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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Bay Cove Emergency Services Update
Many of you possibly read Cynthia McCormick's Cape Cod Times article on Sunday, July 30 concerning the advent of Bay Cove/Boston Medical Center as the emergency service provider for Cape Cod. In the article, concerns were voiced by this office and by police as to the inability of Bay Cove to respond to the needs of the communities. We, at NAMI CC&I met with management from Bay Cove/ BMC following the publication of the front page article.
Bay Cove is still trying to fully staff the service with enough clinicians to meet their standard of a response time "within an hour" to answer a call and reach a location. Hiring has been slow and they have remained understaffed. This has prevented the system from offering the diversion from the Cape Cod Healthcare emergency department that was hoped for. Also the volume of emergency calls has far exceeded the number anticipated and planned for.
Our discussions with Bay Cove personnel remain very positive, and we feel that they really want to do the job. In hindsight, it was probably unrealistic to think that this change could be made, personnel hired, and the new system implemented in the 90-day period from the time the DMH law suit was settled to the takeover date of May 16th. In September, we will be meeting with Bay Cove to help establish a Community Advisory Committee to work with them and provide positive input on making this new system work for the Cape. Privatization is a controversial subject and can be argued many ways. However, since this is the emergency service that we have, and it is a necessity, it behooves us to do everything we can to support these people and to make the system work for all of us in the community.
Please feel free to send us any input that you might have from your experiences with this service. We will relay concerns directly to Bay Cove/BMC in our meetings.
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From the desk of Jackie Lane, Executive Director NAMI CC&I
It's That Time of Year!
Two Special Benefits!
September is always an exceedingly busy month for NAMI CC&I as we hold our two annual fundraisers within 10 days of each other! That being said, it is also a time for us to reflect on how lucky NAMI CC&I is as an organization to have three families, families who have personally experienced mental illness related tragedies, dedicate themselves to bringing this insidious and often unrecognized and misunderstood disease to the forefront in their ongoing fundraising efforts on behalf of NAMI CC&I. It takes a special individual and remarkable strength to take the extremely painful experience of losing a child or a sibling and turning that grief into a positive force providing education, support, and advocacy for others.
The Siobhan Leigh KInlin Memorial Golf Tournament, the annual event which pays for a large chunk of our operational expenses, will be held at the beautiful Oyster Harbors Club on Monday, September 11 this year. The idea of a golf tournament was developed eight years ago when Kerry Arnett, an avid golfer, decided to honor her sister, Kristine, a victim of suicide, by founding a golf event in support of NAMI CC&I. A few years later, the Robert Kinlin family, who lost a daughter to suicide, adopted the tournament and has tirelessly worked with the Arnetts and with NAMI CC&I to develop this tournament into the exceptional and profitable event that we see today. The ever increasing revenues, due to their active participation, have allowed NAMI CC&I to drastically expand programming and services. We offer a heartfelt THANK YOU to these two caring and exceptional families.
Although we've filled the field with golfers, join us for dinner
NAMI on Nantucket has experienced outstanding growth and development due largely to funding provided by Dragonfly Nantucket, an event conceived of and executed by Kate Kling and her family and friends. Kate lost her older sister to suicide, and after that tragic event decided that a positive way to work through her grief would be to help others through education, support, and advocacy. We feel lucky that she chose to focus her energy on NAMI on Nantucket. Nantucket Island, a beautiful and special place, also has a multitude of societal issues, including drastic wealth disparity, lack of housing, limited social services, and the isolation of living on an island 30 miles out in the Atlantic Ocean. It is not surprising that the island experiences high rates of suicide and addiction, as well anxiety and depression. With the income from Kate's event, we have been able to strengthen our presence, add an on- island staff member, and expand our offerings. Dragonfly was a huge success last year and we look forward to this year's event.
THANK YOU, Kate Kling for your efforts and dedication!
Dragonfly 2017 will be held on Thursday, September 21, 2017
For more information:
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Mental Health First Aid...
At the beginning of the month, the NAMI CC&I staff spent two 4-hour afternoons at the Chatham Middle School taking the 8-hour Mental Health First Aid class taught by Melissa Maguire of the Monomy School District. Mental Health First Aid, a training program which prepares one to more easily recognize and respond to a person exhibiting a mental/behavioral health episode, originated in Australia and has been utilized in the mental health training of professionals and laymen alike. The program has several components based on the targeted audience. The segment that we took was directed to parents and teachers and dealt with identifying and addressing mental health issues in children of all ages. This class consisted of parents and teachers with a wealth of experience in dealing with children's issues.
In exploring the various programs offered through Mental Health First Aid, which include segments relating to the military, public safety officers, adults, as well the one we took which focused on children, we were struck by the Cape's need for mental health training for those who are caretakers of our aging population. In our travels around the Cape, we have had many inquiries about such training from home care service providers and others, including family members and members of the clergy. Also in reviewing the 2017-2019 Community Needs Assessment Report and Implementation Plan from Cape Cod Healthcare, we learned that one of the noted underserved populations on the Cape is the ever-increasing elderly population. With this aging population, the rate of Dementia and Alzheimer's is increasing with a higher rate in Barnstable County than in the remainder of Massachusetts. We also have a large population of middle aged to elderly males, a group that tends to suffer from unrecognized and untreated depression.
With this information in mind, we are in the process of seeking grant support to bring a Mental Health First Aid teacher training program to the Cape. This 5-day, 40-hour training would result in 30 strategically placed individuals being able to teach Mental Health First Aid to those who work with adults and/or the elderly. We plan to collaborate with other providers, through the Behavioral Health Provider Coalition of Cape Cod & Islands, in the selection of key people needing training to make the greatest community impact.
This idea has been warmly received by Cape Cod Healthcare Behavioral Health Services as well as the leadership of the Behavioral Health Providers' Coalition of Cape Cod and Islands. We will keep you posted as we move forward with this new initiative. And as always, please feel free to offer input and/or suggestions.
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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 September 2017
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Monthly Book Review
Capture: Unraveling the Mystery of Mental Suffering
by David A. Kessler, MD
Dr. Kessler is a physician and former head of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. In this book he takes a look at the range of emotional and mental suffering and proposes a unifying theory or mechanism whereby the brain's thought processes are "captured" leading to suffering and destructive behavior. This is quite the endeavor and proves to be a thought provoking book.
Dr. Kessler proposes that through a common neural pathway or mechanism reinforced over time, our thoughts, emotions and resulting behaviors are "captured" or hijacked and therefore out of our rational control. His theory is based on three components of "narrowing attention, perceived lack of control and change in....emotional state." He writes that based upon certain predispositions and our response to experiences the salience of certain stimuli captures the thoughts we have leading to emotional and behavioral outcomes that cause suffering.
Much of the book is devoted to describing the range of mental suffering through the stories of many well-known and less known people. I found this section quite fascinating. It includes stories about writers such as Franz Kafka, Virginia Woolf and David Foster Wallace. It also includes sections on violence and modern terrorists. It includes discussion of people as diverse as Winston Churchill and John Belushi. Through these stories Kessler tries to describe the range of emotional capture.
After trying to understand mental suffering as a process of capture, Kessler asks how does this relate to treatment? How can one be "released from suffering by escaping the orbit of a feedback loop that causes profound distress." Does one need to be captured by something else or is there a way that one can be freed from the capturing? The concept of capture expands the domain of treatments. Medication has a role but so do support groups, meditation, spiritual practices, psychotherapy and cognitive behavioral therapy. In discussing the release from capture as a transformation Kessler emphasizes the need for support and connection. "This transformation of the self often occurs through sacrifice, service, love, belief in a cause, or membership in a community." He concludes, "Once we understand the underlying mechanism of capture, we can reduce our vulnerability to its most pernicious forms, and perhaps even discover a way to move beyond them."
As I said, this is a thought provoking book. I think we have a ways to go, but the future will lead to a better understanding of mental suffering and as a result a better understanding of treatment and prevention.
Written by Dr. George Vitek, retired pediatrician who practiced for 28 years in Wilbraham, MA. Married father of four and grandfather of 9.
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Ruth Blount
NAMI on Nantucket Program Coordinator |
Do you know what I love about August on Nantucket? (Besides the sunshine, the beaches, the breezes, the ice cream, etc). What I love about August is that September is coming, and even better than that, October follows close behind! How hopeful that Fall, with its crisp air, uncrowded sidewalks, and blessed routine, is just around the corner! We can take a deep breath, look around, and reconnect with friends and family.
Here are the highlights from August, 2017:
- Massachusetts Senior Senator Ed Markey visited Nantucket on August 10 and set aside an hour in his schedule to meet with members of Nantucket's Behavioral Health Task Force. Connie Voges represented NAMI on Nantucket. While the focus of the meeting was on the opioid addiction crisis, those who have a mental illness encounter many of the same additional treatment challenges that result from Nantucket's remote location. Members of the task force described those challenges, including the lack of treatment and recovery facilities, the additional burden and cost of transportation to reach treatment locations on the mainland, and the lack of affordable housing for providers which results in provider instability and frequent turnover. (submitted by CV)
- Dragonfly Emotional Wellness Group will meet on Sept. 11 and 25 (Mondays) at the UU Meeting House from 6:30 to 8 pm. The group is peer-driven (therapist-advised) and is for any adults struggling with behavioral health challenges. The purpose is to build community in a safe and confidential environment, and the meetings may include discussion and activities such as movie discussions, hiking, nutrition advice, stress-relieving skills, etc.
- Several Nantucket Family to Family and Basics instructors met to discuss plans for Fall and Winter. Barbara Dale and Ruth Blount will be offering a Basics class in late September (geared towards families with children with anxiety, ADHD, OCD, or other challenging behaviors). Suzanne Fronzuto will be a teacher in the winter Family to Family class starting in January. We plan to have a Spanish Family to Family class at the same time.
- Please buy your tickets and/ or donate to the 2nd annual Dragonfly fundraiser on Thursday, September 21st, 2017 - 5:30 to 8 pm at the Nantucket Hotel & Resort. (See link above) Please spread the word! Tell all your friends and family, shout out on social media, and come! See you there!!!
As I reflect on the place that NAMI has had in our family over the past five or six years, I can only express deep gratitude and commitment for the support, education, advocacy, and relationships developed as a result. Thank you for all who have made that possible.
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And From NAMI onMartha's Vineyard
Martha's Vineyard NAMI is always working quietly behind the scenes.
Our support groups continue every other Sunday at Island Wide Collaborative at the Martha's Vineyard Community Services in Vineyard Haven from
6:00-7:30 pm.
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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Addressing Our Minority Communitie
s
In the last Newsletter, we said a sad farewell to Camilla Luppi, our summer intern from Roger Williams University. Even though Camilla is back in Rhode Island assuming her RA duties and tackling her senior year of college, her positive influence and her productivity is being felt as we move forward with our first programming to be offered in Brazilian Portuguese.
Camilla introduced us to Raffaella Almeida, a bilingual therapist, with a desire to help bring information to her community. She has developed a four- part program on mental health and substance abuse for parents of children ages 8-16 which will be presented in Portuguese to three different groups of Brazilian parents. Raffaella's program has been enthusiastically received by the pastors of the Brazilian churches which will serve as venues for the classes.
With Raffaella's eagerness and energy, and our desire at NAMI CC&I to serve all groups within our community, our hope is that this effort will be only the beginning of our being able to reach those Portuguese speaking members of our Cape community. We have several "next steps" in mind following the completion and evaluation of this effort. The first class will be on September 11th and all classes will be completed by the end of October.
We will also be teaching a Family-to-
Family class in Spanish on Nantucket late this Fall. In speaking with Raffaella and our Spanish speaking teachers on Nantucket, one gets interesting insight in what it is like to be an immigrant parent living in the immigrant community while one's children are assimilating into the "American" culture. Parenting in a complex world becomes even more challenging with cultural and
language barriers! Hopefully, NAMI CC&I can make a
positive impact with this programming.
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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
Come join others 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
Check out what we offer at:
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...
JOIN BAYBRIDGE CLUBHOUSE
for a "Not so Average Yard Sale"
Baybridge Clubhouse is holding a yard sale to benefit Serenity Farms of East Falmouth
Saturday, September 9, 2017 9 am - 2 pm
Calvary Baptist Church, 25 Lincoln Road, Hyannis
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Presented by Families for Depression Awareness...
Teen Depression-
What Schools and Parents Can Do When Help is Refused
For Parents, Caregivers, Teachers, School Counselors and Staff, Youth Workers, and anyone interested in Teen Mental Health
Tuesday, September 26, 2017 at 7:00 PM ET/ 4:00 PM PT
We want to believe teens will ask for help when they need it, but we know this is not always the case. What can you do if a teen with depression doesn't want help? Learn how to identify depression in teens and intervene with effective communication techniques to help a teen that may be reluctant to start treatment. The webinar features Dr. Nancy Rappaport, part-time Associate Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, and Jami Ingledue, volunteer parent advocate for Nationwide Children's Hospital.
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Family to Family Education Programs
There will be Family-to-Family programs in Barnstable and Wellfleet beginning this fall.
If you or anyone you know is interested in taking Family-to-Family, please call or email
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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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There will be Family-to-Family programs in Barnstable and Wellfleet this fall.
If you or anyone you know is interested in taking Family-to-Family, please call or email
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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