Our NAMI Walks fundraiser is turning into an important event for NAMI Barrington Area!

We've raised over $2,000 so far and more people volunteered at our social event last week - but we still need your help. There are three ways people have suggested each of us can contribute:

1. Do the walk and ask friends and family to sponsor you.
2. Don't walk yourself, but tell friends and family what a great organization NAMI is and ask them to sponsor one of the walkers from our group.
3. Sponsor a walker and help with a monetary contribution.

It's easy to set up a Walk website and begin asking for contributions - it literally takes 5 minutes, even if you're not computer literate. Once you have it, you can email your friends, send them a link to the site, and they can contribute by credit card.

Hugh Brady, our top fundraiser, has offered us all the use of the letter he sent to his friends. He really makes a nice case for contributing to NAMI. You can download it or copy it to your email program, change it as you wish, and send it out. Of course, if you prefer, you can send letters by regular mail or ask for contributions by phone or in person.

My own experience has been very positive. Not only am I at 4/5 of my goal with almost no effort, but I've reconnected with a couple of old friends that I thought to include on my list.

The link below takes you to a page where you can join our team: NAMI Barrington Area.  If we could reach our goal - 25 walkers each raising $500 - that would be huge for our chapter's ability to offer classes and support groups.

But it's an ambitious goal, and we need your help to reach it. Won't you help us today?

We will offer one session in Barrington this fall, on Tuesdays beginning September 18 from 6-9.

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.

Starting  Tuesday, September 4. NAMI Cook County North Suburban Family to Family class. A 12-week class for families of adults with brain disorders. No charge. Registration required. Call Joyce at 847-853-6191 or Sandra at 847-486-0231.

Friday, September 7. Suicide: Too Young to Die an all-day conference presented by Stauros USA. From 8:30 am - 5:00 pm at the Catholic Theological Union, 5401 S. Cornell Avenue, Chicago. For more information, call (773) 484-0581.

Monday, September 10. NAMI Cook County North Suburban presents Strategies for convincing your loved ones to take their meds with Hank Schneider of Evanston Northwestern Healthcare, 7 - 8:30 p.m. at the Kenton-Knox Conference Center, 9701 N. Knox, Chicago. For information, call NAMI CCNS at (847) 716-2252.

Starting  Tuesday, September 11. NAMI Elk Grove Family to Family class. A 12-week class for families of adults with brain disorders. No charge. Registration required. Call Marianne at 847-885-2279 or Jenny at 630-289-0383.

Starting  Tuesday, September 11. NAMI McHenry Family to Family class. A 12-week class for families of adults with brain disorders. No charge. Registration required. Call 815-444-9991.

Starting Tuesday, September 18. NAMI Barrington Area Family to Family class. For families of adults with brain disorders. A 12-week class offered at no charge from 6 - 9 p.m. Registration required. Call Mary at 847-381-6919.

Sunday, September 23. NAMI Barrington Area walks for the Mind of America. As major fundraiser for our chapter, we will participate in the Greater Chicago NAMI Walk from Grant Park. Our goal is to have at least 25 walkers each raise at least $500, and to meet this goal, we're going to need everyone's help, either as a walker or a donor. To register, to walk or to sponsor a walker, please visit our walk website.

Tuesday, September 25. 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!

Thursday, September 27. NAMI Northwest Suburban Chapter presents Dr. Neil Pliskin (U of I Chicago) on the role of neuro psychology in the evaluation and treatment of chronic mental illness (no reservation, no charge). 7 p.m. at Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, Arlington Heights. Call  847-899-0195 for details.

Saturday, September 29. NAMI McHenry Walkathon at Veteran Acres Park in Crystal Lake. Visit the McHenry website or phone 815-444-9991 to register or to volunteer.

Saturday, September 29. NAMI DuPage Run for the Mind at Danada Forest Preserve in Wheaton. Visit the DuPage website or phone 630.752.0066 to register or to 630.752.0066 ext.212 to volunteer.

Friday - Sunday, October 5-7. NAMI Illinois Annual Education Conference October 5-7, Crowne Plaza Hotel, Springfield. A great event for those able to attend with seminars, exhibits and social events. Lizzy Simon, author, speaker and bipolar consumer will be the keynote speaker. See the conference website for a detailed agenda, location and registration.

Tuesday, October 25.. 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, October 27 . NAMI Northwest Suburban Chapter presents Healing in Motion: Alternative Health Care, with RN Jane Gurab-Stevens speaking on transferring energy by the touching of hands and meditation (no reservation, no charge). 7 p.m. at Alexian Center for Mental Health, 3350 Salt Creek Lane, Suite 114, Arlington Heights. Call  847-899-0195 for details.

Wednesday, September 5. 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, September 6. NAMI McHenry Chapter's Dual Diagnosis support group meets at 7 p.m. at the Mental Health Board, 620 Dakota Street, Crystal Lake. Call 815-444-9991 for information.

Monday, September 10 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, 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.

Tuesday, September 11, 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 11 and 25. 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.

Thursday, September 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.

Wednesday, September 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, September 20. 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.

Monday, September 24. 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.

Two very important pieces of legislation are working their way through Congress: the Paul Wellstone Mental Health Equity Act, which would require insurers to treat mental illness the same as any other illness, and renewal of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, which provides grants to states to allow them to set up health insurance programs for children of low income families. 

We have found that letters, phone calls or emails can make a huge difference in how legislators choose to vote. Thanks to NAMI national and Mental Health America, it's very easy to contact your representative and senator.

Learn more about the bills and specifics on how you can contact Congress

The author, David Karp, shares insights from over 60 interviews of those who have loved ones suffering from mental illness. They share how they have learned to cope with feelings of guilt, stigma, and the frustration of dealing with bureaucracy.

Karp reminds us that: 1) I did not cause it, 2) I cannot cure it, 3) I cannot control it, 4) all I can do is cope with it.

The study consists of interviews, review of hospitalization records and a blood draw from each participant.  The interview lasts approximately two hours and covers his or her psychiatric and family history.  There is also a parent or caretaker interview that lasts approximately 30 minutes and covers the person’s psychiatric history.  The participant will receive $50 for completion of the diagnostic interview and $25 for the blood draw. The interviews and blood draw can be done at a laboratory or in the family's home. Confidentiality is protected.

If you're interested, call Elizabeth Miller at (224) 364-7566 or email EMiller1@enh.org

Right now our biggest needs are for those willing to help with fundraising and to help with organizing social events. But if there are other ways that you would like to help or would just like to be more involved with the group, please call.

Call Maryrose at 847-382-6623.

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