• Who we are
• Family to Family classes starting in September
• NAMI speaker on suicide prevention
• September Events
• October Events
• Area Support Groups
• Register now - NAMI Illinois' Education Conference in October
• Your invitation - walk in this year's NAMI Walks
• From Carol's Corner: when someone lacks insight about their illness
• Ecker Center director reports on state budget crisis
• From the President's Desk: Inadequate System Costs Lives
• Legislative Alert: State Budget and Parity
• Veterans - two new online resources
• Volunteers needed
• Some helpful resources
• 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 Lake Zurich: Mondays starting September 8, 6–9 p.m. 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.

Cook County North Suburban Chapter

At New Trier High School Northfield campus. Tuesdays starting September 9, 7–9:30 p.m. Contact Joyce Schladweiler at 847-853-6191, rejoyce@schladweiler.com or 847-716-2252

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.

Wednesday, September 24, 7:30p.m.
Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Heights. Presented by NAMI Northwest. No reservation is needed, but if you have questions call 847.899.0195 or email NAMINWSub@aol.com.

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

Saturday, September 6 at 5:00 pm and Sunday, September 7 at 7:30, 9:30 and 11:30 am. 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 at each mass; afterwards various organizations will have displays, including local hospitals, support groups, and 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 olmcinfo2@aol.com.

Monday, September 8, 7:00 - 8:30pm. Join NAMI-CCNS for “What’s the Buzz? WRAP: An Option for Recovery”. Meet Mary Jensen, a Recovery Support Specialist for the Illinois Division of Mental Health, who will speak and answer questions about the evidence that persons with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression can recover and how the WRAP program (Wellness Recovery Action Planning) can help overcome catastrophic consequences of these illnesses and build a life of wellness. Free! At the Kenton-Knox Conference Center at Rush North Shore Medical Center, 9701 N. Knox, Skokie. For more information call 847-716-2252.

Starting Monday, September 8, 6:00pm – 9:00pm and continuing for 12 weeks, NAMI-Barrington Area offers Family to Family in Lake Zurich, IL. No charge, required registration. For more information or to register contact Maryrose at 847-496-1415.

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.

Starting Tuesday, September 9, 7:00 – 9:30pm and continuing for 12 weeks. NAMI-CCNS offers Family to Family at New Trier Northfield campus, 7 Happ Rd, Northfield, IL. No charge, required registration. For more information or to register contact Joyce Schladweiler 847-853-6191; rejoyce@schladweiler.com or the NAMI-CCNS office at 847-716-2252.

Friday, September 12, 8:00am – 4:30pm. Introduction to Federal Grant Writing Seminar. 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. Register online.

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 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 Center for Mental Health presents a program entitled "Questioning-Persuasion-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.

Saturday, September 20, 9:30 am to 1:00 pm. The Alliance to End Homelessness in Suburban Cook County, the Regional Fair Housing Center and Homefree/USA present a Free Home Ownership Preservation Seminar to help people prevent foreclosures. At Diversity, Inc., 1906 W 174th Street, East Hazel Crest, IL. Registration required, call Holly Campbell at 708 922-4603.

Sunday, September 21, NAMI Walks Chicago. In Grant Park. Check in at 9:00 a.m. Start at 10:00. Register to walk with the Barrington Area team or make a donation (to donate, click the name of a walker).

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, 7:30 p.m. NAMI NW Suburban Speaker Meeting. Jim Christian from Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health presents a program on recognizing the signs of an impending suicide attempt and suicide prevention. Free! No registration required. At Alexian Bros., 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Hts. Refreshments will be served. For details, call 847.899.0195 or email NAMINWSub@aol.com for information (if you can’t make it, please join NAMI Barrington Area on Sept 18!)

Saturday, October 4, 2:30 – 5:00 p.m. Psychiatric Update for the People of Chicago, supported by the American Psychiatric Association and the American Psychiatric Foundation. Lectures include “Fatal Flaws: An Introduction to Personality Disorders” by Stuart C. Yudofsky, M.D.; “The View From Washington: Making Mental Health Policy” by Kenneth S. Thompson, M.D.; “Depression in Minorities: Not Just the Blues” by Altha J. Stewart, M.D.; “Understanding Alcohol and Drug Abuse” by Petros Levounis, M.D.; “Thinking Outside the Box: Treating Depression in Children” by David Fassler, M.D. At the Adams Ballroom, Sixth Floor, Palmer House Hilton, 17 East Monroe Street. No charge, no registration.

Wednesday, October 8, 8:00am - 12:00pm. Northwest Community Hospital presents: "Moving towards Recovery: Understanding Mental Health Recovery for Professionals, Consumers and Families." Registration is required. Admission is free. Presented by Dr. Edward Knight and Nanette Larsen in the Northwest Community Hospital Auditorium, 800 W. Central, Arlington Heights. Call Ronnie Schweitat at 847-618-4072 to register.

Saturday, October 11. The authors of Divided Mind, Pamela Spiro Wagner and Carolyn Spiro, will be the featured speakers for Mental Illness Awareness Week sponsored by NAMI DuPage. They are twin sisters – Carolyn is a Harvard trained psychiatrist and Pamela has schizophrenia – and authors of "Divided Minds: Twin Sisters and Their Journey Through Schizophrenia". At the College of DuPage Student Resource Center, Room 2800. Call 630-752-0066 for information.

Sunday, October 12, 2:00pm. To celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week, NAMI and the Harper College Access Disability Services present Stars of Light. The traveling theater group will perform their original production featuring vignettes about mental illness, personal stories and music by actors recovering from mental illnesses. A question and answer period will follow. Sponsored by NAMI ElK Grove-Schaumburg, NAMI Northwest Suburban, NAMI Northern Cook County, NAMI Hanover Townships, and NAMI Barrington Area. At Harper College, Palatine, J Building Theater -- Park in lots 4 & 5. Free! Donations appreciated!

Wednesday, October 15 and continuing Wednesdays through November 19, 7-9pm. NAMI Basics is a free course for parents and caregivers who have a child 17 years or younger affected by a brain disorder. Trained family members, who have firsthand experience with the rewards and challenges of raising children with brain disorders, discuss several topics. Parents who complete this course (formerly called "Visions for Tommorrow") describe this class as life changing. Free, registration required. Contact NAMI of DuPage (630) 752-0066, ex 210.

Friday, October 17 – Sunday, October 19, all day. NAMI Illinois sponsors the 2008 Mental Health Educational State Conference: From Discovery to Recovery. Dr. Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia will give the keynote address on Friday at 11am: “Below the Neck: Physical Health & Mental Illness.” Several interesting breakout sessions throughout the conference. Registration and fee required, meals included in the fee. Visit NAMI Illinois for more information and to register or call (217) 522-1403.

Wednesday, October 22, 7:30pm. Mike Pollard, therapist, returns for Part II of his well-received April presentation of "Addictions Converging" at NAMI Northwest Suburban. We meet at Alexian Bros. Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Arlington Heights. Free! Refreshments will be served. Call Northwest Suburban NAMI at 847-899-0195 with questions.

Wednesday, October 22, 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!

Dates TBD. Peer To Peer is a free, nine week, experiential education course (two hour sessions) on the topic of recovery for any person with a serious mental illness. Courses are taught by teams of three trained “mentors”, or peer-teachers, who have firsthand experience in living well with mental illness. Sponsored by NAMI DuPage. To register, contact NAMI of DuPage at (630) 752-0066, ex. 210.

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 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.

Every week in September, 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 Brothers 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.

Monday, September 1. 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, September 1 and 15. 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, September 4. 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 September 8 and Thursday, September 18. 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, September 8 and 22. 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, September 9. 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, September 9 and 23. 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, September 10. 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, September 11. 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, September 11. 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 847-716-225 for more information.

Wednesday, September 17. 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, September 17. NAMI Northwest Suburban Chapter family support group meets the third Wednesday of the month at 7 p.m. at Alexian Brothers Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, Arlington Heights. Call Star at 847-899-0195 for details.

Thursday, September 18. 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.

Friday September 19. 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.

Saturday, September 20. 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.

Here's some great 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!

We sometimes blame people for not accepting treatment, but they may have a medically based condition which causes an inability to comprehend that they are ill. People with this condition may explain their symptoms using bizarre explanations or may have a strong compulsion to prove they are not ill.

What can you do if you or your loved one may have this syndrome called anosognosia? This month, I'll share a few ideas.

Be prepared, because our law enforcement, hospitals, homeless shelters and jails and prisons are about to experience an influx of people who can not be served by the state’s human service system. Due to reductions in their state contract amounts and very delayed state payments, human service providers are laying off workers, beginning to close offices and referring people far outside of their service areas to other providers that are equally unable to serve them.

Here at the Ecker Center we are hearing from people from outside our service area who say that they have been referred to us from their service area providers. Ecker has a moratorium on hiring and will soon be loosing three employees who we can not afford to replace. In this year when we expected our expenses to exceed our income, we just had an over $33 thousand reduction in our state contract amount and the state will be behind in their payments owed us by more than $1.3 million by the end of the month. We are being told by reliable sources that the state has no more money to pay bills at this time and to expect that our payments will continue to be delayed, probably more so, as the fiscal year progresses.

What I am reporting is typical of community providers of human services under state contract. The cumulative effects of these funding shortfalls will be tragic unprecedented human suffering and the burdening of our law enforcement, emergency medical care, hospitals, jails and prisons with problems that they were never designed to solve.

Please put pressure on those engaged in the budget fight to resolve differences or resign and let someone else do it. We need to return to solving the real fiscal problems of the state before it's too late and the whole system implodes on itself. If we don’t adequately finance human services, we will pay even more when human service problems are shifted to other systems unprepared to deal with them.

-Karen Beyer, Executive Director, Ecker Center for Mental Health, Elgin, Illinois (847) 695-0484 kbeyer@eckercenter.org

by Hugh Brady

Illinois’ broken mental health system is costing lives, not only the lives of those with mental illness, but of their families and others as well. In July, a Cook County judge sentenced a woman, Mary Smith, who has a mental illness, to life imprisonment in a state mental health facility. Last year Smith, who had been in and out of mental hospitals six times in the past several years, set a fire in the stairwell of a Chicago apartment. Four of the building’s residents died in the resulting blaze.

The reason? According to the newspapers, she was homeless, had lost her shoes and was cold.

We know that with consistent treatment and support, the vast majority of people with mental illness see their symptoms improve and are able to lead normal productive lives. But Illinois’ revolving door mental health system too often provides little treatment, and less support. Instead people with mental illnesses – especially those without adequate health insurance – are hospitalized for a few days, stabilized and then released with little or no follow up or support. So in a short time their symptoms return, their behavior deteriorates and the whole revolving door process starts over.

Illinois has one of the worst mental health systems in the country. A recent national study by the NAMI’s national office gave Illinois’ mental health system an F, one of only eight states to receive that low a grade. And some area state legislators will tell you that we are not just one of the eight worst, we are the absolute worst.

And the reason? The State Legislature won’t appropriate sufficient funds to provide even a half-way decent mental health system. Had Mary Smith been given permanent supportive housing and treatment for her illness, this tragedy would not have happened. The expression “penny wise and pound foolish” certainly describes the Illinois General Assembly.

And four people are dead as a result.

Two items, the Governor’s deep cuts in Illinois’ mental health budget and the national mental health insurance parity bill need our attention.

1. Budget cuts to state supported programs in every community have begun. If these cuts are not restored, more than 53,000 people will be victimized.

2. Meanwhile in Washington, sponsors of parity legislation reached an agreement on a final bill to require equitable coverage in health plans for mental illness treatment. Now all that is remaining is to find a "budget offset" and resolve how the bill will be sent to the President.

Please write to your legislators asking them to work together to resolve the budget impasse and your representative and senator regarding parity.

Read more about these issues, with details on how to write your representatives and sample letters

(Our thanks to the Alliance to end Homelessness in Suburban Cook County for the information.)

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