NAMI Butler  County

SALLY FIEHRER
Executive Director

NEXT NAMI EDUCATIONAL MEETING:

Thursday, August 19, 7:00 PM at the NAMI office in Fairfield.
Guest speaker: Dr. Charles Brady from the Lindner Center of Hope
Topic: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, its symptoms and treatment.

Garage Sale to Support NAMI!
Saturday, August 7, 2010
8:00AM - 2:00PM

The 2010 Leadership 21 graduating class of the West Chester/Liberty Township Chamber of Commerce chose NAMI Butler County as their class project this year.  The project will develop a NAMI informational DVD for community presentations and an accompanying brochure to be sent out to businesses and community leaders.  This addresses the concern that not enough people in the community are aware of NAMI's vital services to the one in four families, as well as individuals, that are impacted by a mental health disorder.  We owe thanks to Rhonda Benson, NAMI Associate Director, who graduated with this class and did an outstanding job in promoting NAMI for the class project.  To help raise funds for the project, the Leadership 21 class is hosting a garage sale.

Jerry Summers, also a graduate of the class and a new NAMI Board member, deserves many thanks as well.  Jerry is taking charge of putting together this garage sale.  Another member of the class secured the Meridian Conference Center free of charge for this event.  Thanks to all!

How Can You Get Involved in the Garage Sale?
Donate Items and Come to the sale

• Take an inventory of items in good condition to donate for the sale...please NO CLOTHING 
• Email the list to gsummers@cinci.rr.com so he has  some idea of what's donated for set-up purposes
• Take items for sale to the Wingate Inn/Meridian Conference Center between 4:30 pm and 9:00 pm on Friday, August 6th (no items accepted on Saturday)
• Sale begins on Saturday at 8:00 am and ends at 2:00 pm
• If you have items too heavy to deliver yourself, arrange for pick up by calling Jerry Summers in advance at (513) 755-9387
• If you can't donate items or attend the sale, you can participate by making a donation to NAMI Butler County designated for the DVD project
• The estimated value of items donated can be used as a tax deduction.  Forms and a list of reasonable values for some items will be available on Friday and Saturday

CAN YOU HELP?

The Friendship Club and people at Harbor House Social Club welcome everyday household items (those things not covered by food stamps) like personal grooming items, shampoos, toothbrushes and tooth pastes, soaps, deodorants, paper products, new makeup/samples, and cleaning products of all kinds.  Traveling? - collect the lotion/shampoo samples.  Bring to NAMI meetings or drop off at the office anytime and we will see that they get to the people in need.  Thanks in advance.

Thanks, Thanks and more Thanks!!!

This to the W. Chester 2010 Leadership Group, which has chosen NAMI Butler County as its project. They are planning a very large garage sale on August 7th, 2010 at the Wingate Center in W. Chester.  They have secured the donated use of the ballroom and will set up tables and chairs for the event.  

We are asking NAMI friends and supporters to participate by donating items, large and small, in excellent condition (please no clothing items) - this is a chance to clean out your houses, basements and garages of unused but still usable items. They can arrange pick up of larger items that donors can't move themselves.  You can also participate by attending this huge sale.

All proceeds will be used to develop a NAMI DVD which will be sent out, along with an informational brochure, to Butler County businesses and community leaders. 

Great appreciation to the Leadership Group for taking on this project and to Rhonda Benson, NAMI's Associate Director, who is a graduate of the 2010 Leadership class and so successfully promoted NAMI, amidst lots of competition, as their special project.

HAND-TO-HAND EDUCATION CLASSES

Classes begin on Tuesday, July 13, 2010 from 7-9 pm and go through August 31st.

Butler County Mental Health Board
5963 Boymel Drive
Fairfield, Ohio 45014
(Near Receptions Banquet Hall)

Designed for parents/caregivers of children under the age of 18 struggling with ADHD, Bipolar, Depression, OCD, or Autistic Spectrum Disorder. This particular class will focus on younger children.

How to Register: Call Suzan at 874-0710 or Sally at 860-8387 Email: suzanjean@hotmail.com

Classes and materials are free of charge. However, space is limited so register early to reserve a place in the class.

SPONSORED BY NAMI BUTLER COUNTY

NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS

NAMI BUTLER COUNTY'S FIFTH ANNUAL
"WALK FOR THE MIND OF AMERICA"

ART EXHIBIT

Maxine Apke, family member and speaker at our February meeting, told her personal story of what one experiences when a loved one becomes ill. The following is an article writing by Dana Zilch on Maxine’s coming art exhibit.

Come enjoy a unique exhibit containing a variety of art forms by Maxine Seelenbinder-Apke. Beginning October 7, 2010 through mid-November, her collection, ‘A Mother’s Journey,’ will be on display at the Clifton Cultural Arts Center located at 3711 Clifton Avenue in Cincinnati. Pieces will include two-dimensional, three-dimensional, sculptural and fiber art oriented toward exploring the numerous aspects of mental illness.

One very special piece is a large book entitled ‘You’re Not Alone.’ It invites the reader to experience select parts of numerous journeys through mental illness as written (and drawn) by those whose lives have been duly affected. Some stories are accompanied by drawings; other drawings are located throughout the book as expressions on their own.

The main purpose of the exhibit is to raise awareness within our community of mental health issues and to facilitate support. All proceeds from this exhibit will go to NAMI.

Lindner Center of Hope: Research on Eating Disorders and Bipolar Illness

LCOH is recruiting candidates for 3 overeating studies, one bulimia nervosa study, and 7 studies on bipolar disorder. Subjects must be 18 yrs. or older for these placebo/controlled, open label studies. Most studies include a thorough psychiatric assessment, free medications and reimbursement for time and travel. All subjects who participate will be provided with resources for further care and assistance in obtaining support in their community. For more information call: 513-536-0700. This article is to provide information about this study for those who may have an interest; it does not represent an endorsement by NAMI.

Research Opportunity for Siblings of Persons Diagnosed with a Mental Illness

Jacklyn Leith, a graduate student in Clinical Psych at Bowling Green State University is writing a Master’s thesis looking at the unique experience of siblings of persons diagnosed with a serious mental illness: how do they cope and make meaning out of this experience? The results will be used to help better understand how siblings feel about caregiving and how they prioritize their own needs and their siblings’ needs.

The study involves completing an online survey. Hard copies of the informed consent and survey forms are also available for those without internet access. Survey takes about 20-30 minutes. Participants, if they wish, can enter a drawing to win one of three $75 cash prizes.

To participate in the survey online go to: http;//psych.bgsu.edu/siblingsurvey.htm

You will be asked to give informed consent before beginning the survey. All responses are strictly confidential and survey results will be reported in aggregate form only. Participation is voluntary and one may withdraw from participation at any time in the survey process.

To complete the survey on paper forms by calling Jaclyn Leith at 419-372-4597 or by email at jleith@bgsu.edu. This research study has been approved by the Institutional Review Board at Bowling Green State University.

If you are a sibling, by completing this private survey, you can become an important part of research into how siblings are affected and cope with mental illness in their family

NAMI'S FREE CHILD CARE CENTER
PARENTING CLASSES - SUMMER 2010

To: Administrators of Preschools/ Child Care Centers

From: Suzan Stracke/ Butler County NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Hand-to-Hand Facilitator

Date: Spring/Summer 2010

Hello Directors,

As a former preschool/kindergarten teacher and parent of a grown son impacted by learning/emotional disorders, I have an interest in helping other parents with challenging children. NAMI offers a free-of-charge class to parents covering the following topics:

1. Understanding the Diagnostic Process

2. Understanding Your Child’s Diagnosis

3. Medications and How They Work

4. Developing Family Coping Skills

5. Counseling and Therapy

6. Where to Go When You Really Need Help

7. Understanding the Educational Needs for Children in Crisis

8. Community Mandates---Juvenile Justice

9. The Power of Family Advocacy

This particular class being offered during the summer of 2010 will focus on the needs of the younger child and the challenges for parents and caretakers. Most parents attending former classes had challenges in dealing with ADHD, Early Childhood Bipolar Disorder, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Oppositional Defiance Disorder, or Autistic Spectrum Disorders such as Aspergers. A notebook will be provided containing Resources for Parents and Class Topics from each week.

Please notify parents in your organization if you think there is an interest. We are here to help!

Thank you,

Suzan Stracke, Butler County NAMI

A NAMI Connection support group meets every Monday evening from 7 to 9:00 PM, at the Lindner Center of Hope, 4075 Old Western Row Rd., Mason. (Between I-71 and Mason-Montgomery Rd.)

NAMI Connection is a recovery support group program for people living with mental illnesses like bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, depression, anxiety disorders and other serious mental illnesses. This group will give you a chance to talk with others to share coping strategies and insights, as well as problems and concerns.  This group will be facilitated by trained peer facilitators.

Follow this link to learn more about NAMI Connection.

Educational Programs Now Forming

New multi-week Family-to-Family and Hand-to-Hand classes are forming for the fall. Follow this link to learn more about our family education programs.

Family-to-Family Schedule

Hand-to-Hand Schedule

Peer-to-Peer Schedule