Monthly Archives: January 2016

New Westchester Family Support Group

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The new NAMI Westchester Family Support Group of South Bay will be meeting in the evening on the first Monday of each month. The peer-led support group offers free and confidential support guided by principles that emphasize respect, understanding, and encouragement for all participants, organized by NAMI trained moderators Mercedes Garcia, Anna London and Bob London. The support group is open for adult (18 years and older) family members or caregivers of mentally loved ones.

WHERE

  • Visitation Parish Center
  • Second Floor
  • 6561 W. 88th Street
  • Westchester, CA 90045

WHEN

  • First Monday of Each Month
  • 6:30pm – 8:00pm

Please let others know.

For information email namiwsg@gmail.com

Open Mind Special Reprise Film Screening — TOUCHED WITH FIRE

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From the Friends of the Semel Institute: Katie Holmes and Luke Kirby play a pair of New Yorkers who both live with bipolar disorder in Paul Dalio’s debut film, Mania Days. The couple meet in a psychiatric hospital and begin a romance that brings out all of the beauty and horror of their condition.

Dalio wrote, directed, edited, and composed the music for this feature film which deals with many of the issues he tackled while trying to find a balance with his own bipolar disorder. Touched With Fire, which also stars Christine Lahti, Griffin Dunne and Bruce Altman, premiered at the 2015 South by Southwest Film Festival. Spike Lee is the executive producer.

  • Monday, February 1, 2016
  • 6:30 PM Check-in
  • 7:00 PM Program
  • James Bridges Theatre, Melnitz Hall, UCLA

Admission is free but reservations are required.

For questions call 310-825-8871 or venusse@brain.ucla.edu

Parking is available for $12 in Structure 3 (see map)

eLearning Available for Ending the Silence

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Ending-the-Silence-jpgFrom NAMI California: Ending the Silence, one of NAMI California’s most widely used programs, now has a new training format available for affiliates. Affiliates already running the program can offer new presenters training through an e-learning program developed by NAMI. The program is to allow on-demand training to meet the needs of busy schedules and will record when the training program is completed and a presenter is ready for the next phase of training.

You may review the process for obtaining e-learning in California. If your affiliate has presenters ready for training, please follow the process outlined in the guide (link below). If you have questions, please contact Erik Villalobos at erik@namica.org.

For affiliates that do not already offer the program, NAMI California will be hosting in-person ETS trainings this spring.

Click here to download the ETS E-Learning Guide

January Meeting on the Fourth Monday of the Month

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image credit: zea_lenanet | DPC

On Monday, January 25th, Bishop Bonnie Radden will be speaking about Suicide Alertness.  Many of us have either had our ill relative attempt suicide, threatened suicide or they completed suicide.  It is hard for us to know what to say and do when faced with this situation. Her presentation will provide us with the tools we need to be able to speak clearly with an ill relative regarding suicide and provide them with resources needed to keep them safe.

Please Note: This is the Fourth Monday of the month, rather than the usual Third Monday of the month, because 1/18 is a Martin Luther King Day.

The Caring and Sharing Support Group will start at 6 PM and the Speaker Meeting at 7:30 PM in Faith Hall at the First Lutheran Church 2900 Carson in Torrance.

Results of the 2015 NAMI California Advocacy Survey

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hand_filling_checklist DOC 84518466From NAMI California: Forty-five affiliates completed the 2015 NAMI California advocacy survey, and the resulting report found:

  • After working in 2015 to establish a statewide minimum standard for law enforcement mental health training (SB 11 and SB 29), most NAMI affiliates are actively involved in law enforcement training programs. NAMI California has established a partnership with the California Highway Patrol to train officers, and half of the affiliates responding to the survey are now working with CHP divisions.
  • NAMI affiliates are involved in annual Mental Health Services Act plan updates in 37 counties, but experiences are mixed. Some affiliates report robust stakeholder processes while others report significant room for improvement.
  • NAMI affiliates report challenges and concerns with local hospital emergency departments, including stigmatizing treatment by health care professionals, lack of available beds, and lack of mental health professionals. However, most affiliates have access to crisis stabilization and mobile crisis response facilities in their county.

First NAMI CAN! Call of 2016

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From NAMI California: Join us for the first NAMI California Advocacy Network (NAMI CAN!) call of the new year from 5-6 p.m. Wednesday, January 13. The call will include a presentation on HR 2646 by Andrew Sperling, NAMI’s Director of Legislative Advocacy; a short advocacy training on how to schedule a meeting with your legislator; and legislative and local updates.

If you are interested in joining us, please contact Marcel Harris at marcel@namica.org.

NAMI CAN! was created to facilitate the active involvement of NAMI members all over the state in education and advocacy around issues impacting individuals living with mental illness. Conference calls provide affiliates with updates about NAMI California’s legislative positions and activities and promote discussion among affiliates about legislation and local advocacy issues.