Community News
A Healthy New Year!
Dear NAMI Families and Friends,

We celebrate a fresh new year. This is a time when we inventory our personal goals and realize we have the courage to rise up and meet them. Let us all promote and support the needs of those in our community living with mental health issues and co-occurring addiction: National Drug Facts week is Jan 22-28, 2018. A wonderful thing is happening in our community: stigma is lessening as people, particularly millennials, are speaking more openly about mental illness. Mental Health deserves equal treatment. NAMI has provided a new national report illustrating people are lacking equal access to mental health providers compared to other medical providers.

Looking for something fun to do on a cold January day? Put down your smart-phone and invite friends/family over to watch one of these movies with you while sipping on a hot cup of tea.

Cheers, Jeanne Nelson, President, NAMI El Dorado County
Family Support Groups designed for family members and/or caregivers/friends supporting a loved one living with a mental health condition. 

South Lake Tahoe: meets 2nd Tuesday monthly from 6:00 p.m. - 7:30 p.m.
Location: South Lake Tahoe Library located at 1000 Rufus Allen Road 
Group facilitators: Alan and Jeanne Nelson (650)-740-5776 - f2fNAMI@gmail.com
Next meets: 9-January-2018

Placerville/Western Slope:  meets 1st Tuesday monthly from 7:00 p.m.- 8:30 p.m.
Location : The County Governmment Center, 330 Fair Lane, Conference room C, Placerville
Group facilitator: Jan Melnicoe
Next Meets : 15-January-2018

El Dorado Hills :  meets 3rd Monday monthly from 5:30 p.m. - 7:00 p.m.
Location: EDH Raleys Event Center, 3935 Park Dr., El Dorado Hills from 5:30 - 7:00 p.m. 
Next Meets: 15-January-2017
Group Facilitators: Jannell Clanton (530) 333-5803 nell.clanton@yahoo.com and Lauraleen Patterson (916) 955-1666 lauraleenpatterson@hotmail.com

Family Support for Spanish-speaking adults: Some Friday mornings in South Lake Tahoe (Contact Marisol at: Spanish Warm-line: 775-407-0306. 
2018 Board of Directors celebrated Jan Melnicoe (past-President) and her many positive contributions to the cause. Welcome Karis and Michael. Thank you to all our NAMI volunteers - teamwork is dreamwork.

Board Meetings: Are open to the public - we meet every other month on the 1st Tuesday of the month.
Date: 6-Feb-2018
Time: 5:30 p.m. - 6:45 p.m. Conference Room C at the County Offices on Fairview Lane, Placerville

Mark your calendar for 03-Apr, 05-Jun, 7-Aug, and 02-Oct-2018.

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A key initiative for us in 2018 is proactive collaboration with county leaders to ensure a quality implementation of the Stepping Up Initiative. We will report monthly on the progress.
The number of people with mental illness in U.S. jails has reached crisis levels . In counties across the nation, jails now have more people with mental illnesses than in their psychiatric hospitals. 
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In Need of a Crisis Line?
If you or your child needs information, resources or someone to talk to during difficult times:
County H&HS Crisis Hotlines:
  • Placerville/Western Slope: (530) 622-3345
  • South Lake Tahoe: (530) 544-2219
What to say when calling 9-1-1  
for a Mental Health Emergency: click here

NAMI El Dorado County is very grateful for our CIT-trained officers and deputies including jail corrections who recognize and respond to the human being behind the brain disorder in a way that lessens the possibility of violence and trauma.  De-escalation techniques matter. What we share with law enforcement can help them calmly deal with our loved ones.
Know a High School Student or Young Adult interested in making a 60 second film?
Every year the California Mental Health Services Authority sponsors a film contest for students. It is part of a statewide effort to prevent suicide, reduce stigma and discrimination related to mental illness and promote the mental health and wellness of students. 
High school students and young adults are invited to create 60-second films in one of two categories: 
Suicide Prevention or Mental Health Matters. The winning teams and their associated schools win prizes and receive mental health or suicide prevention programs for their school or organization.
Go to  www.directingchangeca.org  for all the information including contest rules. March 1, 2018 is the final submission date. 
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3 Warm-lines that offer non-judgemental experienced support to members of the community that want support, education or advocacy.

Placerville / Western Slope: 530-306-7710
South Lake Tahoe: 650-740-5776
Spanish Warm-line: 775-407-0306.   
Complimentary NAMI Peer-to-Peer Program starts in South Lake Tahoe this Spring. Are you living with a mild-to-moderate mental health issues or learning to manage a serious mental health condition? This class is for you! Free snacks and lunch and copyrighted materials included.

Celebrating appreciation for Mental Health Awareness education and support facilitated by our very own Marisol M. pictured below. Muchas Gracias Marisol and Family Resource Center Community.
Stop Stigma with Science!
Resources for Latinos is available here
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Students at South Tahoe High School learn about brain health, careers in brain science, and hear from guest speakers such as psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, law enforcement and the like while leading their own resume-building NAMI On-Campus Club.  
Mondays includes free lunch.

Learn a few Brain Basics here
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Have you visited one of the Mental Health Kiosks?

Our community is quickly becoming educated about mental health and where to find local services and supports!

Kiosk location details can be found here



Barton Community Health Directory is on-line and our county has Welldorado.org where data illustrates health by zip code, age, etc.


Have you been wait-listed to see a Psychiatrist? Make an immediate appointment with your Primary Care Physician and openly share symptoms and seek a referral to a psychiatrist, and consider tele-psychiatry.
 Congress requires 10% of all block grants to states be spent on FEP but a greater degree of local community quality measures are needed.
Free Psychosis Tip sheets
Mental Health Awareness event: LTCC Registered Students are invited to join us for a fun mental health awareness overview while enjoying free pizza.

Date: 9-January-2018
Time: 12:00 p.m. - 1:00 p.m.
Commons area in front of bookstore at Lake Tahoe Community College
Thank you to our entire community for your on-going support! Together we are making a difference.

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Psycho-Education is Core to Recovery.

Visit an El Dorado County main library in either Placerville or South Lake Tahoe. Here is our recommended reading list (most of the titles have been donated by NAMI to this library system.)

Over 500 check-outs of our donated books! Spanish titles available too.
NAMI Walks 2018 Program Manager Wanted:
Part-time Volunteer Leader Wanted. Learn more here

How Can You Help Improve Services & Supports in our Community?

We encourage family’s and/or our loved ones to file complaints / grievances. This is how operations improve! Change is only possible with awareness. Let your voices be heard. Similarly, we encourage providing "thank-you cards" when providers have gone above and beyond!

Have you done all that you can do to help improve the operation’s of mental health services/supports? Filing a simple complaint/grievance suggesting improvements helps improve our community’s mental health services/supports as a whole!
Grievance Forms: click here
Communication Tips by Dr. Xavier Amador: click here
What TO SAY to your loved one and what NOT TO SAY matters!

Struggling with Medication Compliance? Ask your doctor about Long-Lasting Injectables - details here
Do you really know your full multi-generational family history for addiction and/or mental health issues?
Genetics plays a key role: upwards of 80% (for bi-polar and schizophrenia) and upwards of 60% for addictions. So, understanding our relative's mental health  and history of addictive behaviors  can help us take steps to avoid triggers and  build resilience . 
Join or Renew Membership
Make sure the affiliate you select is " NAMI El Dorado County Western Slope and South Lake Tahoe" in CA Read more about the process here.
You Shop and Amazon supports us when you select our affiliate: NAMI El Dorado County-Western Slope and South Lake Tahoe
Modern Brain Research is cited on our website: click here

Teenage Brain and Addiction: learn more here

BBRF Webinar  - Research Updates: The Social Brain in Anorexia Nervosa
Tuesday, January 9, 2018
11:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Virtual Forum | January 23, 2018 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 a.m. 
In-Home-Support Services; Disability Benefit Information; and Legal Assistance: click here to learn more
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Thank you leaders in our community for working collaboratively towards whole person care and specifically greater evidence-based services and supports based on brain science.


Thank you Law Enforcement in our community for the on-going commitment and pride in the "100% CIT-Trained" goal.

  • The Placerville Police Department is on Facebook  
  • El Dorado County Sheriff's department is on Facebook :  
  • South Lake Tahoe police is on Facebook. 
  • CHP - South Lake Tahoe is on Facebook.


A special thank-you to law enforcement who continue their CIT-training, continue to help our loved ones get treatment, and continue to expand services with an eye towards helping those in need. A pilot program in Placerville has started where a part-time social worker rides along with a sheriff's deputy on select days to proactively help those at risk and in need. South Lake Tahoe is eager to see this service expanded to their location.
BHC (Behavioral Health Commission) next meets 10-Jan-2018 5 p.m. Open to the public! Thank you BHC volunteers!
2 locations - both connected via video-link. Agenda/Minutes/Reports click here
  • Health and Human Services Agency, 3057 Briw Rd., Sierra Room, Placerville, CA 
  • South Lake Tahoe at the Wellness Center 1900 Lake Tahoe Blvd 

Key Takeaways from our perspective:

1) Stepping Up in our county ( stepuptogether.org ) will finally start a comprehensive planning process in early 2018 (2.5 years after Board of Supervisors signed a resolution to implement.)
2) County H&HS monthly reporting package continues to improve.
Community Mental Health Events

SMART Recovery weekly support group is back Tuesdays 6 p.m. in South Lake Tahoe and receiving positive reviews.

Click here for list of upcoming events.
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Inspired, Informed, Involved