Find Help. Find Hope.

www.NAMIDallas.org

(214) 341-7133

Volume 19, No. 11 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 November 2016

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Helpful Websites

NAMI National www.nami.org

NAMI Texas www.namitexas.org

NAMI Dallas www.namidallas.org

PLAN www.planofntx.org

National Mental Health Association www.nmha.org

NARSAD (National Alliance Research on Schizophrenia & Depression) www.narsad.org

Recovery International www.recoveryinternational.org

Texas Legislature

www.capitol.state.tx.us

United States Congressional Information

Senate www.senate.gov (202) 224-3121

House www.house.gov (202) 225-1908

The NAMI Dallas NEWS is published monthly by NAMI Dallas

2812 Swiss Avenue Dallas, Texas 75204

Ph. (214) 341-7133 Email: namidallas@namidallas.org

Web: www.namidallas.org Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday

The NAMI Dallas Board meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Board Meetings are CLOSED to the public

Staff

Executive Director & Program Director: Marsha Rodgers Youth Programs Coordinator: Lisa Pedersen

Grant Writer: Susan Essary

NAMIWalks Manager John Dornheim

Board of Directors

President: Sherry Cusumano Vice-President: Herb Cotner

Secretary: Ilana Presley Treasurer: Paul Sloane

Board Members-At-Large

Teena Adler Roberts* Mary Berger * Leonard Keesee * Claudia Smith * David Whitley* Maria Terrell

Find Help. Find Hope.

An Affiliate of the

National Alliance on Mental Illness

Green Oaks Hospital 7808 Clodus Field, Dallas, TX 75257 Green Oaks is located in North Dallas and

is also the crisis intervention unit for the NorthSTAR

area. The hospital is near the east end of Merit

Drive behind Medical City Dallas Hospital at Forest

Lane and Central. This Psychiatric Crisis

Stabilization Unit can be utilized as a psychiatric

emergency room, just as Parkland Hospital

Psychiatric ER is used.

It is not necessary to be a member of NorthSTAR

to access the services available at Green Oaks.

They will accept indigents, Medicaid, NorthSTAR,

most insurances, or private-pay patients. Services

are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

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Hello NAMI Members and Friends of NAMI!

I hope you all are doing well as this month comes to a close! Last month at our general

membership meeting, a Licensed Professional Counselor spent time with us and answered

our questions about her work. Several of you met Jennifer Perla, LPC-S and asked some

very good questions of her as well. I know that we all enjoyed meeting her baby! What a

sweet disposition she has! We appreciate Jennifer’s openness in responding to our

concerns and questions. In November we have an interesting presentation for you as

well. Dr. Karen Farr is coming to talk about veterans and mental health. Dr. Farr is a

cheerful and proud U.S. Air Force veteran with several years of experience with a broad-

range of mental health disorders in a variety of environments. Her diverse experience

includes assessing and treating mood, trauma, psychotic spectrum, substance problems

and eating disorders using evidence-based treatment modalities. She is skilled in using

psychometric testing and critical thinking to enhance client understanding and to provide

recommendations for effectively addressing needs. Additional areas of proficiency include

addiction-related intervention and behavior modification. Come listen to what she has to

share!

I know that some of you also came to the CIT Instructor Appreciation dinner and had a

terrific time celebrating our CIT training in the area! The food was terrific and the line

dancing was fun, as always! The hula hoop contest was a bit of a disaster if you ask me,

but maybe that’s just because I found it to be so challenging keeping my hoop at my

waist!!!!! It was fun watching as each of the awardees came up to receive their

award! The giveaways were great this year too, and we seemed to have more than we did

in previous years! If you haven’t attended one of these family-friendly celebrations

before, then you need to make it a point to attend one in the future. I promise, you will

want to return every year.

Letter from our President

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It’s just about time for the holiday season so if you haven’t nominated anyone yet for a

NAMI Award, you need to do it now! Everyone who has ever received a NAMI award

describes it as a very meaningful experience. If you really put on your thinking cap, I’ll bet

you can think of someone who has made a significant difference in your personal

recovery. Who taught you something that made a big difference? Who advocated on

your behalf? Who said, or did, something that made you feel more accepted and less

stigmatized? I implore you to contemplate these things and nominate someone for an

award. There are many local heroes out there that are making our lives and our recovery

better because of something they do or have done. Let’s let them know it, okay?

We are moving closer and closer to the date when our public mental health system

(NorthSTAR) changes on January 1, 2017. Collin County is branching out on their own with

LifePath Systems becoming the Authority. LifePath Systems will also provide care;

however, they won’t be the only provider. Child and Family Guidance will also be offering

care in Collin County. For more information on the available providers and what changes

will take place within Collin County, contact LifePath Systems.

Dallas, Ellis, Hunt, Kaufman, Navarro and Rockwall counties are going to continue to work

together and the Authority for that system of care is the North Texas Behavioral Health

Authority. For more information on the changes and to have input into the changes in the

NTBHA area, come to the Consumer and Family Advisory Council Meeting on the first

Tuesday of every month at Three Forest Plaza at 12221 Merit Drive, Dallas, TX. Please

RSVP to let MaryAnn Niles know that you will be coming as she arranges for dinner for all

people attending because the meeting starts at 6pm and many of us come straight from

work. MaryAnn’s email is MaryAnn.Niles@HCAHealthcare.com. The feedback from these

meetings is reported to the North Texas Behavioral Health Authority board every month

for consideration in their planning as they move forward with the transformation of the

system. Let Your Voices Be Heard!!!!!

I LOOK FORWARD TO SEEING EACH AND EVERY ONE OF YOU AT THE NEXT MEETING!!

Best Regards, Sherry Cusumano President of NAMI Dallas

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Thursday, November 3, 2016

Support Groups: 6-7pm | Presentation: 7:30-8:30pm

Meeting Location: Park Central Baptist Church

7777 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX 75251

MAP

This month’s topic:

Veterans and Mental Health

Featured Speaker: Dr. Karen Farr, a proud U.S. Air Force veteran with years of experience with a broad-range of mental health

disorders in a variety of environments.

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Please join us in remembering Marion Shaw, longtime member, supporter, teacher and volunteer extraordinaire.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials be sent to the Highland Park Presbyterian Church Foundation or NAMI Dallas.

Please CNTL+click here to read Marion's obituary in the Dallas Morning News.

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NAMI Dallas 2016 Community Awards Nomination Form

The NAMI Dallas Annual Community Awards 2016 will be presented at our holiday/awards party on Thursday,

December 1, 2016. Please submit your nominations and recommendations no later than Tuesday, November 1,

2016. Awards will be presented in the categories listed below. Each NAMI Dallas member is asked to make

nominations and tell us why you believe the person or organization you nominate deserves an award. Please

email (or mail) your nominations (using a separate page for each one) to the NAMI Dallas office, at the address

listed below. You may also call in your nominations to the NAMI Dallas office @ 214-341-7133.

Each year, NAMI Dallas is honored to recognize a few people who have proven track records for improving the

lives of persons with mental illness and their families.

Categories include:

1. JEROME AND HAZEL BYERS AWARD (an enduring volunteer)

2. PROFESSIONAL of the YEAR (professional care provider)

3. MEDIA AWARD

4. COMMUNITY SUPPORT AWARD (for person or organization)

5. SPECIAL APPRECIATION

6. SPECIAL RECOGNITION

7. ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

8. NORTH TEXAS CIT AWARD (for excellence in law enforcement)

Information Needed:

Nominee: _____________________________________________

Award: _______________________________________________

Address & Phone:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

___________________________________________________________________________________________

Nominated by:

___________________________________________________________________________________________

_____

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Your best friend. Your dad. That lady down the street. That quiet kid in school. That loud kid in

school. That dude in accounting. Your cousin in Alaska. That hipster in the flannel in Brooklyn.

That rando who might lurk online. Crisis Text Line is for everyone.

Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis.

Text “START” to 741-741 from anywhere in the USA to text with a trained Crisis Counselor.

Helping people move from a hot moment to a cool calm, guiding you to create a plan to stay safe

and healthy. One of the mantras at Crisis Text Line is to meet people where they are, and that

means offering discrete help on cell phones.

Watch the Crisis Text Line Founder’s TED talk for more scoop on how Crisis Text Line is using

data science and technology to learn when crises are most likely to happen — and help schools

and law enforcement to prepare for them.

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The Recovery Corner

The Recovery Corner is a section in which persons living with a mental illness in recovery can share a story of hope and recovery with our readers.

How to Stay Connected and Resist the Temptation to Isolate during the Holiday Season By Teena Roberts

The holiday season is right around the corner and after Halloween it will be here before you know it. I am patiently awaiting its arrival. I love the holiday season for various reasons, but the reasons that stick out the most to me are that I get to spend quality time with the people that I love who are part of my blood family and my chosen family. It is the time of year when I get to splurge a little when I eat. I tend to not experience so much guilt about what I am putting in my mouth during the holiday season because I know it is only twice a year that I get to splurge like this so it balances out. There are some pretty amazing foods at my disposal during the holiday season and I can’t wait to check them all out . . . in moderation of course. The other added bonus to the holiday season is that it is that time of year when the weather finally cools down and you can actually enjoy being outside without breaking a sweat. Trust me when I say that is a MAJOR bonus for this menopausal girl. It is cool enough for me to wear cute boots, baggy sweaters, and leggings or jeggings that are comfortable and forgiving. Having clothing that is forgiving is a very important need during the holiday season so that I can hide the excess weight I gain from the amazing foods that I eat. Good times for sure! I say, “Bring on the turkey, dressing, ham, mac and cheese, potato salad, deviled eggs, sweet potato casserole, and all of the sweet goodness of pies, cakes, and cookies!”

I do understand completely that this holiday season may not be something some of you are looking forward to at all. The holiday season may be that time of year when you find yourself slipping back into old behavior patterns of isolating and disconnecting from those around you. This time of year may be a major challenge for you due to the memory of losing a family member, friend or relationship. It may be the first time that you are celebrating the holiday season without that family member, friend, or boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. It can also be that currently you are going through some challenges and for whatever reasons you may be estranged from your family member, friend, or boyfriend/girlfriend or husband/wife. If you are dealing with feelings of immense sadness, loneliness, or loss at this time, the holiday season may actually be something you might dread.

You may feel that people around you do not understand why you feel the way you do when everyone else in your local community appears to be so happy and festive this holiday season. You may think that instead of trying to explain to people what you are going through emotionally, you will just turn down all invitations to Thanksgiving or Christmas dinner parties at your friends’ homes and choose to stay inside your home and isolate yourself so that you don’t have to explain anything to anyone. You also may feel like everyone around you has someone special in their lives to call their bae and you are still that 41-year-old Chihuahua lady flying solo and the holiday season is a huge reminder of that fact . . . but I digress. I can only speak about what I have experienced in my life and these are all some of the thoughts and feelings that I have had during holiday seasons.

The holiday season is a trigger for me, to some degree, of memories of loved ones I have lost around this time. Thankfully, because of much practice, determination and planning I now make it through the holiday season without any issues. I cope with the holiday season without the need to disconnect and isolate myself from those in my life. The holiday season for me is now more about being grateful for the people, places and things I do have in my life and not about being focused on the people, places and things that I do not have in my life.

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For me, the holiday season is now more about celebrating the life that I am blessed to lead, living that life with intention in everything that I do and say, and being filled from the inside out with love, mercy, grace and a purpose for my life. These are just some of the things that help me transform the holiday season into something I look forward to instead of being something that I dread. I know that you may not be where I am just yet, but maybe with some practice, determination and planning you can be. I would love to share that information with you to see if you too could benefit from the new perspective I have about the holiday season.

I learned that I do not have to stay the entire time at people’s homes for holiday dinner parties. I am not saying that I just show up, eat their food, and then bounce, but I no longer feel pressure to spend the entire day or evening at people’s homes. I try to be thoughtful and bring a dish or dessert to share with others, stay for a few hours, clean up after myself, and ask the host or hostess if there is anything else I can help with before making a graceful exit. I dreaded being invited to people’s homes because there was an implied understanding that if I accepted the invitation I would come over, eat and then watch a ballgame or just hang out for hours upon hours. I felt obligated to stay because it is very rude to eat and then just leave so I would end up staying longer than I wanted to and that filled me with anxiety because all I wanted to do was go home.

In order to avoid disconnecting and isolating myself, I had to get over worrying about what people thought and do what was best for me. I now set boundaries that work for me and honor my host or hostess. When I accept invitations I let my host or hostess know upfront that I will enjoy attending their function, but I will only be there for a few hours. I do not have to provide them with any explanation. Letting them know ahead of time that I will be in attendance for a few hours sets up a clear expectation that I will be there, but I will not be there long.

Instead of dwelling on the loss of a loved one during the holiday season, I found a way to celebrate the life of that loved one. Many places in the DFW area provide meals for people going through challenging times. These places are always looking for volunteers, but even more so during the holiday season. Going with family and friends to volunteer to feed people is a beautiful way to not only help others, but it can be a way to celebrate and honor the life of those who are no longer with you. Giving of your time, talent and attention to a particular cause that meant something to the person you loved is also another way to celebrate and honor them. If they passed away from a medical condition, volunteering for an organization that benefits or assisting those with that medical condition is a great idea.

The holiday season does not have to be all about money, so please do not let that intimidate you into not connecting with those in your life this year. You can make gifts to give to people. You can write poetry, paint, sing, dance, cook, make jewelry or do something domestic, whatever you choose to do for someone. As long as your gift comes from the heart, that is what matters. Please don’t fall into the trap of the commercialism of the holiday season. You can find yourself in major debt that way, or working major overtime to pay for things that you can’t afford on your budget. Try to remember that less is actually more. Spend within your means unless you have intentionally saved up for the holiday season. The best rule of thumb is to spend an amount that you can afford to be without. I know for me seeing all of the commercials right before Christmas is a reminder that I am a broke college student on a shoestring budget. If you are not prepared for it, seeing all the new gadgets out there and wishing you had the money to buy them can lead to feelings of inadequacy, jealousy, envy or disappointment, but I know my worth and choose not to fall for it. Instead of focusing on what I do not have, I stay focused and grateful for what I do have. I recognize that the sacrifices I am making today in my life are going to pay off in the long run. I remind myself that despite having pockets with holes in them that are not deep (a metaphor), I am getting something worth more than gold and no one can ever take that away from me and that is my education.

The holiday season can roll over you like a Mack truck and leave you feeling in a bad way if you are not prepared for it. This year I choose to focus only on the things that I can control/change and those things are my actions and my thoughts. Life for me today is what I choose for it to be. It is not easy, but I guarantee you that I have more good days than bad days. It is all about what I allow in my space, plus realizing that every action has a consequence. Negativity and chaos feed off each other and for that very reason I have neither in my life today and I am much better for it. I hope to see you soon at a NAMI Dallas Connection Recovery Support Group meeting or at the 26th Annual Community Awards and Holiday Celebration on December 1, 2016. Take care and be kind to yourself.

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GET & STAY CONNECTED

NAMI Dallas Needs YOU! Volunteers needed to help deliver our Youth Programs in local schools.

Help reduce stigma and raise awareness with these important programs! Learn more at NAMI Dallas Youth Programs or contact Lisa Pedersen@ YouthPrograms@NAMIDallas.org

The 2016 NAMI Dallas Community Awards & Holiday Party will be held December 1 at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church 9200 Inwood Rd. Dallas, TX 75220

NAMI DALLAS EVENTS FOR 2016 NAMI Dallas & Allen Americans Hockey Game: 2/5/2016 NAMIWalks Kick Off Luncheon: 3/11/2016 NAMI Dallas & Frisco RoughRiders Baseball Game: 4/29/2016 NAMIWalks: 5/14/2016 2nd Annual Community Forum: 5/20/2016 NAMI Dallas Garage Sale: 6/4/2016 North Texas Giving Day: 9/22/2016

□ Annual Community Awards & Holiday Celebration: 12/1/2016

MEMORIALS

Would you like to make a donation or contribution in honor of a loved one or someone

who has made an impact in your life? If you would like send a donation, please contact

NAMI Dallas via phone, email and/or paper mail. We’d love to hear from you and

acknowledge your support and tribute.

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NAMI Dallas Support Groups

(updated 9/22/2016)

For individuals living with a mental illness and family members/caregivers of loved ones diagnosed

with a mental illness.

TYPE DAY TIME

LOCATION CONTACT

Family

1st Thursday of every month 6 PM - 7 PM

Park Central Baptist Church 7777 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75252

Rita (214) 341-7133 Mike (214) 341-7133

Family

2nd Saturday of every month 1 PM - 2:30 PM

First United Methodist Church 1200 E. Yellow Jacket Rockwall, TX 75087

Linda (214) 341-7133

Family

3rd Thursday of every month 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Lakes Regional Bldg 400 Airport Rd. Terrell, TX 75160

Emma (972) 962-3784 Glenda (214) 202-1183

Family

PLEASE CONTACT FACILITATORS TO ATTEND

Trinity United Methodist Church 1302 South Clark Rd. Duncanville, TX 75137

Evelyn (214) 728-0637 Madeline (214) 536-2703

Parents Group ** (Parents of children & adolescents)

3rd Thursday of every month 7 PM - 8:30 PM

The Warren Center 320 Custer Road Richardson, TX 75080

Cheryl (214) 923-2576 Amanda (214) 236-1706

Peer

1st Thursday of every month 6 PM - 7 PM

Park Central Baptist Church 7777 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75252

Mike (903) 967-3763

Peer

3rd Wednesday of every month 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

NAMI Dallas Office 2812 Swiss Ave. (parking in back) Dallas, TX 75204

Teena (972) 815-9491 Vita (214) 341-7133

Peer Schizophrenia

Every Tuesday 7 PM

515 Custer Rd. (First Center) (Across the street from FUMC)

Richardson, TX 75080

Mike (903) 967-3763

Peer **Dual Recovery

Mondays & Wednesdays 5 PM - 6 PM

Quaker Meeting House 5828 Worth St. Dallas, TX 75214

David (214) 824-2435

Peer

2nd & 4th Wednesday of every month 7 PM - 8 PM

Iris Place Apartments 13321 Emily Rd. Dallas, TX 75240

Jeanine (214) 575-9492

Peer

2nd Saturday of every month 1 PM - 2:30 PM

First United Methodist Church 1200 E. Yellow Jacket Rockwall, TX 75087

William (214) 341-7133

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NAMI Dallas

(National Alliance on Mental Illness) Find Help. Find Hope. 2812 Swiss Avenue

Dallas, TX 75204

Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday - Friday Ph: (214) 341-7133 Email: namidallas@namidallas.org www.namidallas.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE PAID

RICHARDSON, TX 75080

PERMIT NO. 158