Solano County`s Voice on Mental Illness

NAMI Meetings are
for members,nonmembers, people
living with mental
illness, mental
health professionals,
families and friends.
Open to all.




General Meetings
470 Chadbourne Rd.
Fairfield, CA
4th Monday,
Monthly
6:30 p.m.
NOVEMBER 23RD
Minister Monique Tarver
on Faith Net
DECEMBER 5TH, SAT.
Gift Bags Service Project 9 am—Noon
NO GENERAL MEETING
IN DECEMBER
HAPPY HOLIDAYS!
JANUARY 25TH
To Be Announced.
Inside this
issue:
NAMI Solano
County News and
Events
1,7
NAMI Gift Bags
Service Project
1
Board of Directors; Meeting
Locations
2
Fundraising &
Donations
2
Family-to-Family;
PTasA
3
Peer-to-Peer
4
Calendar of
Events
5
Resources
6
Volunteering &
Advocacy
7
NAMI National/
California News
7
How to Reach Us
8
Membership
8
Solano County’s Voice on Mental Illness
V o l .
2 0 1 5 ,
I s s u e
3
F a l l
2 0 1 5
What’s New at NAMI Solano County?
WHAT A SUMMER and fall it has been! Lots of exciting things have been happening here in NAMI Solano
County. Here are just a few:
A FUNDRAISER through Savers Thrift Store in Vacaville
offered NAMI members a
chance to clean out their closets in September. Read more
on p. 2.
OUR WEBSITE — we finally
have a new Webmaster, Jared
Benning. He is working hard to
keep it up to date with all our
news and happenings. Check it
out at:
www.namisolanocounty.org.
ber, to provide more help for families in mental health crisis.
Read more about this important bill, plus recent CA legislation
affecting CIT training on page 7.
CLASSES AND TRAININGS — Our two current Family-toFamily classes are doing very well; and we’ll have one available
in Spanish come February! See more on page 3. Our second
Peer-to-Peer class had 35 graduates — the highest ever in
Northern California! Read more about this and two new Peer
programs on p. 4.
NAPA CITIZENS FOR MENTAL HEALTH is making great
progress and we are very grateful for the additional resources they have shared with NAMI Solano County, including
a new support group that started in August, and a new Basics
class starting soon. Read more about their exciting news, p. 3.
SOLANO COMMUNITY COLLEGE has a new club, the “Human
Collective Club,” which combines the former Psychology Club
and Human Services clubs. NAMI Solano County recently gave
ADVOCACY is a very important part of NAMI’s mission.
two presentations to students at SCC about our programs and
We extend a very warm welcome to our new Advocacy coorservices, and looks forward to future partnerships with SCC
dinator, Leslie Molera. We have also had the opportunity to
students.
participate in Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for CHP
officers here in Solano County. We are grateful that this
FOR MORE INFORMATION about Volunteering, plus news
long-overdue training is finally taking place here! And your and happenings in NAMI Solano County, see p. 7 — or just
vote counts — Please vote in support of HR 2646 in Novem- enjoy browsing through the newsletter!
GIFT BAGS SERVICE PROJECT IN DECEMBER
November is upon us, and the time is quickly
drawing near for our annual Christmas Gift Bags
Service Project! Each year NAMI Solano
County collects a variety of items which are put
in gift bags and given to people living with mental illness in various locations throughout Solano
County. Our new Gift Bag coordinator, Roxanne
Melvin, will again be putting together this annual
event, slated for Saturday, December 5th,
2015. Last year we filled almost 350 bags;
this year it is projected that we will fill 400!
We can always use help from interested volunteers. Please let us know if you would like to
donate or help purchase items for the Gift
Bags. (Save receipts; you will be reimbursed.)
Items we will be collecting include:
Candy * Small toiletries, such as lotions, perfume & cologne *Small notebooks *Small perNAMI is a non-profit, 501 [c] (3) charitable organization.
sonal gifts, such as jewelry, greeting cards,
warm gloves, hats or scarves * Pens/
pencils *Shampoo *Hot cocoa packets
*Toothbrushes & toothpaste *Deodorant
*Mens & Women’s socks *Combs/brushes
We can also use help the day of
our Gift Bag Service project on December
5th, from 9 am until noon. If you would
like to help in any way, please contact our
new Gift Bag coordinator, Roxanne Melvin
at 513-292-8338. The gift bags are given
to people living with mental illness in Solano
County, and for
some of them, it
will be the only
gift they receive
during the Holiday season.
Donations to NAMI are tax-deductible.
P a g e
2
V o l .
2 0 1 5 ,
I s s u e
3
F a l l
2 0 1 5
NAMI-Solano County
Board Members
President
Dorothy Laney
[email protected]
Vice President
Jeannette Goyetche
[email protected]
Secretary
Maureen Brannon
[email protected]
Treasurer/Membership
Myra Binstock
[email protected]
Family to Family
Susan Reeve, Coordinator
[email protected]
NAMI Liaison with Solano County
Kathy Blair, 707-553-5219
[email protected]
Warm Line—support and info.
707-422-7792
Local MH Board, NAMI members
Esmeralda Liberato
Fundraising/NAMI Walks
NAMI Walks Northern California --- Save the date for Saturday, May 7, 2016. Yolanda GarciaMartinez and Jeannette Goyetche went to the first steering committee meeting for NAMI Walks on Saturday, October 10th.There were lots of positive, energizing ideas led by Donna Wood, Walk director. We are
asking for two more volunteers to work on a Walk subcommittee who can help Yolanda and Jeannette this
year. Our goal this year is to have increased participation in the Walk. The Walk helps generate income
for programs not covered by the MHSA funding, helps generate a feeling of unity in the fight for mental
health reform, and helps generate the Voice of anti-Stigma to a public who may not hear our Voice otherwise. Remember, the Walk is “One day out of the Year” where we can come together and make our
Voices heard for our loved ones and for ourselves. If we do not raise our collective Voice, who will?
Please consider joining us for next year's walk. Any questions or concerns, feel free to contact Yolanda, at
[email protected], or Jeannette, at [email protected].
SAVERS FUNDRAISER PROMOTES AWARENESS IN VACAVILLE
On September 12, 2015, NAMI Solano County participated in a fundraising event with Savers Thrift Store in
Vacaville, offering us a chance to meet a number of people from the Vacaville community. We would like to thank
all who helped and contributed in any way, but special thanks go to Rose and Robert Williams Jr., John and Sue
Rayfield and their daughter Trisha; and Karen Maggard. John Rayfield and Sabia Montandon donated their time
and trucks to help deliver the goods to Savers Store in Vacaville; and Robert Williams Jr, sat in front of Savers
at the NAMI table along with Yolanda and Jeannette to greet those interested in NAMI. All monies raised will
be applied to programs or events not covered by MHSA funding such as the upcoming Holiday bag event. Hope all
who contributed enjoyed emptying your closets for this important fundraiser. We could not have done it without
your help. And, a sincere thank you to Randi Knight and Savers for allowing us to have the fundraiser and being
so helpful to us while we were at your facility. We are most grateful. It was a pleasure working with Savers!
Yolanda Garcia-Martinez,
Giving Back to NAMI Solano County
[email protected]
Newsletter
Dorothy Laney
[email protected]
Family Support Group—Napa
Juanita Peña, facilitator
NAMI-SOLANO
COUNTY
MISSION
STATEMENT
NAMI Solano County wishes to extend a huge THANK YOU
to NAMI member Mary Poe and her employer, First Northern Bank for their generous donation of $750.00 to NAMI
Solano County recently. We also thank Mary and Morris
Fujinaga for donating a beautiful desk for us to use in our
office. Donors like First Northern Bank and the Fujinagas
help make it possible for us to increase our offerings of
FREE, much needed services and programs to people living
with mental illness and their families in our county. We are
also grateful for monies we receive through our MHSA
grant from Solano County, or through fundraising efforts,
and also because of willing people who generously volunteer
their time and talents. If you or your loved ones have
benefitted in any way from these services in the past, we
encourage you to consider giving back to our non-profit
organization, either through volunteering your time or contributing financially. We invite you to please send your most
generous, tax-deductible contribution to: NAMI Solano
County, P.O. Box 3334, Fairfield, CA, 94533, or you can
now donate directly online through our website at: http://
www.namisolanocounty.org/donorsandsponsors.shtml. The
holidays are coming — if you shop at Amazon, bookmark
this link and use it whenever you shop at Amazon Smile:
http://smile.amazon.com/ch/94-3024777 . Amazon will
donate a portion of every sale back to NAMI Solano
County! What an easy way to make a donation as you shop!
NAMI –Solano County was incorporated under
California law in 1985. We are a support group
composed of people living with mental illness,
their families, and friends. We have a threefold mission:
1.
2.
3.
To educate families and other interested
parties about mental illnesses through
lectures, discussion groups, literature,
and videos about each of the mental
illnesses;
To support families and their mentally ill
loved ones through one-on-one help,
referrals, financial aid, scholarships and
the like;
To advocate for the rights of the
mentally ill and their families on the
local, state and national levels. Our
members participate in several
committees and boards to be sure that
the needs of each person are heard and
protected.
Our phone number is (707) 422-7792. See
meeting times and locations in the box to the
right.
NAMI-Solano County General
Meetings:
(Educational and Supportive)
4th Monday Monthly, 6:30 pm
(except May and December)
ALDEA Children and Family Services
470 Chadbourne Rd., Fairfield 94533
(First Floor)
Open to the Public — Bring a friend!!
S o l a n o
C o u n t y ’ s
V o i c e
o n
M e n t a l
NAMI-Solano County
Board Meetings:
(Business Oriented)
1st Wednesday Monthly
6:00 p.m.
1225 Travis Blvd., Suite D
Fairfield
All Members are welcome.
I l l n e s s
V o l .
2 0 1 5 ,
I s s u e
3
F a l l
2 0 1 5
P a g e
3
Our two 12-week Family-to-Family courses, which began in September, are a little over halfway through their coursework. Both classes
filled up very quickly, and we have a long waiting list for the next classes. Our Vallejo class is going well at the Kaiser Mental Health facility,
with 15 participants enrolled. Facilitators Yolanda Garcia-Martinez and Jeannette Goyetche are most grateful to Dr. Steven Priebe and Jim
Coleman from Kaiser for their assistance in helping us put a F2F class together at Kaiser Vallejo. Our Fairfield class is also going very well.
Mary and John Poe are creating a community of 13 participants who are helping each other learn about the impact of mental illness on their
families and how to develop coping skills. Grace Episcopal Church has been especially helpful in providing a safe and comfortable classroom
space, for which NAMI Solano County is very grateful. Family to Family is a FREE educational program designed to help family members
understand and support their loved ones living with mental illnesses, such as major depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, borderline
personality disorder, and obsessive- compulsive disorder. Previous participants have been extremely grateful for the information and support
they have received.
A wonderful result of the Family to Family class in Napa last spring was having two of the graduates, Zoe Gallardo and Yolanda Nava, sign
up to be trained as new teachers for Family to Family, in Spanish!! Beginning on Mondays from 6:00—8:30 in early February, NAMI Solano
County will be pleased to offer our first Spanish de Familia a Familia in Vallejo. Ana Montes will co-facilitate. Exact dates and location are
still being finalized, but if you or someone you know is interested in taking the Spanish Family to Family class, please call 707-422-7792 or
email us at [email protected]. Non-English speakers, please call (707) 514-5783. (Si no habla inglés pero está intersada
(o) en tomar este curso de doce semanas de Familia a Familia en español, favor de comunicarse con Ana Montes al 707-514-5783. Por
favor deje su nombre y numero de telefono donde me pueda comunicar con usted en caso de que no le conteste su llamada. Las clases
empezarán en el mes de Febrero en la ciudad de Vallejo, se impartiran cada lunes a partir de las 6:00 pm hasta 8:30 pm)
If you would like information about/or to sign up for upcoming English Family to Family classes later in 2016 (exact locations to be
announced), contact our Family-to-Family coordinator, Susan Reeve, at: [email protected] or 707-422-7792.
Funding for these classes is provided by Solano County through a grant from the
Mental Health Services Act.
Napa Citizens for Mental Health
The Napa Citizens for Mental Health are very excited to have two newly trained Spanish Family-to-Family teachers, and they look
forward to having a Spanish F2F class in Napa later on in 2016. Three people from Napa are also being trained to be NAMI Basics
teachers (similar to Family-to-Family but geared to parents of school-aged children). The new Family Support Group in Napa is going
well (see times and dates on p. 6); everyone who comes is very glad to be there and they feel better by the time they leave. The most
exciting news is that Napa Citizens for Mental Health now has the green light to go ahead and begin organizing a NAMI affiliate in
Napa County. They know it will take time, and they are in need of more interested volunteers to be on the Board. They wish to thank
NAMI Solano County for all their support and guidance through this process. Napa Citizens for Mental Health is a group of community oriented people who share the common goal of providing support to families or others affected by mental illness in Napa County.
If you are interested in finding out more information about available mental health services in Napa County, please contact Juanita
at [email protected] or Tony at [email protected].
Parents and Teachers as Allies is a NEW program in Solano County. This free, 90-minute on-site presentation is designed to empower teachers and school personnel to:





Understand the difference between “bad behavior” and symptoms of a mental health condition in their students.
Recognize early warning signs of mental illness.
Communicate and partner with families effectively to help children get treatment.
Link to available community services quickly.
Create a supportive learning environment for all students.
If you are an administrator, teacher/staff member in the Fairfield-Suisun Unified School District, the District has given approval
for this course to count for required CEU’s!
To schedule a Parents and Teachers as Allies presentation at your school, please contact NAMI Solano County at 707-422-7792,
or send us an email at [email protected]. For more information about this program, please visit the NAMI.org website. Under “Find Support,” click “NAMI Programs,” then “Parents and Teachers as Allies,” or go to the Web Link here: http://
www.nami.org/Find-Support/NAMI-Programs/NAMI-Parents-Teachers-as-Allies#sthash.Md8CKBg1.dpuf
P a g e
4
V o l .
2 0 1 5 ,
I s s u e
3
F a l l
2 0 1 5
NAMI Solano County
NAMI Solano County’s second Peer-to-Peer class at
Circle of Friends in Fairfield was another rousing
success, with a whopping 35 out of 56 attendees
completing the 10-class course training. We would
like to thank Mentors Jim Furman, Robert Jaimes,
and Coordinator Tonya Williams for their many hours
of hard work preparing for and teaching this class. As
a result of this class, several people were interested in
giving back to Solano County. Four have just been
trained to be Connection Support Group facilitators,
and several others will soon be taking In Our Own
Voice training. Our first-ever “Connection” Support
Group for people living with Mental Illness will soon
be starting in Solano County! Times and locations will
be posted on our website as soon as they become
available, as will more information about “In Our Own
Voice” presentations.
Peer-to-Peer
New Class Starting Winter/Spring 2016
Exact time, dates and location TBA
(See application at bottom of this page)
For More Information about any of these programs, contact:
is pleased to announce that another Peer to Peer
class will take place early in 2016. Peer-to-Peer is a FREE, 10-week educational course
on recovery, designed for any person living with a mental health issue who is interested in establishing and maintaining wellness. The class is taught by two peer-mentors
who have personal experience living well with mental illness. Classes cover a variety
of topics, from education about various mental illnesses, to coping strategies and relapse prevention planning. Taught in weekly two-hour sessions, each class builds on
the one before; therefore, attendance each week is required. Registration is required;
please see application at the bottom of this page.
Coming Soon to Solano County.…
NAMI Connection is a free, confidential and safe support group for individuals living with
mental health challenges. Individuals join a caring group of peers that offer support
through their learned wisdom. Group members are no longer alone and have a renewed
sense of hope. Led by trained facilitators living in recovery themselves, this support group
strives to encourage, support and empower people living with mental illness.
NAMI In Our Own Voice s a unique presentation in which two trained speakers share their
compelling personal stories of living with mental health challenges and achieving recovery.
Audiences range from individuals with mental health challenges to students of all ages, law
enforcement officials and faith community members, to veterans and service providers .
While audiences benefit from the inspirational stories of the speakers, presenters increase
their confidence and develop leadership skills while helping to inspire and motivate others.
These presentations allow audience members to connect on a personal level with the presenters via question and answer sessions, as well as giving them the opportunity to gain
insight into the lived experience of life with mental illness.
NAMI Solano County
P.O. Box 3334 Fairfield, CA 94533
www.namisolanocounty.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Funding for these programs is provided by Solano
County through a grant from the Mental Health Services Act.
707-422-7792
Application for Peer-to-Peer Course
Why are you interested in taking this course?
Sponsored by NAMI Solano County
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Date: ____________________________________
Name: ___________________________________
Address: _________________________________
City: _____________________Zip: ___________
Phone: ________________Cell: ______________
Are you over 18 years of age? _______________
This class is for people with a mental illness. Do
you identify as having a mental illness? Yes__No__
Are you currently in recovery? Yes ____ No ____
Can you commit to a 10-week course? Yes__No__
How did you hear about the course?
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
___________________________________________
Please mail application to:
NAMI Solano County, c/o Peer-to-Peer
P.O Box 3334, Fairfield, CA 94533
This course is offered free of charge.
Pre-registration is required.
V o l .
2 0 1 5 ,
I s s u e
3
F a l l
2 0 1 5
P a g e
CALENDAR OF EVENTS
Meetings sponsored by NAMI Solano County:
 NAMI Solano County Board of Directors meeting, MONTHLY, 1st Wednesdays (November 4th, December
2nd, January 6th, 2016, February 3rd, 2016). 1225 Travis Blvd, Suite D., Fairfield; 6:00-8:00 pm. All Members Welcome.
 NAMI de Famila a Familia Class (Spanish) — Meets for 12 weeks beginning Mondays in early February, from 6:00—8:30 pm, to be held at a convenient location in Vallejo. See p. 3 for more information.
To register, please call (707) 422-7792 or contact us at [email protected].
NAMI Peer-to-Peer Class — New class meeting for 10 weeks beginning Winter 2016. Exact dates and
location TBA. See p. 4 for more information. To register, contact [email protected] or
call (707) 422-7792.
 NAMI Solano County General Meetings, 4th Mondays Monthly — ALDEA Children and Family Services
Building, 470 Chadbourne Rd., 1st floor, Fairfield, CA; 6:30—8:00 p.m. Open to the Public; Bring a Friend.
Upcoming Meetings:
November 23rd: Speaker: Minister Monique Tarver, on “Faith Net”
December 27th: NO General Meeting. Happy Holidays!
January 25th, To Be Announced.
* NAMI Christmas Gift Bags Service Project — Saturday, December 5th, 9:00 am —12:00 noon, at Fairfield Church of God, 930 Empire St., Fairfield. Call Roxanne at (513) 292-8338 for more information.

Solano County Health & Social Services Recurring Meetings:

CFAC — (Consumer/Family Advisory Committee meetings), 3rd Wed., 10—11:30 am. Contact Rachel
Ford at (707) 553-5735, or: [email protected]. Rachel is our Consumer Liaison for Solano
County.

Solano County Local Mental Health Board Meeting, Third Tuesdays monthly, 4:30-6:00 pm,
(November 17th, December 15th, January 19th, 2016, February 16th, 2016), 2101 Courage Drive, Fairfield. Open to the public. Call Cindy Limerick for information at (707) 784-8336.
QIC (Quality Improvement Committee), First Thursdays, 1:30—3:30 pm, every other month (Nov.
5th, January 7th, 2016), 275 Beck, Rm. 1 or 2, Fairfield, CA. Open to the public. Call Sheila for more
information, at (707) 784-8338.

Other Community Events of Interest:


Bereavement/Grief Support Group — For Seniors over age 60 dealing with depression and anxiety related to bereavement. Every 3rd Tuesday, 1:00—4:00 pm, beginning July 21st and continuing through
December. Location: Fairfield Senior Center, 1200 Civic Center Drive, Health Room, Fairfield. Registration required; limit 12 people. Contact Intake Coordinator at 707-644-6612, ext. 221. Dr. Mark
Fry, Ph.D., Facilitator. Sponsored by Area Agency on Aging, Prevention and Early Access Program for
Seniors.
“Senior Voices” Conference Call Support Groups — For Seniors over age 60. Two groups: “Living with
Chronic Pain,” meets weekly on Mondays, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm; and “Senior Chat,” meets weekly on
Thursdays, 11:00 am to 12:00 pm. Attend from the comfort of your own home via teleconference. For
more information or to register, email [email protected] or call 707-4696675.
5
P a g e
6
V o l .
2 0 1 5 ,
I s s u e
3
F a l l
2 0 1 5
RESOURCES
CRISIS:

CSU (Crisis Stabilization Unit) (707) 428-1131 (crisis line) or 707-639-4675 (main line). The Crisis Center is located
at 2101 Courage Drive (in back, on the west side), Fairfield, CA 94533. Provides 23-hour stabilization for people with a
mental health crisis. Operated by Exodus.

NAMI Solano County WARM line (707) 422-7792 — Leave a message and our trained phone monitor will call you back
within 48 hours. (Provides support and direction about available services for mental illness as well as information about
NAMI Solano County)

SUICIDE PREVENTION LIFELINE — Call (800) 273-TALK (8255).
SELF HELP:

CIRCLE OF FRIENDS — Fairfield Consumer Wellness and Recovery Center. 349 Travis Blvd., Fairfield. Hours: 7:30
AM—3:30 pm, Monday—Friday. Director: Susie Frank. Call 707-694-5617 for more information.

CAMINAR — Vallejo Consumer Wellness and Recovery Center, 915 Tuolumne St., Vallejo, CA 94590. Call 707) 980-7884
for more information.

SCMH Access Team — 1-800-547-0495. Solano County Mental Health’s information line for those seeking new services
within the county, for persons living with mental illness, family members, and health care professionals. Se habla español.

VETERANS — Are you unemployed or under-employed? Check out Veterans Retraining Assistance Program, http://
benefits.va.gov/vow/education.htm Also check out Catholic Veterans Relief Services, at 1225 Travis Blvd., Suite E, Fairfield.

BACS (Bay Area Community Services) — Prevention Engagement Program (PEP) is now in Vallejo! PEP is a program designed to provide prevention and early intervention services, with the goal of reducing hospitalizations and preventing institutional care. The program follows a peer-driven model and serves adults who are experiencing their first crisis or are
exiting hospitalization and need support to prevent relapse. For agencies looking to refer a client to PEP, please use the
form available for download from our Website at www.namisolanocounty.org, or contact Will Taylor at 707-276-6848 or
[email protected].
NAMI SUPPORT GROUPS:

NAMI Solano County Family Support Group—Napa: For family members, friends and advocates of those with mental illness.
An ongoing, drop-in group focusing on skill building and support through shared experiences, resources and comfort. Meets
the 2nd Wednesday of every month. Location: 3285 Claremont Way, 2nd Floor, Kaiser Pediatrics building. Napa, CA 94558.
Facilitator: Juanita. Contact [email protected] or call (707) 422-7792 for more information.

NAMI Solano County Family Support Group—Fairfield: This support group is currently unavailable. If you are unable to
attend the support group in Napa, and need help or advice, please call our Warmline at (707) 422-7792 or you may attend
any of the County’s several Family Support groups near your location as listed below.

NAMI Solano County Connection Peer Support Group — NEW! Starting soon — Peers leading peers in a supportive,
safe environment. To be held weekly at Circle of Friends, Fairfield; monthly at Crestwood Behavioral Health in Vallejo.
Exact dates and times TBA; check our website for announcements.
SOLANO COUNTY Health and Social Services Support Groups (TWO NEW LOCATIONS; VACAVILLE AND VALLEJO):

Fairfield Family Support Group — For family members of those with mental illness. Meets every Wednesday, 6:00—8:00
pm, 2101 Courage Dr., Fairfield; Oak room. Facilitator: Karen Smith, MS, MFTI, [email protected]; (707) 7842096 (Karen is now the facilitator for all County family support groups, and Solano County’s family liaison).



Vacaville Family Support Group — Meets Tuesdays from 5:30—7 pm, Vacaville ICC, 1119 E. Monte Vista Ave., Vacaville.

Rio Vista Family Support Group — Meets 1st Tuesdays, 10 am –12:00 noon, Rio Vista Library, 44 So. 2nd St, Rio Vista, Facilitator: Karen Smith, (707) 784-2096. (Note: There is currently no Bi-Polar/Depression Support Group in Rio Vista.)

Schizophrenia Support Group — For people living with schizophrenia. Meets 1st and 3rd Mondays, 1st United Methodist
Church, 502 Virginia St., Vallejo; 9:30—11 am. Contact Rachel Ford, facilitator, (707) 553-5735 for information.

Hidden Moods, Emotions & Feelings Group — For people living with any emotional issue. Meets at Mare Island, 2nd & 4th
Wed., 9-10:30 am. Facilitator: Curtis J. Cole, (707) 553-5550, or [email protected].
Vallejo Family Support Group — Meets Thursdays from 5:30—7:00 pm, Vallejo Behavioral Health, 355 Tuolomne St., Vallejo
Bi-Polar/Depression Support Groups — For people living with bipolar illness or depression. Meets at same times and locations as Fairfield, Vacaville, and Vallejo Family Support Groups. Questions? Call Rachel Ford, facilitator, (707) 553-5735.
V o l .
2 0 1 5 ,
I s s u e
3
F a l l
2 0 1 5
P a g e
7
NAMI SOLANO COUNTY NEWS AND EVENTS
WELCOME FALL! The first few showers have fallen, and we hope
for much more rain to come this fall and winter. We hope you all had
a good summer vacation. We enjoyed sharing our End of Summer
Fiesta Celebration with
those of you who came to
that event on August 24th.
About 45 people came and
enjoyed delicious food catered by El Pollo Loco, had
fun playing games, and waited with anticipation to see who would win
the raffle prizes. We also enjoyed getting to know the NAMI Solano
County Board members a little bit better.
In September we were happy to have Dorothy Leachman from the
Napa Citizens for Mental Health speak to us about SSI, Social Security and explain some of the requirements and ins-an-outs of receiving
those benefits. Visit our website at www.namisolanocounty.org/
ssi.shtml for more information about these important topics. Thank
you Dorothy, for your very informative presentation!
October saw a few of our members participating in the Out of the
Darkness Walk for Suicide Prevention at Lagoon Valley, where they
were able to help raise awareness about mental illness and provide
hope and resources for those dealing with these issues,
November’s meeting will be an interesting one as well, as we welcome
Minister Monique Tarver, who will share with us information about
NAMI’s Faith Net program. We hope to soon have this program in
operation here in Solano County. Please join us on November 23rd.
AKA/NAMI Partnership Update: In our last newsletter, we
announced that as of March 2015, NAMI began a new partnership
with Alpha Kappa Alpha, a sorority/service organization for professional African American women. By partnering together, we can work
to fight stigma and raise awareness about mental illness and advocate
for change in our communities. In connection with this, be looking
forward to our February General Meeting, when NAMI Solano County
partners with our local AKA affiliate in Vacaville in celebration of
Black History month by hosting a screening of the movie, “Home,”
the story of an African American man living with a mental health
condition who attempts to rebuild his life through courage, hope and
strength. See more at: http://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/
February-2015/Filmmaker-Jono-Oliver-Brings-African-AmericanMent#sthash.7kznSb2F.dpuf Stay tuned for more details about this
exciting event!
VOLUNTEER FOR NAMI!!
To all those who have stepped forward to volunteer their time, talents and services to NAMI Solano County — Thank You! You have
helped make our lives a little easier as Board members with your help
at various events, participating in CIT trainings, distributing flyers &
newsletters, or being trained to be teachers and mentors of our
various programs and services. Has YOUR life been touched in any
way through NAMI’s programs and services? Would you like to do
something fulfilling and “give back” a little to our organization? We
are always in need of more volunteers — you are what keeps NAMI
going! What are your interests? Do you enjoy our Newsletter?
Are you interested in writing, editing, or graphic arts? If you have
good computer skills, we could use your help creating flyers or even
the newsletter, or even to help out as an assistant secretary! Are
you a good listener? Volunteer to help with our Warm Line! Do you
like getting out and meeting people? Volunteers help us to reach out
to the community at various events, including helping with our annual
NAMIWalks fundraiser. We would also love to have a good Volunteer
Coordinator. If you have transportation, we could use helpers to
deliver flyers, newsletters and brochures to various locations on a
regular basis. Do you like making your voice heard on behalf of better laws, programs and services for the mentally ill? There is plenty
of work to be done on our Advocacy team! Last but not least, — we
always need helping hands for our annual Christmas Bags Service
Project in December (see p. 1), Please share your talents by contacting us at [email protected] or call us at (707)
422-7792.
NAMI State and National News
News from NAMI National:
Several people from our local affiliate enjoyed the wide variety of
classes offered at NAMI National’s annual convention, held
this July in San Francisco. It was
very good and well worth the time.
NAMI National is always quick to
respond to national events that
may involve someone with mental
illness. When such events occur,
please remember this wise advice
offered via NAMI by Chris Bouneff, Executive Director of
NAMI Oregon: “Not everyone who shoots another person is mentally
ill. In fact, the vast majority of gun violence is committed by people
who do not suffer with a mental illness.
· Mental health seems to be the scapegoat every time someone shoots
another person. It shouldn't be a scapegoat. The illnesses that we
live with are just that -- illnesses. They are treatable. Many of us are
walking proof.”
From NAMI California:
The 2015 NAMI California Annual Conference in Newport Beach, in
August was a big success. We congratulate one of our own NAMI members, Teena Miller, for her excellent workshop presentation on “Laugh
Therapy”. Next year’s conference will again be back in the Bay area, in
Burlingame, CA. Watch for our Spring newsletter for more details, or
visit the NAMI California website at www.namica.org.
ADVOCACY: NAMI California’s efforts to support Mental Health
legislation in Sacramento has paid off — Governor Brown recently
passed SB 11 and SB 29, which will require all law enforcement officers
to receive mandatory crisis intervention training regarding persons
living with mental illness. Your voice was heard — Thank you for sharing !! Please share your voice again in the upcoming election by voting for H.R. 2646, Helping Families in Mental Health Crisis Act of
2015, an important start to making comprehensive mental health reform a reality in America. We welcome our new Advocate for NAMI
Solano County, Leslie Molera. She has done a fantastic job so far in
her efforts to advocate for the rights of the mentally ill. For more
information about advocacy in California, go to: [email protected].
Solano County’s Voice on Mental Illness
HOW TO REACH US:
P.O. Box 3334
Fairfield, CA 94533
Phone: 707-422-7792
E-mail: [email protected]
Website: www.namisolanocounty.org
Look for us on Facebook and Twitter!
Simply search for “Nami Solano County” on
either site.
NAMI California: www.namicalifornia.org
NAMI: www.nami.org
NAMI meetings are for members, nonmembers, consumers, mental health
professionals, families and friends.
Open to the public.
Please help us save money in postage.
If e-mail is easier for you than
receiving a hard copy--Let us know!!!!!!
NAMI is a non-profit, 501 [c]
(3) charitable organization. All
donations are tax-deductible.
NAMI Solano County Membership Application
Individual or Family = $35.00. The “ Open Door ” rate ( $0 ) is available for
those with limited financial resources, and entitles them to the full rights and
privileges of NAMI membership.
Please detach and submit your annual membership fee to the P.O.
box address at the top of this page: ( Please print)
NAME: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
ADDRESS: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
CITY: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ S T: _ _ _ _ Z IP _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
PHONE: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
EMAIL: _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _
* Membership benefits include: Periodic newsletters from NAMI Solano County, NAMI California
and NAMI, plus access to “members only” section of nami.org, new friends and support from others
who understand mental illness, access to FREE educational activities/classes, support groups, and
advocacy opportunities to help raise awareness of mental illness and reduce stigma: Education,
Help, Hope and Recovery.
(
) Individual or Family
(
) Open Door
(
) One Time Donation
Membership Notice
Annual membership dues of $35, or the
Open Door rate of $0, automatically makes
you a member of NAMI National, NAMI
California, and NAMI Solano County, with
all their accompanying benefits.*
If you are solicited for special donations
from NAMI State or National organizations, give generously if you can, but all
such donations are voluntary and funds do
not directly benefit NAMI Solano County.
We welcome your direct donations to our
NAMI Solano County affiliate!
Memberships are granted on a calendar
year basis, January to December. Fees
received prior to October 1 are applied to
the current year. Fees received on or
after October 1 are applied to membership
for the following year.