Mental Illness Awareness Week 2009

Mental Illness Awareness Week

October 4-10, 2009

“Building Community, Taking Action”

Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) is sponsored by the National Alliance on Mental Illness and is an annual, national observance that was created by a Presidential proclamation in 1990 to focus attention on the high incidence of mental illness in America. Over the past 19 years, MIAW has become a tradition in communities across the country in meeting the NAMI mission through a variety of outreach, educational, and advocacy efforts.  

The 2009 theme, Building Community, Taking Action, charges us to continue to take action against stigma, build community collaborations to confront discrimination and educate our policymakers and members of our community to create service systems that provide hope and recovery to people of all ages living with serious mental illness.    

If you are reading this, please consider joining NAMI NH in Building Community, Taking Action. This year NAMI NH has partnered with several other organizations to be able to provide these activities and events listed below. For more information you may contact the NAMI NH office 2255359 or email: cferber@naminh.org or visit any of the website to which we have linked.

Please visit FACEBOOK: NAMI NH MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK for a calendar of events for the week of October 4-10, 2009.

Why should you care about Mental Illness Awareness Week? Click here for Ed Kirby's article in the Nashua Telegraph.

Calendar of Events

Close to 100 PBS television stations nationwide are now scheduled to broadcast Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness during Mental Illness Awareness Week October 4-11, 2009.

MINDS ON THE EDGE: Facing Mental Illness connects the dots between personal dilemmas facing individuals and families who are living with mental illness, medical practices that can be obstacles to treatment, and public policies that all too often fall short in providing support that could make a positive difference.

The one-hour television program zeros in on wrenching and confounding situations that are playing out every day in homes and hospital ERs, on city streets and school campuses, in courtrooms and in jails, as Americans struggle with the challenges of severe mental illness.

Click here for the broadcast schedule.

 

for the Mind of America

Sunday, October 4, 2009 Start Time: 10:30 AM NH Hospital, South Fruit Street, Concord, N.H. Walkers must register for the walk--no walker registration fee. Honorary Chair, Nick Toumpas, Commissioner, NH Health & Human Services will kick off the Walk. To learn more about the WALK or contact Lynette Gorman, WALK Coordinator at 225-5359 or email lgorman@naminh.org.

 

”MENTAL HEALTH IN SCHOOLS”
Supporting Students with Emotional and Behavioral Disorders
Keynote: Stephen Norton, Executive Director
New Hampshire Center for Public Policy Studies
Monday, October 5, 2009 SNHU, River Road, Manchester, N.H.
9AM-3PM Registration Fee $75.00* This day long event is designed to provide participants the status of supporting students in their local schools and innovative models of support. This event’s content is driven by key elements of the mental Health Services in New Hampshire’s Schools Report, published in 2009. This day will include a keynote presentation, workshops, an interactive breakout session and select clips of INCLUDING SAMUEL. Visit the UNH IOD site and click on Mental Health and Schools on the right hand column to register or for more information. *Limited scholarships are available for family members by contacting Claudia at NAMI NH cferber@naminh.org or call 225-5359 ext. 13 who will assist with registration.

ADVOCACY

Monday, October 5
10 a.m. to noon
NH State House Lawn, Concord, N.H.

Again this year, Every Child Matters, has partnered with NAMI NH and other child and family serving organizations and agencies to draw public attention to issues affecting America's children.  Here in New Hampshire we’ll be gathering on the steps of the State House to show that kids are a priority!  We’re looking for advocates, elected officials, parents, interested citizens to come together and Step UP for Kids!

Event will include a press conference, Children’s Parade and Activities: BJ Hickman Magic Show, State House Tours. Kids Activity Table, Healthy Snack. Invited guests include: Governor John Lynch, Senator Jeanne Shaheen, Senator Judd Gregg, Congressman Paul Hodes and  Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter. 

For more information, please e-mail: mlbeaver@everychildmatters.org

 

For Adults:

THE SOLOIST by Steve Lopez
Monday, October 5, 2009 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m.
Concord Public Library, Concord, N.H.

Dartmouth College's Professor of English, Suzanne Brown, will lead the discussion of this non fiction work, by Los Angeles Times columnist Lopez who happened upon the homeless Nathaniel Ayers playing a two stringed violin on a street corner. He wondered who this person was, why he was playing on that corner, and what life events resulted in his being homeless. The book tells the story of Mr. Lopez and Mr. Ayers slowly getting to know one another, the discovery that Mr. Ayers was once a student at the acclaimed Julliard School of Music, and his being stricken with schizophrenia while a student there. Mr. Lopez decides to try to help Mr. Ayers in ways he thinks will make Mr. Ayers’ life better. Along the way he learns a lot about himself and undergoes some personal changes of his own. Their friendship results in growth for both Mr. Ayers and Mr. Lopez.

Free—No registration needed. Visit Concord Reads for more information.

FREE to elementary level (grades 1-5) schools to present to students during the months of October and November. Contact NAMI NH for a packet which includes the book, gift for students, discussion questions, resource materials and suggested student activities.

Ask members of your faith community to recite the MIAW-Prayer (provided in packet) on Tuesday, October 6th at noon. For other activities, contact NAMI NH for an informational packet or materials.

MIAW Prayer
We pray for those whose lives are impacted by mental illness that they may be granted strength, understanding and compassion as they seek support and treatment for Recovery. We ask that leaders of our institutions and our government be guided as they develop public policy and mental health practices that address the needs of those whose lives are affected by mental illness. Guide us all to have the courage to compassionately support people with mental illness and the wisdom to “See the Person, not the Illness”.

“THE SOLOIST”
Thursday, October 8, 2009 Red River Theater, Concord, N.H.
Viewing: 6:00 p.m. Ticket Price: $5.00 per person

"The Soloist" starring Jamie Foxx, Robert Downey Jr., Catherine Keener, Tom Hollander and Lisa Gay Hamilton is based on the book by Steve Lopez. Visit: http://www.redrivertheatres.org/box_films.php#thesoloist for more details about the film. Panel Discussion: Annette Carbonneau, NAMI NH, Volunteer and Community Developer will facilitate a panel discussion immediately following the film. Panelists: David Sawyer, consumer, writer, activities and advocate; Robert Murray, M.D., Medical Director, Riverbend Community Mental Health; a representative of the Concord Coalition to End Homelessness.

SHOWTIMES:
Thu., Oct 8: 6:00 followed by a panel presentation.
Fri., Oct 9: 8:00
Sat., Oct. 10: 3:00
Sun., Oct. 11: 3:00, 8:00
Mon., Oct. 12: No Show
Tue., Oct 13: 7:00
Wed., Oct. 14: No Show
Thu., Oct. 15: 7:00

“The Soloists and the Road to Recovery” Thursday, October 29, 2009 7:00 p.m. to 8:15 p.m. Location: Salvation Army, 58 Clinton Street, Concord, N.H.
Join in a thought provoking discussion about the lines to be drawn between self-determination and self-destruction, help and interference, friendship and exploitation. Concord Community Television will be taping this program. Setting will be available outside the range of the cameras.

 

Concord
Concord Library, Bulletin Board Display week of October 4

Durham
UNH Social Work Department - Contact person : Sharon Murphy, assistant professor.
Wednesday, October 7, 6:30 to 8:30 a panel discussion at the MUB Theater II. Panelist include people who will share their story of Recover, David Cross, Ph.D., director of the UNH Counseling Center, and representatives from the Rochester District Mental Health Court, which provides alternative sentencing arrangements for the mentally ill who have committed crimes.

October 4-8 Information Table during lunch hours in the MUB Food Court

October 4-10 Informative Display in the library by the Circulation Desk

Merrimack
Merrimack Public Library, 470 Daniel Webster Highway—Display and donate selected books

Milton
Toadstool Bookstore—display of NAMI NH materials and selected books

Nashua
Tuesday, Oct. 6, the Greater Nashua Mental Health Center is conducting training for service providers titled “Helping People Living with Mental Illness,” from 8-9:30 a.m. at 100 West Pearl St.

Nashua Public Library, 2 Court Street---Display and donate selected books

Affiliate members will be doing an aggressive canvas in their community by distributing NAMI NH brochures, posters and materials.

Harbor Homes—display of NAMI NH materials

Peterborough
Affiliate members will be doing an aggressive outreach in their community by distributing NAMI NH brochures, posters and material.

Upper Valley

October 3- The NAMI NH Upper Valley NAMI Support Group will have an information table at the Grantham health fair held at the Grantham Town Hall, 300 Rte 10. Also during MIAW the Grantham Library will be showcasing books on mental illness.

October 5- The NAMI NHUpper Valley Family Support group will have an information table at the Lebanon Food Co-op Store, 12 Centerra Parkway, Lebanon, NH 03766

October 6- “In Our Own Voice” Presentation at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH. Presentation will be held in Auditorium E from 7-9:00pm. This presentation is open to the public and sponsored by the NAMI NH Upper Valley Family Support Group. For information contact Donna Stamper at 863-2621.

IOOV Presentations:

10/6 PLYMOUTH STATE UNIVERSITY
10/7 UNH, DURHAM
10/7 EFFINGHAM LIBRARY, EFFINGHAM

 

 

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