Monday nights, January 21 - April 7, from 6-9 p.m. in Barrington.

Wednesday nights, January 23-April 9, from 6-9 p.m. at the Northwest Community Mental Health Network, 901 Kirchoff Road, Arlington Heights.

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 skill-training with emotional support, self care and empowerment."

There is no cost to participate, but registration is necessary as class size is limited. Call Mary for the Barrington class at 847-381-6919. Call Maryrose for the class at Northwest Community at 847-382-6623 or email maryrosepeters@hotmail.com..

Wednesday - Friday January 16 - 18. Illinois Housing Roundtable training seminars. Two topics for housing and community development professionals still have space: Asset Management and Board Development Training. Registration required. Location: the Doubletree Bloomington. $25 fee. Call Carolyn Young at 800-823-1428 ext. 210 or Heather at 312-939-6074 ext. 108.

Mondays starting January 21, NAMI Barrington Area's Family to Family education program. 12 weekly classes to help you understand and support individuals with mental disorders while maintaining your own well being. 6-9 p.m. in Barrington. No charge. Registration required. Call Mary now for details or to register at 847-381-6919.

Wednesdays starting January 23, NAMI Barrington Area's Family to Family education program. 12 weekly classes to help you understand and support individuals with mental disorders while maintaining your own well being. 6-9 p.m. at the Northwest Community Mental Health Network, 901 Kirchoff Road, Arlington Heights. No charge. Registration required. Call Maryrose now for details or to register at 847-382-6623 or email maryrosepeters@hotmail.com.

Thursday - Friday, February 7-8. National Conference on Ending Family Homelessness presented by the National Alliance to End Homelessness. Seattle, Washington. Registration required and admission and conference fees apply.

Monday, January 7 and 21. 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.

Monday, December 7. 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.

Tuesday, January 8. 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, January 8 and 22. The NAMI DuPage Chapter family support group meets the second and fourth Tuesday of the month at 7 p.m. at the NAMI office, 1403 North Main, Ste 301, Wheaton. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Phone 630-752-0066 with any questions.

Wednesday, January 9. 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, January 10. The NAMI Elk Grove Chapter family support group meets the second Thursday of the month from 6:45- 8:45 p.m. at the Kenneth Young 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.

Wednesday, January 16. 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.

Thursday, January 17. NAMI McHenry County Chapter family 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, January 17. 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.

Monday, January 28. The NAMI DuPage Chapter's parents with children with a mental illness support group meets the 4th Monday of the month at 7:30pm at the NAMI office. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call 630-752-0066 for information.

It’s the time of year when people think about change, and “New Year’s Resolutions” are in the air.

Many of us become very frustrated when we fail to keep our resolutions, but my experience is that most people fall short because they neglect the planning that is needed before attempting a lifestyle change, and they tend to put things in “all or nothing” terms.

My topic for this month is successful strategies for change, and I bring in some advice from University of Maryland researchers

A few weeks ago I was reading an article about a group of MIT students who were doing some research and advocacy in green technology.  The students called their group “The People We’ve Been Waiting For.”  Instead of waiting around for someone to step up and address our worsening environmental and energy problems, so they could say, “We’ve been waiting for you,” the students had the idea that they had to become the ones to step up and address the problems, that they had to become the people they’d been waiting for.

It occurred to me that the same is true in the area of mental health.  If we wait for someone else to go to our legislators and explain the need for more mental health services and better mental health funding in Illinois, we will wait a long time.  If we wait for someone else to address the public to explain that those with mental illness need our help, we will wait a long time.  And f we wait for someone else to explain to the newspapers that Illinois can improve services for those with mental illness by expanding supportive housing, we will wait a long time. 

Our NAMI Barrington Area chapter is doing well, but we still need volunteers to help with planning social activities and speaker meetings.  We need folks to help with our fundraising committee.  We need people to help with publicize our classes and other activities.  We need more people to teach our classes.  If we wait around for someone else to help do those things, they may not get done, or if they do, they won’t be done nearly as well as if we had more folks doing them. 

We have to become the people we’ve been waiting for.  So write a letter to your Illinois State Representative and Senator and tell them to make mental health a priority this year.  Write a letter to the editor of your local paper and point out the difficulties people with mental illness have in obtaining decent housing or in finding employment.  Talk to your friends and associates about NAMI and the work we do.  Tell them that Illinois was one of only eight states to earn a grade of F in NAMI’s survey of state mental health services.  Call Maryrose Peters, our volunteer coordinator, at 847-382-6623 or email her at maryrosepeters@hotmail.com and tell her that you’d like to help out. 

Action is contagious.  It’s time to start becoming instead of waiting around for someone else to do something. 

About 25% of the people who get SSI and about 10% of those who get Social Security benefits have rep payees, someone who has the power to receive the monthly benefits and act on the person's behalf. We hope this explanation will help you navigate the system.

This month, Part Four: What is a representative payee?

(Or read Part One, Part 2, or Part Three)

It’s been a quiet month on the legislative front.  In Springfield the legislative imbroglio continues, with little progress regarding mental health funding. 

In Washington Congress passed a third version of the State-Child Health Insurance Program (S-CHIP) bill and President Bush signed it, after vetoing two earlier versions.  The bill will provide funds for the states to set up reduced cost or free health insurance programs for the children of low-income families.  The bill also requires the insurance carriers to cover mental illnesses on the same basis as other illnesses. 

Another mental health parity bill, the Mental Health Parity Act of 2007 (S. 558) passed the Senate unanimously in October, and is now awaiting action by the House of Representatives.  President Bush has indicated that if Congress passes the bill, he will sign it.  But it has to pass both houses of Congress first.

So NAMI is urging everyone to contact their US Senators and Representatives to urge them to pass this bill.  You could write your own letter – see our NAMIBA website if you’re uncertain about how to do this – or you could send an e-mail through the Mental Health America site - they have a page where you can send your e-mail just by typing in your name and address and hitting “send.”  It will hardly take a minute.  We need to keep the heat on our legislators to pass this important legislation, so take that minute and send your letter!

Mental Health and the Presidential Candidates

The NAMI national organization has sent a questionnaire concerning mental health policies and beliefs to all the candidates running for US President.  NAMI does not make political endorsements, but as a public service is posting the candidates’ responses on the NAMI website. 

Not all the candidates have responded yet, and the webpage will be updated as new responses come in. 

"The HelpLine has been so valuable to me. Knowing that NAMI was there to talk to, to help me cope and understand my choices. It is like light after four years of hell -- thank you!"-- NAMI HelpLine Caller

When people call 800-950-NAMI, the HelpLine staff and volunteers take pride in providing:

• Knowledge through vital, accurate information.
• Support through empathy and understanding.
• Assistance through referrals to the over 1200 local NAMI Affiliates throughout the country and to the many agencies and organizations who serve the needs of people affected by mental illness.

"I want to thank you for the information you sent me. You are making a difference in my life!" -- HelpLine caller

We've completed more than a full year as a NAMI chapter and are beginning to reach our stride. It's been a wonderful experience for me personally to be involved. I can't tell you how much I've learned and how helpful it's been in my own dealings with family members with mental health issues.

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?

There's so much we can accomplish, but only with more good people like you pitching in. We have some specific needs in mind, but if there's something you feel you can accomplish, we'd love to hear what it is. Please call.

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

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