Mark your calendars! This year’s NAMIWalks will be on May 18th, 2019, at Dorothea Dix park. We have so many plans to make this walk the best one yet, and we need your help to make that happen. To register your team, visit our page here.

Attendees at the first 2018 listening session

POLICY AND LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES LISTENING TOUR

NAMI NC is gearing up for the 2019 North Carolina General Assembly’s legislative session, which officially begins on January 30, 2019. We had our first two listening sessions last week, in Winston Salem and Morganton. Thank you to all of our members that came out–we are well on our way to develop our goals for this year’s legislative session!

We still have three more sessions coming up, and we want your feedback. For details on where to attend listening sessions, please visit our website, and to learn more or register, sign up here. If you are not yet a member, but would like to be a part of this, become a member here.

DO YOU LIVE WITH DEPRESSION OR BIPOLAR DISORDER?

Kayla Follmer is a professor at Salisbury University and is working on a research project that examines the work experiences of employees with depression and bipolar disorder. The study involves completing 3 online surveys, spaced approximately 1 month apart. Individuals who participate in the surveys will be compensated with a $10 Amazon gift card for each survey they complete. If you would like to learn more about or participate in the survey you can follow this link.

If you have any questions you may contact Kayla at kbfollmer@salisbury.edu

News from around the Web

She shares her story to help those struggling with mental illness — and their families

When Andrea Chase’s husband was diagnosed with a mental illness in 2011, she went to NAMI-Wake County seeking help and support. 7 years later, she is the president of NAMI-Wake County, and is ready to take the organization to the next level. Read about her experiences and plans here.

Treatment Denied: The Mental Health Crisis in Federal Prisons

In 2014, the Federal Bureau of Prisons imposed a new policy that increased the standard of care for patients with mental-health issues. However, the bureau did not implement resources to provide this care. This study from the Marshall Project shows that, in order to comply, prison staff are determining that inmates–some with long histories of psychiatric problems–do not require routine care at all. Read the full report, and its implications, here.

Ending the suicide epidemic begins by caring for ourselves

In this op-ed piece, Chester Bennington’s wife Talinda calls for a change in the culture surrounding mental health. We need to change the healthcare system, the accessibility to care, and the way we talk about mental health and suicide. But “Rather than only looking outside ourselves for solutions to the mental health needs in our communities, it’s time to recognize that taking care of our own mental health is the most important thing we can each do for ourselves and those we love. Attending to our own emotional well-being ensures that we are in a much better place to help those we love when they struggle,” says Talinda. Read the full piece here.

Upcoming Events

Certified Peer Support Specialist Training

Attention Veterans: Are you interested in becoming a Certified Peer Support Specialist? Are you a NAMI member? If you answered “yes” to these questions, view the N.C. Peer Support Specialist Program training schedule here. NAMI NC is offering a limited number of scholarships to help cover the costs associated with the trainings. Please contact Virginia Rodillas at vhrodillas@naminc.org to learn more.

NAMI Charlotte Family-to-Family Classes

Wednesday, January 16, 2019 at 6:30pm

Providence United Methodist Church, Charlotte

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 12-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people living with mental illness. It is a designated evidenced-based program. Research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to an individual living with a mental health condition

To register, sign up here.

Do you have an event or article you’d like to see in the next Tuesday Newsday? Email it to pmehta@naminc.org with the subject “Tuesday Newsday.”