• Who we are
• Family to Family classes starting in September
• Your invitation - walk in this year's NAMI Walks
• August Events
• September Events
• Area Support Groups
• Outstanding articles on mental health in America
• Carol's Corner: NAMI schizophrenia survey
• Save the date: NAMI BA speaker on suicide prevention
• From the President's Desk: Crazy
• Legislative Update: Inch by Inch, Row by Row
• Advocacy Tip
• Mark your calendars - NAMI state convention in October
• New book offers immediate help for bipolar sufferers
• New research report on mental health of adults over 50
• Volunteers needed
• Some helpful links
• Please pass on this newsletter
• Join NAMI
• Visit our website
• Emergency numbers

These NAMI classes are for family members, partners and friends of individuals with serious mental illness. "This course is a wonderful experience," said one student. "It balances basic education and skills-training with emotional support, self care and empowerment."

There is no cost to participate, 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. Just pick out a date and location that’s convenient. Please note, however, that registration is necessary as class size is limited.

Barrington Area Chapter

At Northwest Community Hospital, Arlington Heights. Wednesdays starting September 3, 6–9 p.m. Contact Maryrose at 847-496-1415 with questions or to register.

In Barrington, starting in September (date and location not yet confirmed). Contact Maryrose at 847-496-1415.

Elk Grove / Schaumburg Chapter

Location to be announced. Tuesdays starting September 9, 6:45 - 9 p.m. Please contact Marianne at 847-885-2279 or Jenny at 630-289-0383.

Northern Cook County Suburban Chapter

At New Trier High School Northfield campus. Tuesdays starting September 2, 7–9:30 p.m. Contact Joyce Schladweiler at 847-853-6191 or rejoyce@schladweiler.com.

Northwestern Memorial Hospital Chapter

At Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 East Chestnut, Chicago. Mondays starting September 15. Contact BDoyle33@sbcglobal.net or 312-664-5141.

DuPage Chapter

At Knox Presbyterian Church, 1105 Catalpa Lane, Naperville. Thursdays starting September 4, 7–9:30 p.m. Call (630) 752-0066, ex 210.

Visit NAMI Greater Chicago's website here: for more information about the walk. Our team is simply NAMI-BA with Barb Kreski serving as captain again this year. The process is very simple. Go to this webpage to register, send out requests for donations and chart your progress. If you have any difficulty or limited computer access, call Barb at (847) 506-9607 between 4 and 9 pm and she ’ll help you.

Here are a couple of things to consider:

• We would like a BIG team, so join us--- and bring a friend!
• All donations, big or small, are beneficial.
• If you walked last year, you may want to ask different people to donate: think about asking at businesses you frequent, at work or at church or at another organization you belong to.
• We need team t-shirts and this year we are going to make them! Barb has a fool-proof system and will be holding t-shirt open workshops on September 7th and 14th from 3-7. Email bkreski@hotmail.com or call for details
• If you don’t want to make your own, email bkreski@hotmail.com and let her know the size you want me to make for you. No problem!

Tuesday, August 19, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. NAMI Barrington Area board meeting in the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B. Drop in and learn what's going on in the chapter!

Starting Wednesday, September 3, 6:00pm – 9:00pm and continuing weekly until November 19. NAMI-Barrington Area offers Family to Family. Meets at Northwest Community Hospital, 800 W. Central Road, Arlington Heights, IL. No charge, required registration. For more information or to register contact Maryrose at 847-496-1415.

Starting Tuesday, September 4, 7:00 – 9:30 pm and continuing for 12 weeks. NAMI-DuPage offers Family to Family. Meets at Knox Presbyterian Church, 1105 Catalpa Lane, Naperville, IL. No charge, required registration. For more information or to register contact NAMI of DuPage, Wheaton office at (630) 752-0066, ex 210.

Saturday, September 6 at 5:00pm and Sunday, September 7 at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30am. Masses at St. Emily at 1400 E Central Rd Mt. Prospect. Celebrate the lives of people with mental illness, their families, friends and healthcare workers. Deacon Tom Lambert will speak on Mental Illnesses at each of the services at St. Emily's. After each mass they are having a reception with displays from various organizations, including local hospitals, support groups, Catholic outreach - Faith and Fellowship and St Dymphna and the commission. For more information contact: The Archdiocesan Commission on Mental Illness, Deacon Tom Lambert 773-525-0453 x21 or Connie Rakitan 708/-383-9276 or email olmcinfo2@aol.com.

Starting Tuesday, September 9, 6:45pm – 9:00pm and continuing for 12 weeks. NAMI-Elk Grove/ Schaumburg Area offers Family to Family. Location to be announced. No charge, required registration. For more information or to register contact Marianne at 847-885-2279 or Jenny at 630-289-0383.

Friday, September 12, 8:00am – 4:30pm. UIC, the University of Illinois Extension and the newly formed ResourceNet will convene a one day workshop to discuss "How local non-profit agencies, (faith-based and community groups), can increase their chances of successfully competing for federal grants and resources". Several Federal agencies will be participating. At Student Center East, UIC, 750 S. Halsted, Chicago, IL 60607. For details and registration information, please contact David Cole at david.k.cole@hud.gov .

Starting Monday, September 15, and continuing for 12 weeks. NAMI Northwestern Memorial Hospital and Chicago Lights Center for Whole Health of
Fourth Presbyterian Church offer Family to Family. Meets at Fourth Presbyterian Church, 126 East Chestnut, Chicago. No charge, required registration. For more information or to register Contact BDoyle33@sbcglobal.net or 312-664-5141.

Thursday, September 18, 7:00 - 9:00p.m. NAMI Barrington Area Speaker Meeting. Jim Christian from Alexian Bros. Behavioral Health Center presents a program entitled "Questioning-Persuasial-Referral". He will speak on recognizing the signs of an impending suicide attempt and suicide prevention. Free! No registration required. At Barrington Village Hall, 200 S. Hough St. Barrington, in the Board Room. For details, call Hugh at 847-991-1863 (if you can’t make it, please join NAMI NW Suburban on Sept 24!)

Saturday, September 20, NAMI DuPage presents Run for the Mind, a 10K run, 5K run and 5K walk starting at 9 a.m. at the Danada Forest Preserve entrance in Wheaton. For details and to register or phone Mary Lou Lowry at 630.782.0066 ex.212.

Tuesday, September 23, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. NAMI Barrington Area board meeting in the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B. Drop in and learn what's going on in the chapter!

Wednesday, September 24, 7:30p.m. NAMI NW Suburban Speaker Meeting. Jim Christian from Alexian Bros. Behavioral Health Center presents a program entitled "Questioning-Persuasial-Referral". He will speak on recognizing the signs of an impending suicide attempt and suicide prevention. Free! No registration required. At Alexian Bros. Behavorial Center 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Hts. Refreshments will be served. For details, call Joan at 847-359-6316. (if you can’t make it, please join NAMI Barrington Area on Sept 18!)

Starting in September, will meet in Barrington. NAMI-Barrington Area offers Family to Family. Date and location not yet confirmed. Contact Maryrose at 847-496-1415.

Every Monday, the Depression Bipolar Support Alliance support group meets in Arlington Heights from 7.30 to 9.00 p.m. It's open to people living with depression and bipolar disorder and their family and friends. No charge. Contact Leah at mrsn@comcast.net or (847) 541-7754 for information and location.

Every Tuesday, the RECOVERY Inc. self-help mental health support group (led by trained consumers using cognitive behavioral methods) meets at at the NAMI-McHenry County offices, 333 Commerce Drive, Suite 900A, Crystal Lake. For information call 815-338-5609, email 50_@recovery-inc.org, or visit www.recovery-inc.org.

Every Thursday, the NAMI DuPage chapter's Peer Recovery support group meets from 7 - 8:30 p.m. at Good Samaritin Hospital, 3815 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call 630-752-0066 for information.

Monday, August 4. NAMI Cook County North "Care & Share" family support group meets from 7 - 8:30 p.m. the first Monday of the month at the Kenton-Knox Conference Center at Rush North Shore Medical Center, 9701 N. Knox, Skokie. No charge. No reservation needed. Call Jan Magoc at at 847-297-0396 for information.

Monday, August 4 and 18. NAMI Greater Chicago consumer support group meets twice monthly (usually the first and third Mondays), 2:30 - 4 p.m. at their offices, 536 W. Chicago Ave, 1st Floor, Chicago. Call Betty at 312-563-0445 or visit their website for information or for other city and suburban support groups.

Thursday, August 7. NAMI McHenry County Chapter dual diagnosis family support group meets the first Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the NAMI-McHenry County offices, 333 Commerce Drive, Suite 900A, Crystal Lake. Call 815-444-9991 for information.

Monday August 11 and Thursday, August 21. NAMI-C.A.R.E. (Consumers Advocating Recovery through Empowerment), a peer-based, mutual support group program led by trained consumers for individuals facing the challenges of recovering from a serious mental illness. The group meets twice a month: on the 2nd Monday at the NAMI-McHenry County offices, 333 Commerce Drive, Suite 900A, Crystal Lake at 7:00 p.m., and on the 3rd Thursday at the McHenry County Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake, following the 7:00 p.m. general support group.

Monday, August 11 and 25. The NAMI DuPage Chapter's parents with children with a mental illness support group meets the 2nd and 4th Monday of the month at 7:30 pm at the NAMI office, 2100 Manchester Road, Bldg. B - Suite 900, Wheaton. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call 630-752-0066 for information.

Tuesday, August 12. NAMI Barrington Area Chapter family support group, 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call Mary at 847-381-6919 for information.

Tuesday, August 12 and 26. NAMI DuPage Chapter family support group, meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month from 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the NAMI DuPage office, 2100 Manchester, Building B, Suite 925, Wheaton.(No charge, no reservation needed.) Phone 630.752.0066 or email: il@namidupage.org for information.

Wednesday, August 13. NAMI Greater Chicago family support group meets monthly (usually the second Wednesday), 7 - 9 p.m. at their offices, 536 W. Chicago Ave, 1st Floor, Chicago. Call 312-563-0445 or visit their website for information or for other city and suburban support groups.

Thursday, August 14. The NAMI Elk Grove Chapter family support group meets the second Thursday of the month from 6:45- 8:45 p.m. at the KennethYoung Center, 1001 Rohlwing Rd., Elk Grove. Family, friends, and recovered consumers are welcome Call Sue at 630-529-3037 or Gina at 630 302 2530 for more information.

Saturday, August 16. The NAMI DuPage Minds in Motion social group (18 - 20-something) meets the third Saturday of the month. Visit NAMI Dupage or phone 630-752-0066 for location and time.

Wednesday, August 20. NAMI Northwest Suburban Chapter family support group meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, Arlington Heights. Call Star at 847-899-0195 for details.

Wednesday, August 20. NAMI Hanover Township family support group meets the third Wednesday of the month from 7 - 9 p.m. at Downey Hall, 250 S. Route 59, Bartlett, IL. Call 630-736-2823 for details.

Thursday, August 21. NAMI McHenry County Chapter general support group meets the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the McHenry County Mental Health Board Building, 620 Dakota St., Crystal Lake. Call 815-444-9991 for information.

Thursday, August 21. The NAMI Elk Grove/Schaumburg family support group meets the third Thursday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Hanover Park Branch Library, 1266 Irving Park Road, Hanover Park. Call Linda: at 847-985-9128 for information.

Media and Madness. For better and worse, the news media and entertainment industry shape public opinion about mental illness.

A Professor's Story. Going public about mental illness is not like revealing any other kind of disease.

Combat Fatigue. As returning veterans suffer post-traumatic stress disorder in record numbers, a controversial new drug is being tested that would dampen their memories.

A Worthy Diversion. Pennsylvania has developed a model program to keep offenders with mental illness out of the criminal-justice system.

Finding Funding. States should link mental-health funding to dedicated revenue sources independent of the political whims of legislators. Here are some creative examples.

Programs That Work. Clubhouses and ACT are proven successes. So why aren't they better known or funded?

Follow the Money. How shortsighted funding and reimbursement warps mental-health care in America

Mind Reading. Technological advances catapult mental health to the forefront of ethics debates.

Pushing Parity. Congress is poised to end insurance discrimination against people with mental illnesses.

What's Needed Next. An Office of National Mental Health Policy would be an important step toward completing the transformation in the care and support for people with mental illnesses.

One of the highlights of the NAMI National Convention was a survey presented there, Schizophrenia: Public Attitudes, Personal Needs.

The report by NAMI offers an analysis and recommendations on a variety of important topics, including: living with achizophrenia, public attitudes, caregivers’ experiences and challenges, and recommendations on how to promote public awareness of the illness, close the gap between onset of symptoms and treatment, increase access to treatment and services, provide education and support for individuals living with schizophrenia and their caregivers, invest in research.

Read Carol's Corner for August or visit the NAMI page on the survey.

Wednesday, September 24, 7:30p.m.
Alexian Brothers Behavorial Center 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Hts.
Presented by NAMI Northwest. No reservation is needed, but if you have questions call Joan at 847-359-6316.

I’ve just finished reading Crazy: A Father’s Search Through America’s Mental Health Madness, by journalist and best selling author Pete Earley. It is an excellent book and I recommend it highly.

When Earley’s son was about 20, he was stricken by severe case of bipolar disorder coupled with psychotic symptoms. Over a fairly short period of time, his son got much worse and was eventually arrested for breaking and entering.

The book is tough to read if you have a family member with mental illness, but it is worth the effort. If you want to be an advocate for your family member, this book is a great place to begin.

Read Hugh's take on "Crazy" and what it says about our mental health system.

by Hugh Brady

This June the US House of Representatives passed a bill to provide equity for Medicare patients with mental illness. The Senate passed the bill on July 9, and sent it to President Bush, who then vetoed it! But on July 15 the Congress voted to override the President’s veto by a vote of 70-26 in the Senate and 383-41 in the House.

Both Illinois Senators, Dick Durbin and Barak Obama, voted for the bill. I am sure they would appreciate a thank you note, if you could take a minute to send one.

The bill will gradually reduce the Medicare co-pays for outpatient mental health services from the current 50% down to 20% by 2014. It will also expand Medicare Part D, the prescription drug benefit, to include many medications used to treat mental illnesses. It will also create a low income subsidy which will lower the cost of drugs and exempt beneficiaries from the “doughnut hole” gap in prescription drug coverage.

This new law will be very helpful to many people with mental illness, since Medicare not only covers senior citizens but also covers people who have been on Social Security Disability for more than two years.

Unfortunately, the bill only applies to Medicare; the Congress has yet to complete action the bill which would provide mental health parity for employer offered insurance plans. The House and the Senate have both passed versions of the bill, but of course they must pass the same bill for it to become law. Currently House and Senate negotiators are working on a compromise bill to do just that. A letter to Senators Durbin and Obama and to your Representative in the House would help move the process along. And while you’re at it, you might want to send a copy to your local newspaper.

You can send yours by e-mail to the these links:

the Pioneer Press at jclark@pioneerlocal.com
the Daily Herald at fencepost@dailyherald.com
the News Sun at nsforum@scn1.com
the Chicago Tribune at ctc-tribeletter@tribune.com
the Sun-Times at letter@suntimes.com

Mark your calendars now for the NAMI state convention October 17-19th in Lisle. There will be sessions on brain imaging, pharmacogentics, integrated dual disorder treatment, housing, advance directives, high school health class presentations, and more.

Here's how it's author describes it: "When I was first hospitalized for the treatment of Bipolar Disorder, I got handed this book that was supposed to describe my illness to me. It was a very good book only I couldn't read it because I was manic and had been awake for three days. When I started getting better, I thought, 'Someone needs to write a book that you can read in an emergency room or in the back of a police car that will tell you just what the hell is going on. It needs to be short, use small words and have really big print. Most of all it needs to say, There is hope. Things will get better.'"

Here's the website for "Apollo." Here it is on Amazon. You can contact the author, JD Stottlemire, at: persiangoodbye@yahoo.com

"Serious Psychological Distress among Adults Aged 50 or Older: 2005 & 2006" is a short, three page report based on data from SAMHSA's National Survey on Drug Use & Health (NSDUH). It provides data on rates of serious psychological distress among adults aged 50 or older by demographics as well as receipt of mental health treatment and unmet mental health treatment need. Download a free copy here or visit NCADI or phone 800-729-6686 for multiple free copies.

I want to invite you to help us support and advocate for people with brain disorders, and in so doing, help yourself. Are you willing to lend a hand?

Our biggest need right now is for people to serve on our publicity committee, but we have many other needs as well. There's so much we can accomplish, but only with more good people like you pitching in. Please call.

If you can help, call Maryrose at 847-382-6623.

The best way to pass it on is to hit the 'forward email' button at the bottom. You can write a note when you forward it, and you may also ask your friend to pass it on to others for the same reason. You may mention that if he or she enjoys it, to be sure to hit the 'join our mailing list' button in the right-hand column.

There's no need to worry if your friend lives in the area, as NAMI has chapters throughout the United States. It's a free newsletter. You don't have to be a member to receive it. No one will call, email or otherwise bother new subscribers.

If you don't wish to join right now, but you'd like to receive our free newsletter, simply use the "Join our mailing list" button in the gray column to the right, call or send us an email (see below).

NAMI Barrington Area is a new NAMI chapter located in the northwest suburbs of Chicago. We are a dedicated group of people serving Barrington and nearby suburbs hoping to help you or someone you love on the path to recovery from mental illness. Call us at 847-496-1415.

About NAMI Barrington area chapter

NAMI Barrington Area website

NAMI Barrington Area brochure

NAMI national organization site

NAMI's mission and activities