Quick Links
Click here to watch the latest episode featuring Dr. Robert Heinssen of NIMH
|
|
|
This issue of the NAMI-NYS E-News continues our exploration of minority mental health issues as this week we focus on mental health in the Asian-American community. There is also a story about how a young woman at Syracuse came in second in a national broadcasting contest by detailing the minority experience with mental health. You will also find the latest on the federal health care bill, alarming news about the rise in adolescent suicide and the latest Update from NIMH. We also want to call your attention to a research study which is seeking input from family members of people living with schizophrenia.
As always, we want to know about the work you are doing. Please email
[email protected] with details and pictures about your work. This way we can feature it in the E-News and print Newsletter. Showcasing your work will allow others to learn from you, and that's the best way we can grow together as an organization.
|
|
NAMI-NYS Participates in NIMH OPP Meeting
|
|
|
Clockwise from upper left, NAMI-NYS's Matthew Shapiro speaking with NIMH Director, Dr. Joshua Gordon, Matthew with NIH's Eric Dishman, the NAMI-NYS partner sharing display and Ana Maria from NAMI Alabama, Grace from NAMI New Jersey and NAMI's Teri Brister learn about the NAMI-NYS Ribbon Campaign.
|
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) Annual Outreach Partner Program meeting took place July 12th-14th on the National Institute of Health Campus in Bethesda, MD. The meeting brings together the Outreach Partners from 50 states (NAMI-NYS is the Outreach Partner for New York State) to learn about the latest research developments from the Institute and their grantees.
Highlights included a presentation by new NIMH Director Josh Gordon, the latest in suicide prevention strategies, new work being done on bipolar disorder and an intriguing presentation by Eric Dishman, Director of the NIH groundbreaking All of Us study. Next week's E-News will feature a full summary from the meeting.'
As part of the meeting NAMI-NYS detailed our Ribbon Awareness Campaign for the partner sharing sessions.Click here to see the posters used in the session.
NAMI-NYS Presents at Community Coalition for Family Wellness Event
NAMI-NYS Outreach Coordinator Bill Wallace spoke at the Community Coalition for Family Wellness's annual picnic, sponsored by the Prevention Council at Moreau State Park on Wednesday, July 12th. Bill gave a truncated NAMI 101 presentation, explained the overlap of mental health and addiction and told his personal and family experiences that would of have been improved had he and his family knew about NAMI. Coalition members were grateful, and interested partners engaged in a lengthy discussion with Bill following the presentation.
NAMI-NYS Participates in Smoking Cessation Event
On July 11th, Information and Resource Helpline Coordinator Christine Rickeman and office volunteer Mary Beth Honsinger staffed an information booth at the Albany County Department of Mental Health Smoking Cessation BBQ. The BBQ was held to celebrate the cessation efforts of the department's patients and to promote and encourage future cessation on overall healthy living.
Two NAMI-NYS Young Adults Detail Their
Mental Health Struggles in Blog Posts
NAMI-NYS continues to build our Young Adult Network, which aims to connect and engage young adults focused on mental health recovery. Two of our newer participants, Lindsay Wheeler and Oliva Case, both participated in the recent NAMI Hill Day where they bravely and passionately told their stories to members of Congress and urged them to support mental health initiatives and NAMI's Action Agenda. You can click here to read Lindsay's description of her experience at Hill Day as part of a post on suicide prevention.
Both Lindsay and Olivia are also talented writers who provide honest depictions of their recoveries including dark moments of struggle. We deeply appreciate their willingness to tell their stories and the frankness they use to portray the challenges posed by mental illness. We look forward to continuing to include their powerful voices at NAMI-NYS.
Click here to read Lindsay's letter to her younger self.
Click here to read Olivia's harrowing account of battling alcohol abuse and suicidal thoughts.
NAMI NYC-Metro to Hold Third Annual C.A.R.E.S Mental Health Fair
To celebrate Minority Mental Health Month, NAMI NYC-Metro will be holding the third annual Community Advocacy, Resources, Education, and Services (CARES) Fair. This year, the event is taking place on Saturday, July 22nd, in the Lower East Side and will focus on mental health in the Chinese-American Community. Workshops will be held in English, Mandarin and Cantonese.
This week's NAMI News and National News sections both feature articles on mental health in Asian-American communities.
|
There Is No Shame: The Power To End Mental Health Stigma Begins With Me
The National News section of this week's E-news features an article about how older people in the Asian-American community believe discussing one's mental health will bring shame to the family. Unfortunately, as a new NA
MI blog details, stigma is all too
prevalent in the Asian-American community and prevents even younger people from seeking help.
In a powerful NAMI blog, Emily Wu Truong writes of her reluctance to seek help due to cultural stigma. "I also grew up being my own worst enemy. Despite how kind I was to others, I did not know how to be kind or loving to myself. I didn't know how to feel proud of myself. In my mind, I was the tormentor and the victim. I was only capable of seeing my weaknesses. I felt inadequate and anxious around people. I wanted to share my heavy heart, but didn't know who I could trust. I was a lonely girl who felt damaged, but yearned to be loved and accepted. Throughout my life, I was paralyzed by my fear, feelings of inadequacy and self-disappointment."
Click here to read more.
|
|
Death of NYPD Officer Raises Debate on NYC Mental Health Services
The New York Daily News recently reported how the murder of police Officer Miosotis Familia has once again brought scrutiny towards New York City's mental health initiative Thrive NYC. It was learned that the assailant in the case, Alexander Bonds, was taking anti-psychotic drugs, and was examined - and released - at a Bronx hospital only four days before the killing of Officer Familia.
The Daily News has received a great deal of feedback following the article, including from New York City First Lady Chirlane McCray.
Ms. McCray states: "The de Blasio administration has directed more funding to address serious mental illness than any administration before it. One example is NYC Safe, a first-of-its-kind program and $22 million investment annually, which has so far helped hundreds of people who are seriously mentally ill and recently committed a violent act. We have also committed to bringing on 15,000 apartments of supportive housing over the next 15 years, established specialized mental health care units within city jails where inmates with serious mental illness can receive more intensive and frequent care, and expanded treatment options available to those discharged from jail. Additionally, we've expanded the use of Kendra's Law, which can allow for involuntary commitment in the most serious cases of mental illness. The city now devotes more resources to Kendra's Law than ever before."
Syracuse University Student Takes Second Place in Prestigious Broadcast Competition for Detailing Minority Mental Health Experience
Syracuse University student Taylor Epps recently took second place in the Public Radio News Directors Inc. (PRNDI) national competition, for her story Mental Health: Why Students of Color Suffer More. Her work was up against some of the best work from students in top markets around the country.
Schizophrenia Study Looking for Family Input
NAMI-NYS encourages our readers to participate in a quick survey to be used as part of a research study on the efficacy and feasibility of family-based therapy to treat schizophrenia. The study is being conducted by Dr. Yulia Landa at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. The survey is designed to gain insight into the family's perspective on family-based therapy.
|
|
HEALTH CARE BILL UPDATE:
How President Trump and the GOP Underestimated Obamacare Repeal and
APA Calls on Senate to Reject Latest Republican Health Care Reform Bill
Last week, more than 100 of you participated in our action alert regarding the federal health care bill. Here is an update on the legislation. Senate Leader Mitch McConnell has again delayed debate on the Better Care Reconciliation Act (BCRA), this time to allow Senator John McCain time to recover from surgery.
Amid this new delay, Politico reports how despite a seven year fight by Republicans to repeal the Affordable Care Act (ACA) and a major focus on the repeal by President Trump during last year's campaign, actually repealing and replacing the legislation has proved more difficult than originally thought. The article states that President Trump and the Republican leaders believed they would have the law repealed and replaced by President's Day, yet here we are in July and a consensus among GOP senators has yet to be struck.
Click here to read the Politico article.
One of the reasons for the delay is the powerful advocacy efforts against the bill from health advocates and medical associations. It's important to note that even though our advocacy voice has so far been successful in blocking the repeal, the fight is far from over and we must keep pressure on by telling the Senate to keep what works and don't cut our care. One of those medical associations is the American Psychiatric Association (APA), who is urging members to contact their U.S. senators and voice their opposition to the new Senate health care reform bill.
"Wordsmithing and throwing money at certain constituencies to gain more votes highlights a deeply flawed Senate proposal that is insufficient," said APA CEO and Medical Director Saul Levin, M.D., M.P.A., in a statement. "The changed bill still rolls back access to care and allows for the removal of essential health benefits, such as treatment for mental illness and substance use disorders, that will affect millions of patients and their families-from the young to the elderly to the most vulnerable in all our communities."
USA Today Reports on America Seeing an Alarming Rate of Middle-School Suicide
USA Today reports on the alarming spike in the middle-school suicide rate. The suicide rate among ten-fourteen year-olds doubled between 2007 and 2014, for the first time surpassing the death rate in that age group from car crashes. In 2014 alone, 425 middle schoolers nationwide took their own lives.
Why Asian-American Seniors Have High Rates Of Depression But Rarely Seek Help
The Huffington Post recently wrote how mental health is a touchy subject in the Asian-American community, especially for the senior population. But experts say it's time to start talking about it. Asian-American senior women have the highest suicide rate of any racial group, according to the American Psychological Association. Yet Asian Americans are almost three times less likely than their white counterparts to seek mental health services.
The subject has remained out of the spotlight in part because Asian-Americans hesitate to speak about their mental health issues for fear of being shamed, experts say. They're calling for more culturally understanding mental health strategies available in more languages to help the community, as well as a better understanding within the community that mental health problems are normal.
|
NIMH Update
|
|
2017 NAMIWalksNYS September 23rd
NAMI-NYS looks forward to building on the success of our inaugural NAMIWalks NYS. The 2017 NAMIWalks NYS will be taking place on Saturday, September 23rd, at Jennings Landing in Albany. You can
click here to start your team and/or donate to the walk.
For more information you can email [email protected]
|
Click here to learn more and register for the 2017 NAMI-NYS Education Conference-
Engagement, Implementation, Internvention: Three Pronged Approach to Sustainable Mental Health Recovery, taking place November 10-12 at the Desmond Hotel in Albany.
JULY 13-
Capital District Psychiatric Center Family Services Presents:
"An Overview of Mental Health Services
in Albany County"
presented by
Tyleia Harrell, Behavioral Health Systems Manager
Thursday, July 13, 2017 from 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the CDPC Family Resource Center. For more information or to register contact: Frank Greco, Director of Family Services (518) 549-6816.
JULY 19- Former NAMI Metro-NYC, NAMI-NYS and NAMI Board member DJ Jaffe will talk about his book, "Insane Consequences: How the Mental Health Industry Fails the Mentally Ill" and what to do about it at two NY events. Wednesday, July 19, 2017, 7:30pm | NAMI Queens/Nassau (NY). Northwell Health/Zucker Hillside Hospital, Sloman Auditorium. Entrance to the hospital is on 266th St. & 76th Avenue, Glen Oaks, Queens. For more info http://www.namiqn.org/monthly-meetings.
JULY 21-NAMIWalks NYS Bowling for Hope Second Strike, Friday July 21st, 6 pm.-8 pm at the
East Greenbush Bowling Center,
570 Columbia Turnpike,
East Greenbush, NY 12061. Tickets are $12.00 without shoe rental and $15.00 with shoe rental. Please contact Sharon at (518) 462-2000/ [email protected] to sign up.
JULY 27-
Capital District Psychiatric Center Family Services Presents:
"An Overview of the
N.Y.S. Justice Center
for the Protection of
People with Special Needs"
Thursday, July 27, 2017 from 5:00 pm - 7:30 pm in the CDPC Family Resource Center. For more information or to register contact: Frank Greco, Director of Family Services (518) 549-6816.
AUGUST 1 & 2-
Webinar: Suicide Postvention - The Role of the School Community After a Suicide. Join us for a webinar with Rich Lieberman, MA, NCSP, and Dr. Scott Poland, who will discuss:
- The rationale and primary goals of "postvention"
- The roles and responsibilities within the school community after a suicide
- Recommendations and resources for schools and districts
Tuesday August 1st , 1:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m. and Wednesday August 2nd , 2:00 p.m. - 3:00 p.m.
AUGUST 3- Shakespeare & Co. Books (NYC). 939 Lexington Avenue (corner of 69th Street). Thursday, August 3, 2017, 6:30pm. Author's Talk moderated by Howard Husock of Manhattan Institute. http://www.shakeandco.com/ Must RSVP [email protected]
AUGUST 9-
NAMI-MFH and NYS Office of Mental Health- Community Integration and Employment Exploration:How to Help People Explore Work and Integrate into the Community. Wednesday August 9th from 9:30 a.m. - 2:00 p.m. at 2390 Riverfront Center, Amsterdam NY 12010. Light refreshments provided. To register please contact: Elizabeth Patience, Phone 315-426-3942 or Email: [email protected]
|
2017 NAMI-NYS TRAINING SCHEDULE
Please contact your local affiliate program leaders for more information and how to enroll.
NAMI Family-to-Family Teacher Training
July 14th-16th, 2017
Trainers: Ann Canastra & Cheri Caiella
Location: Comfort Suite Cicero-Syracuse
NAMI Homefront Teacher Training
September 16th-17th 2017
Trainers: Pam Solomon & Jerry Burton
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
NAMI Family-to-Family Teacher Training
October 20th-22nd, 2017
Trainers: Pam Soloman & Geraldine Burton
Location: NAMI-NYS Office Albany
|
|
|
