Family to Family Classes Starting
  

It's time to register for Family to Family, a series of 12 weekly classes structured to help you understand and support individuals with mental disorders while maintaining your own well being. "This course is a wonderful experience," said one student. "It balances basic education and skills-training with emotional support, self care and empowerment."

A recent study by the University of Maryland School of Medicine found that the class significantly improves coping with mental illness, offering concrete, practical benefits to help family members, partners and friends play a critical role in the treatment and recovery of loved ones. 

There is no cost to participate in a Family to Family class, you don't need to be a NAMI member, and it doesn't matter if you live in a particular chapter's area to attend a class.   Many NAMI chapters across the country are starting classes in August and September. Here are a few local choices:

Northwest Community Hospital. Will begin Wednesday, September 7 from 6-9 p.m. Call Maryrose at NAMI Barrington Area at 847-496-1415 for information or to register.

Barrington. The starting date is still to be confirmed, but we need you to call if you might like to attend. Evenings 6-9p.m.  Call Maryrose at 847-496-1415 for information.

Northfield.  Begins Tuesday, September 6, 7 - 9:30 p.m. at New Trier Northfield High School. Call the NAMI CCNS office at 847-716-2252 for information or to register.

Park Ridge.  Begins Wednesday, September 14, 7 - 9:30 p.m. at Messiah Lutheran Church. Call the NAMI CCNS office at 847-716-2252 for information or to register.

St. Charles. Beginning Tuesday, August 23, 7:00 - 9:30p.m. at the Congregational United Church of Christ. To register, call Jenny or Denise of NAMI DKK at 630-405-9336.

Don't live near any of these classes? Check NAMI Illinois or NAMI National for your local chapter. Call and they will help you find a class nearby.

NAMI Basics Classes Starting   

Have a child or adolescent with symptoms of mental illness? NAMI CCNS is starting a NAMI Basics class October 11 at New Trier Northfield (6:30 to 9 p.m.). Call 847-716-2252 for information or to register.

NAMI DKK will begin a NAMI Basics class in Aurora September 19 at 9 a.m. Email Carol at caklopp@sbcglobal.net

You're in a tough situation, but help is available from people who have been through it.

New Support Group in Lake Villa

IS YOUR LOVED ONE MENTALLY ILL? You are not alone...

· Want practical ideas on where to turn?

· People who understand and have similar circumstances?

· Need resources and information on insight and coping skills?

NAMI BA is sponsoring a support group in Lake Villa IL for families and friends with a mentally ill loved one

· We will meet the 3rd Tuesday of each month (starts August 16)

· Lake Villa Assessors Office. 37850 N IL Rt 59, Lake Villa   

  (Old Gavin North School)  

· 7pm start time

There is no charge to participate and reservations are not required. All are welcome. Questions, please email tonihoy@comcast.net or helmick6@comcast.net

August Events

Thursday, August 4, 12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health hosts BFF-We All Need Friends. These educational calls are offered to all parents in Illinois who have a child with an emotional and/or behavioral concern. The calls focus on giving parents information they need to advocate for and support their children. Toll free: (800) 260-0712 Participant Access Code: 120964. For questions, please call (618) 838-9382.

Sunday, August 7 at 2p.m. The Arlington Heights Young Adults Depression Bipolar Support Alliance will host their Snack & Yack on at the Arlington Heights Corner Bakery. (Group members are 17 - 24.) Parents of youth will meet same time, same place, different tables! Ask servers for Leah's tables and contact her in advance for further info at mrsn@comcast.net or 847-541-7754. Bring some money for a snack.

Saturday, August 20 at 2pm. The Arlington Heights Young Adults Depression Bipolar Support Alliance will go skating! (Group members are 17-24.) Parents will meet same time, same place, different space! For further info contact Leah at mrsn@comcast.net or 847-541-7754. Let's Go!

Beginning Tuesday, August 23, 7:00 - 9:30p.m. and continuing for 12 weeks NAMI DKK presents Family-to-Family classes. At the Congregational United Church of Christ, St. Charles. To register, call Jenny at Denise at 630-405-9336.

Sunday, August 28, at 1 p.m., NAMI Northwest Suburban's Fun at One social/recreational group will meet at the A & W Restaurant in Woodfield for lunch. Afterwards, those who wish will go to Congo River Miniature Golf in Hoffman Estates. The group is open to those 20+ who are working on mental health recovery, and we plan to meet the fourth Sunday of every month. Please call Dawn at 847-471-4888 or naminwsub@aol.com for more info or to RSVP.

Tuesday, August 30, 6:30p.m. Join NAMI DKK for a picnic and a ballgame! The Kane County Cougars vs. Peoria Chiefs is the setting for a fundraiser to benefit The Friends of Mental Health Treatment Alternative Court. $30 includes all you can eat pre-game picnic and ballgame ticket. Order deadline is Tuesday, August 9. For more information contact Shawn Touney at (630) 232-8811 or stouney@kanecountycougars.com.

September Events

Thursday, September 1, 12:00p.m. - 1:00p.m. The Illinois Department of Human Services, Division of Mental Health hosts Sharing Our Story of Hope. These educational calls are offered to all parents in Illinois who have a child with an emotional and/or behavioral concern. The calls focus on giving parents information they need to advocate for and support their children. Toll free: (800) 260-0712 Participant Access Code: 120964. For questions, please call (618) 838-9382.

Beginning Tuesday, September 6, 7 - 9:30 p.m. Family to Familyat New Trier Northfield High School. Call the NAMI CCNS office at 847-716-2252 for information or to register.

Beginning Wednesday, September 7, 6-9 p.m. Family to Familyat Northwest Community Hospital. No charge but registration is required. Call Maryrose at NAMI Barrington Area at 847-496-1415 .

Starting date to be confirmed. Family to Family in Barrington. Evenings 6-9p.m.  Call Maryrose at 847-496-1415 for information.

Wednesday, September 7, 7-8:30 p.m. The NAMI Criminal Justice Action Committee, part of NAMI BA, meets the first Wednesday of every month, and we'd love to have your help and support. We meet at the Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane-Suite #114, Arlington Heights.  For more information, email Joseph M. Jason or phone him at (847) 537-3009. Help us make a difference.

Sunday, September 11 at 2pm. The Arlington Heights Young Adults Depression Bipolar Support Alliance will host their Snack & Yack at the Arlington Heights Corner Bakery. (Group members are 17-24.) Parents are invited to meet at the same time and place, but at a different table. Ask servers for Leah's tables and contact her in advance for further info at mrsn@comcast.net or 847-541-7754. Bring some money for a snack.

Beginning Wednesday, September 14, 7 - 9:30 p.m. Family to Familyat Messiah Lutheran Church, Park Ridge. Call the NAMI CCNS office at 847-716-2252 for information or to register.

Sunday, September 18, 11a.m. sign-in, noon step off. NAMI Walks Chicago in Grant Park. Help your local NAMI chapter, NAMI Illinois and NAMI National by walking or supporting a walker. Visit the NAMI Barrington Area team page to join or pledge your support!

Sunday, September 18. NAMI CCNS Sundays at One social group (for adults 20 and up) will meet at the Skokie Sculpture Park for a free tour. Call Chris Jordan at 847-220-0199 for information.

Beginning on Saturday, September 19 and continuing thru October 22, 9:00a.m. - 11:30a.m. NAMI DKK hosts NAMI Basics. NAMI Basics is the new signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The NAMI Basics course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years. The class meets at the Buckley Room at Provena Mercy Medical Center, 1325 N. Highland Ave, Aurora. All instruction materials are FREE to participants. Registration required, please email Carol at caklopp@sbcglobal.net.

Wednesday, September 21, 7:00p.m. NAMI Barrington Area board meeting in the Kildeer Village Hall, 21911 Quentin Road, Kildeer. Drop in and learn what's going on in the chapter!

Saturday, September 24 at 2pm. The Arlington Heights Young Adults Depression Bipolar Support Alliance will meet for an activity. (Group members are 17-24.) Parents will meet, too, at that time. For further info contact Leah at mrsn@comcast.net or 847-541-7754.

Sunday, September 25, at 1 p.m., NAMI Northwest Suburban's Fun at One social/recreational group will meet again, as we will each fourth Sunday of the month. The group is open to those 20+ who are working on mental health recovery. Please call Dawn at 847-471-4888 or naminwsub@aol.com for more info or to RSVP.

You may find that a support group can be very helpful, especially if you, a partner, friend or family member is going through a crisis. A very large number of groups meet in our area for consumers as well as family members and friends.

Each month, we publish a list of support groups that you can attend, generally at no charge and with no need to make a reservation. You can access that list in a printable format here. 

We would also like to invite you to the groups hosted by our own chapter, NAMI Barrington Area. This month we will offer a NAMI Connection group for consumers and a family support group every Thursday at Northwest Community Hospital at 7 p.m. (call Nora at 847-899- -6264 for more information), NAMI PACT dual groups for parents and younger teens, 10 and older, the first and third Friday of the month, also at Northwest Community (call Toni at 847-804-2088 weeknights), and a new family support group in Lake Villa the third Tuesday of each month, 7 p.m., at the Lake Villa Assessor's Office, 37850 North Route 59. Email tonihoy@comcast.net or helmick6@comcast.net for information.      

Good Grief! My Family Member is in the Hospital

In the Trench by Toni Hoy

At a recent NAMI support group meeting, we talked about the emotional toll we experienced when placing a loved one in the psychiatric hospital or residential treatment center. We discovered every one of us experienced grief, including our loved one who was admitted to the facility.

Such grief is normal, but we realized that we needed to talk about our need to grieve with those who were supportive and didn't minimize our feelings. The support group provided a safe haven to share our experiences.

Read more in this month's In the Trench

EPSDT Lawsuit Settled Without a Trial

Hoy Family Regains Custody of Son

EPSDT is an acronym for Early, Periodic, Screening, Diagnostic, and Treatment. This provision of federal Medicaid law states "...if a practitioner of the healing arts deems that a treatment is medically necessary to correct or ameliorate a condition, the state must provide it. If they cannot provide it, they must arrange for it..." The time limit for arranging it is six months.

Daniel, who is now 16 years old, received a Medicaid card as part of a subsidized adoption, which entitles him to medically necessary services under EPSDT, but the state refused him funding for residential treatment, forcing his parents to trade their custody rights for mental healthcare, in order to keep Daniel, their family, and the community safe.

NAMI Barrington Area members, James and Toni Hoy, filed a federal lawsuit against Illinois Healthcare and Family Services (HFS) and the Department of Health Services (DHS), as next friends of their son, Daniel.

After only 7 months, both parties recently settled the federal EPSDT lawsuit out of court, without a hearing. The family is officially under a "gag order" but is allowed to say that it was "settled to the satisfaction of the parties."

James and Toni finally told Daniel that he sued the state after they reached the settlement. They avoided telling him prior, so that it wouldn't be a distraction from his intensive therapy. Daniel, who remains at Chaddock Residential Center, in Quincy, Il, was elated to learn that he was getting his parents back.

On Thursday, July 14^th , the Hoy's went to juvenile court for the final time and regained custody of their son, Daniel, ending an emotionally painful ordeal, which lasted more than 3 years.

Toni Hoy has authored a book about their family's ordeal entitled, "Second Time Foster Child," to be released later this year. An excerpt from her book reads,

"There were days that I just wanted to throw in the towel and give up. Regardless of how brutal it's been, I've been able to endure it all with full capability to regulate any of my emotions on any given day; sadness, frustration, anxiety, mistrust, anger, and even happiness. My son, Daniel, who through no fault of his own, struggles with regulating every emotion, every day. On my worst day, it's still easier to be me."

Read more about the case in The Family Defender (page 6)

First Time is a Charm

by Toni Hoy

I had the pleasure of attending my first NAMI National Convention in July. The convention is a wealth of education and experience in a few short days.

I helped with registration...visited the exhibit hall...took part in several state and national business meetings...spoke to Dr. Ken Duckworth about the "Ask the Doctor" calls...and heard many personal stories of challenge and triumph.

It was a great place to get information, resources, and support, but the most valuable "take away" from the NAMI National Convention was simply to be surrounded by so many like-minded people. There was an aura of genuine sympathy, empathy, and advocacy. It was a safe haven where consumers and those who love them could openly share their hopes and fears without fear of stigma. It was a place to reciprocally offer and receive help, as well as to share resources.

Learn more about the convention

Our Thanks to Carol

by Joseph M. Jason

Carol Ziolo RN, MA recently gave her resignation from the board of NAMI Barrington Area, where she has served for a number of years.   However Carol will continue to facilitate the educational and support groups at Northwest Community Hospital.   She has been invaluable in her many years of service on the board. We want to thank Carol for her outstanding years of service and her professionalism.

Change Your Search Engine to Support the Housing Task Force

Goodsearch.com is a new search engine powered by Yahoo! which shares revenues with charities.

Here's how it works: when you visit Goodsearch for the first time, input the charity of your choice (and we hope you will input NORTH AND NORTHWEST TASK FORCE). From then on, search the Internet as you normally would.

Every time you click on a sponsored listing, 50% of the revenue generated by the ad will go to the Task Force and its work building permanent supportive housing for those recovering from mental illness. That can add up quickly, since these sponsors pay anywhere from 10 cents to several dollars per click, depending on the search term.

Supporting good work has never been so easy!

Thresholds (for rehabilitation help and housing) 

 New Foundation Center (for rehabilitation help and housing)
Community links from the New Foundation Center   Choices in Recovery website -information and support for schizophrenia, schizoaffective and bipolar disorder

Depression and Bipolar Support AllianceAlliance to End Homelessness in Cook County newsletter
St_Hubert_Job_Ministry
Government Benefits portal
Social Security Administration 
Social Security and Disability Resource Center
Veterans Administration 
National Association of Anorexia Nervosa & Associated Disorders 

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention 
American Association of Suicidology 

OCD Chicago for help with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
RX for Illinois or Partnership for Prescription Assistance for help with prescription drug costs.
Health & Human Services Healthcare.gov website
Hospice & Palliative Care of Northeastern Illinois: 847-381-5599\

NAMI Help Line (agency referrals): 800-950-NAMI (6264)
The DMH Warm Line offers peer support to mental health consumers and families (MF 8-5) 866-359-7953

Clinical Research Opportunities 

Clinical research often presents people with renewed hope and may provide medical and psychiatric evaluations along with medication at no cost.  Hospitals that offer regular programs include:

Alexian Brothers Center for Psychiatric Research  847-230-3591  Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health, 847-952-7460 x7475

The Center for Cognitive Medicine 312-355-5549

NU Schizophrenia Research Group 773-543-9215 or email