Catholic Charities, the lead agency, along with NAMI Barrington Area, NAMI Elk Grove-Schaumburg and NAMI Northwest Suburban, the Alexian Center for Mental Health, the Kenneth Young Center, Lutheran Social Services and the Michael Joseph Foundation have joined forces in the Permanent Supportive Housing Collaborative on this $650,000 grant with $81,000 in matching funds.

This grant will provide permanent supportive housing for 20 people in 15 scattered site apartments. Permanent supportive housing will give men and women who have been homeless and have a mental illness decent, affordable homes with support services that will allow them to stay housed independently and take positive next steps in their lives.

What's happened so far and what's next

The PSH Collaborative submitted its application in March to the Suburban Cook County Continuum of Care. A panel reviewed the grant request in May and ranked the applications. They placed our application as #1 in their ranking. How a grant is ranked at the local level is normally the most important indicator of its ultimate approval. The application, with the panel's recommendation that it be approved, will go to HUD by June 15. HUD will review it and other proposals and submit their rankings to Congress in the Fall, and Congress will bring it to a vote.

Around Christmas, the president will make an announcement of funds granted. We hope to get a start date of July 1, 2008 to begin to move in the tenants.

Thought you would be interested in sharing our joy.

Trowby Brockman, NAMI Barrington Area, Housing Initiative Chair

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

Thursday, June 14. The NAMI Elk Grove Chapter family support group meets the second Thursday of the month at 6:45 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.

Monday, June 18. NAMI Barrington Area board meeting in the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Drop in and learn what's going on in the chapter!

Wednesday, June 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.

Thursday, June 21. 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.

Tuesday, July 17, NAMI Barrington Area Chapter family support group, 7 – 8:30 p.m. at the Barrington Area Library. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call Mary at 847-381-6919 for information.

Thursday, July 12. The NAMI Elk Grove Chapter family support group meets the second Thursday of the month at 6:45 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, July 18. 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, July 19. 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.

Tuesday, July 24. NAMI Barrington Area board meeting in the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. Drop in and learn what's going on in the chapter!

We will offer two sessions this fall, one of them on Sundays beginning September 16 from 5-8 p.m.and the other on Tuesdays beginning September 18 from 6-9.

These NAMI classes, starting again in the summer, 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.

The NAMI “PEER-to-PEER” (P2P) Course is taught by teams of 3 trained “mentors” or peer-teachers who are themselves experienced at living well with mental illness.

Who can take the course?  The course is designed to offer an opportunity for growth to any individual who experiences mental illness.

Call Fred at 847-304-4212 for a confidential, one-on-one discussion of your needs and the program’s potential value for you and your well-being.

There is no charge for the course, but please call Marci to register now.

Two national mental health organizations, Mental Health America and the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law have joined NAMI in urging mental health advocates to contact their legislators and ask them to support HR 1424, the “Paul Wellstone Mental Health and Addition Equity Act.” 

The Mental Health Parity Act of 1996 established the principle that mental health benefits should be “on par” with medical and surgical benefits, but it left plenty of loopholes. Health plans have routinely set stricter treatment limits and imposed higher out-of-pocket costs on mental health care than any other medical care. 

The Wellstone Act, now before Congress, would go a long way toward finishing the job. Take a moment and write a short note to your US Congressman and urge him or her to support HR 1424. 

It may seem selfish or strange to put ourselves first, but our number one responsibility in life is, in fact, to take care of ourselves so that we have plenty of energy to care for those we love.

When we put our own mental, emotional, physical, and spiritual self-care first, life can be much more relaxing and fun! Experts emphasize a number of steps that can keep stress under control and maintain good health.

Letters to the editor are a great way to influence public officials.  Our senators and representatives monitor the newspapers for these letters and they help them gage public opinion.  So when you write to your legislators, both state and federal, take an extra moment to modify a copy and turn it into a letter to the editor and mail it to one or more of the Chicago area newspapers.  Not only will you inform our legislators, you will also inform the readers who may also be sparked to take action.

Two NAMI Barrington Area members had letters to the editor published recently. You may want to look at them for ideas on what you can write.

Key needs right now: those willing to help with clerical work, those willing to organize social events and those willing to serve on our fundraising committee.  

Call Maryrose at 847-382-6623.

It's been great to be involved with this group. I'm having fun, I'm learning a tremendous amount about how to help my daughter, and I feel like I'm helping accomplish some good in the world.

Still, like many volunteer groups, NAMI Barrington Area is a little short on funds and especially short on people to implement our programs. I'd like to ask you to step forward to help out.

If you think you might be able to help, please use our volunteer form to let us know what you're able to do. You'll need to print it, fill it out and mail it to the address on the form. Or you could just call Maryrose, our volunteer coordinator at 847-382-6623.

Have some fun—make a difference—and help your loved one!

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