The keynote speaker for the evening will be Deacon Tom Lambert   Tom is a founding member and currently serves on the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Commission on Mental Illness and is President of the Board of Faith and Fellowship, a faith based outreach program for persons with a mental illness. He is co-chair of the National Council on Mental Illness, and also served for 10 years on the Board of Directors for NAMI-Illinois, including a 2 year term as President. He is a national speaker concerning outreach to persons with mental illness and their families. He has authored a resource booklet regarding outreach to people with a mental illness and published several articles on Faith Community and mental illness.  We know you will find him an informative and inspirational speaker. 

Also on the agenda for this year’s annual meeting will be a look back at this past year and how much progress NAMI BA has made.  We will also take a look at NAMI BA’s plans for 2009 and how you might be able to get involved.  Our bylaws also require us at that time to adopt a budget for next year.

There will also be time for general discussion, socializing and refreshments.  The meeting will be a great opportunity to see old friends from Family to Family and our support groups as well as to meet new people who have joined NAMI BA since we last met. 

See you on the 18th. 

Monday, November 10, 7 – 8:30 p.m. NAMI-CCNS invites you to How the Criminal Justice System is Changing to Deal With the Mentally Ill, with Maureen McDonnell of TASC and Lt. Jeffry Murphy of the Chicago Police Department. They will discuss the Cook County Mental Health Court, how police are being trained to deal with the mentally ill, and what you can do to help a mentally ill loved one who has entered the criminal justice system. At the Kenton-Knox Conference Center at Rush North Shore Medical Center, 9701 N. Knox, Skokie. No charge/no reservation needed. Call NAMI-CCNS at (847) 716-2252 for details.

Thursday, November 13, 9am – 3pm.  Illinois Children's Mental Health Partnership Northern Illinois Community Planning Assembly.  Voices for Illinois Children is sponsoring an all day seminar and discussion on developing community plans for children's mental health.  A resource fair is included to view other organizations providing services for children in our northern Illinois area.  At Northern Illinois University Holmes Student Center: Regency Room, DeKalb.  $20 fee includes continental breakfast and lunch.  Registration required.  Email ashah@voices4kids.org for more information. 

Thursday, November 13, 6:30 - 9:00 p.m. NAMI Barrington Area board meeting. Location change this month: we'll hold the meeting at Hugh Brady's home. Call 847-991-1863 for directions.
 
Tuesday, November 18, 7:00 - 9:00 p.m. NAMI Barrington Area Annual Membership Meeting in the Barrington Area Library, Large Meeting Room B. Members and friends: we need your input on next year's plans plus (members) input and approval of next year's budget. There will be a special guest speaker, Tom Lambert, the head of the Chicago Archdiocesan Council on Mental Health and former president of NAMI Illinois, as well. We hope you will join us for a chance to meet old friends, hear the latest information on mental health, and be a part of NAMI Barrington Area's plans for 2009.

NAMI Barrington Area would like to invite you to our monthly support group - for family, partners and friends of people with mental illnesses (or "consumers" of mental health services). This month it will be on Tuesday, November 10 at the Barrington Area Library. (Call Mary at 847-381-6919 for information.)

Support groups can be very helpful, especially for those going through a crisis. There are a number of groups meeting in our area for consumers as well as family members and friends. These include:

Every week in November, the NAMI Consumer Connections support group meets in four locations in the northwest suburbs. For adults 18 and over with any type of mental illness. No charge/no registration: Mondays 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, in the large group room. Call Star at 847-899-0195 for details. Tuesdays 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Kenneth Young Center, 1001 Rohlwing, Elk Grove. Call Mary at 847-895-382 or Michelle at 847-524-2690 for information. Fridays 7:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the Alexian Brothers Behavioral Hospital, 1650 Moon Lake Blvd, Hoffman Estates. Call Carol at 847-352-6708 or Ruth at 630-497-9737 for details. Saturdays 4:00 - 5:30 p.m. at Lutheran General Hospital, 1775 Dempster, Park Ridge. Call NAMI CCNS for details at (847) 716-2252.

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 Samaritan Hospital, 3815 Highland Ave., Downers Grove. (No charge, no reservation needed.) Call 630-752-0066 for information.

Monday, November 3. 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, November 3 and 17. NAMI Greater Chicago consumer support group meets twice monthly (usually the first and third Mondays), 2:30 - 4 p.m. at their offices, 1536 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, November 6. 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.

Tuesday, November 10. 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.

Monday November 10 and Thursday, November 20. 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, November 10 and 24. 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, November 11 and 25. 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, November 12. NAMI Greater Chicago family support group meets monthly (usually the second Wednesday), 7 - 9 p.m. at their offices, 1536 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, November 13. 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.

Thursday, November 13. The NAMI CCNS support group for caregivers of children with mental illness meets the second Thursday of the month (except August) from 7:30 - 9 p.m. at the Kenilworth Union Church, 211 Kenilworth Ave, Kenilworth. Call 847-716-2252 for more information.

Saturday, November 15. 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, November 19. 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.

Wednesday, November 19. 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, November 20. NAMI McHenry County Chapter Family Support and Education 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.

Friday November 21 . The NAMI CCNS support group for caregivers of children with mental illness meets the third Friday of the month (except August) from 9:30 - 11 a.m. at the Wilmette Public Library, 1242 Wilmette Avenue, Wilmette. Call 847-716-225 for more information.

The skits were pointed, but quite humorous.  And one of the most moving aspects of the performance was individual readings by cast members describing their own experiences with depression, bi-polar disorder and other brain disorders. 

The show was followed by a question and answer session with the audience where many of the cast members reflected on the help they have gotten, their recoveries and how they are living with mental illness.

Altogether, the performance was entertaining, informative and filled with hope for the future. 

There's good news this month on two fronts:

1. At long last the US Congress has passed health insurance parity legislation for mental health benefits.   The new law, the Paul Wellstone-Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008, was included as part of the emergency economic legislation – the  so-called bailout bill, passed by the House and Senate on October 3 and signed the same day by President Bush. 

2. The Illinois General Assembly has restored the mental health budget cuts. Late last month, thanks to the many phone calls, e-mails and letters by NAMI members and others concerned about Illinois’s failing mental health system, the Illinois General Assembly passed budget measures which in large part restored mental health budget cuts the Governor made over the summer. 

The good news is that the Governor has already signed SB 790, which restores most of the cuts, into law.  The potentially bad news is that, as of this writing, he has not yet signed SB 1130, the actual appropriations bill.  And some legislators are fearful that he may redirect that money away from human services programs, such as mental health.

So there still is work to be done.

This has been a good news month.  There is the good legislative news in our Legislative Update, and the good news from the NAMI Walk.  Now here’s some good news on housing:

For several years Catholic Charities, Alexian Bothers mental health center and a group of NAMI chapters, including NAMI Barrington Area, have been working with the Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County on a grant by the US Department of Housing and Urban Renewal (HUD) to provide 20 units of permanent supportive housing for individuals with mental illness who are also homeless. 

Last year at this time, you may recall, we were very optimistic that the grant would be made and the housing project created.  Grants for new projects like these are very competitive and we were the number one ranked new project in suburban Cook County.  Grants applications are scored on a point basis, and this application had enough points that using the previous year’s measure, HUD would have awarded the grant.  Unfortunately, last year HUD didn’t have enough money to fund grants at the previous year’s level, and so they raised the grant awarding bar to fund fewer projects and our grant did not have enough points to be awarded.  We were more than disappointed.

However, this year, the Alliance will reallocate some funds from an earlier HUD recipient which is not planning to use all its grant money next year to fund part of the Catholic Charities/ NAMI project. 

Under the new plan HUD will fund 7 beds of permanent supportive housing from the old plan and the 13 additional beds will go through the same competitive process as last year.  So that means that when the funds are actually released some time next summer Catholic Charities will be able to establish 7 housing units for homeless persons with mental illness, and depending on how the competitive process goes, may also be able to establish the other 13 units.   

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.

Thresholds (for rehabilitation help and housing)
Wilpower (for rehabilitation help and housing)
Community links from Wilpower
Alliance to End Homelessness in Cook County newsletter
St_Hubert_Job_Ministry
Government Benefits portal
Social Security Administration
Veterans Administration
Alexian Center for Mental Health
Kenneth Young Center, Elk Grove
Ecker Center for Mental Health, Elgin
Lake County Behavioral Health Center
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

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