone in a household counted as a NAMI member if someone at the household paid for a Household membership?
- The person who pays the Household membership will need to list the specific individuals in the household for them to be counted as members. Someone is not considered a member if they were not listed on the Household membership, or does not have a membership of their own.
- Can a child who is away at college be part of the Household Membership? Can an adult child or elderly family member who is living in a care facility and supported by a parent/caregiver in the household be part of the Household Membership?
- Yes, but that member of the household membership will not be assigned a separate address in NAMI 360. NAMI will not send the magazine to additional addresses.
- Can we add someone else to our Household membership prior to paying our renewal?
- Yes, as long as each person is considered living at the same address.
- The $60 Household membership costs too much for some families in my area-how can they still become members?
- Each individual who wishes to become a NAMI member is welcome to pay the Individual or Open Door rate to have their own membership. That person's membership would not cover anyone else in their household, however. There is not a low-income Household membership rate.
- How many people can a Household membership cover?
- Right now, the system is set up to include up to 10 members in a Household Membership. Contact Member Services at [email protected] to discuss adding more members than 10. There may be exceptions to this rule.
- I have decided I want to my own Individual Membership but am currently part of a Household Membership. Is that possible?
- Yes. At any time, an individual may purchase an Individual or Open Door membership if they no longer want to be included as a household member but want their own instead.
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We will have several new classes beginning in the fall in various areas of the Cape.
If you or anyone you know is interested in taking Family-to-Family, please call or email
Borderline Personality Disorder
We are delighted to report that our first BPD course, in conjunction with NEA-BPD, has ended, with nine people completing the course.
Siobhan Leigh Kinlin Memorial Golf Tournament- September 11, 2017
This event raises the money to support all of our educational programs each year. Please consider helping us prepare for the auction. All you will need to do is ask merchants to donate items or services that will be part of the auction baskets. Donations are tax deductible and support the mission of NAMI Cape & Islands to educate, support and advocate for our citizens coping with the challenges mental health issues have on our families. If you are able to help prepare for the auction, please call the office at 508-778-4277 and we will send you the tax donation forms to give to supporting merchants.
Lawyer For A Day--Free Legal Advice
Held daily at the Barnstable Probate Court. It is advisable to arrive promptly when it opens at 9:00 am as it is first come, first served and fills up quickly.
I
nclusions in the Newsletter
We have recently been asked for last minute inclusions of events in our newsletter. We have instituted a new policy: It is at the discretion of the Executive Director to determine whether content being submitted for distribution to the membership is aligned with our mission. If the content is determined to be appropriate, it may be included in the monthly e-newsletter if it is submitted prior to the first of the month.
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Every dollar you give to NAMI CC&I goes to help support, educate and advocate for the residents of Cape Cod, Nantucket and Martha's Vineyard.
AmazonSmile is a simple way to give when you are shopping on Amazon
Amazon donates 0.5% of your eligible purchases.
It's so easy, you can still use your Amazon Prime and you still collect points. All you need to do is: When you are going to make a purchase on Amazon, first enter
in your internet browser. On your first visit to AmazonSmile, you will be prompted to select a charitable organization .
Select NAMI Cape Cod Inc.
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