This Saturday, December 3, 2011 NAMI Western Carolina will hold a general meeting at 11:30 am after our regular CONNECTION (for peers) and Family/Caregiver Support Groups which run from 10 am – 11:30 am.

At the general meeting, board president Bill Kinschner, will facilitate the election of two new board members whose predecessor’s terms have expired. Voting in the election is limited to NAMI WC members only.

Tracey E. Turner, presently an at-large board member, will run for the post of vice-president replacing Bob Carey. Tracey has been very involved with our affiliate and the mental health community on many levels including curriculum development for the Crisis Intervention Training (CIT) for the Asheville Police Department and the Buncombe County Sheriff’s Department. She is also a site coordinator for new CIT trainings, liason to other community mental health groups, a member of the Consumer Family Advisory Committee (CFAC) of Western Highlands Network  and a public speaker. She is in recovery from a dual diagnosis. She has lived in Asheville for 18 years.

Karen Hoffman has been the affiliate treasurer since March 2010 and will be running to hold that position. She was appointed to the treasurer’s post when the previous treasurer retired. Karen has an M.B.A. and worked as an internal auditor in Boston. She has also worked as a physician’s assistant. She is in recovery from a mental illness. Karen has lived in Asheville for 8 years.

After the election, Bill will discuss our work in the past year and preview planning for 2012. He will review financials and subcommittees and will be available for questions.

See you Saturday!

UPCOMING TRAININGS

February 11, 2012 – Parents and Teachers as Allies – Raleigh NC

March 23-25, 2012 – Family-to-Family Teacher Training – *Eastern NC
NAMI Basics Teacher Training

April 13-15, 2012 – Peer-to-Peer Mentor Training – *Eastern NC
Support Group Facilitator Training

* These training sites can change if a large amount of interest is from a different part of the state

EVENTS/CLASSES

* Weekly talks to consumers at Neil Dobbins Crisis Stabilization Unit and Detox Facility

* Monthly talks to consumers at the Julian F. Keith Alcohol and Drug Treatment Center

EXPRESS YOURSELF!

*  To submit a poem or short story for publication on our website, please click on the Express Yourself! page at the top of this page for submission requirements. We want to hear from you!

SUPPORT GROUPS

* Please go to the Support Group page for a complete schedule of support groups and meetings.

Emergency numbers:

North Carolina Voice on Mental Illness Helpline – 1-800-451-9682 Monday – Friday 830 am – 5 pm. After hours email: mail@naminc.org.

Suicide Helpline – 1-800-273-TALK (8255) – 24 hours/7 days

Western Highlands Network Access Line – 828-225-2800 Monday – Friday 8 am – 5 pm.  After hours: 1-800-951-3792. Western Highland is the Local Management Entity which manages mental health, substance abuse, and intellectual/developmental disabilities services in Buncombe, Yancey, Henderson, Translyvania, Rutherford, Polk, Mitchell and Madison counties in western North Carolina.

Thank you to speaker Ashley Pool, a Certified Holistic Wellness Coach, who spoke at our general meeting on November 15 at 7:30 pm.

Ashley discussed stressors including finance, food, family, events, deadlines and the fantasy of the holidays in how we approach this season.

Thank you to all who came to get some help and ideas on how to enjoy the holidays no matter what our situation.

HINT: One way is to come to our Holiday Potluck Party on Tuesday, December 20 from 6 – 8 pm. We will be at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church on Merrimon Avenue near Chestnut Street, Asheville. Bring something yummy to share or just bring yourself! Clothing and personal products will be gathered to be taken to those at Broughton Hospital.

For more information call 828-505-7353.

Thank you to the candidates for Asheville City Council who met with us on Saturday, October 29 at the YWCA Asheville for questions and answers. Attending were Lael Gray, Mark Cates, Jan Davis, Chris Pelly, Saul Chase and Marc Hunt. We appreciate their time in a busy election season.

Thank you, too, to Nina Accardo who suggested that NAMI pursue this meeting. She worked very hard to find a location for the event and a date that would work for the six candidates.

This is a direct form of advocacy that is very important to those in the mental health arena. We were fortunate to be able to speak openly about ourselves and our loved ones with mental illness and the difficulties face-to-face with those involved with Asheville city government. Topics covered were use of the detention center for those with mental illness, and the issues of housing, homelessness and hunger.

This was a great way to advocate in person rather than by phone, email or letters.

On October 25, 2011 a very special event will take place here in Asheville. We invite you to join us.

Tracey Turner, NAMI Western Carolina board member, will present THE EMOTION PROJECT. Here is Tracey’s own description of the Project:

“It is a powerful, dimensional presentation, often causing tears and, almost always, causing the audience to reflect on their own emotions and circumstances in their lives.

I give a talk about my history with alcoholism and mental illness, how the two intertwine and how they have impacted success and dire failure in my life. I then move on to individual stuffed and embellished bears which represent a specific emotion, expressed entirely as mine but leaving and encouraging room for the audience’s interpretation of their reflected emotions. The bears are not teddy bears but rage, joy, grief, self love and other emotions. There are 32 bears in the Project. In the end, it is a story of more success than failure. Maintained mental health versus untreated mental illness. It is a story of recovery.”

Tracey has presented at NAMI North Carolina, the National Crisis Intervention Training Conference (CIT), local colleges and at various NAMI affiliates.

Comments:

“Not only do I identify with my son’s emotions and have a more intense understanding, I discovered some of my emotions. Your presentation is dynamic!”  – NAMI member and parent of a child with mental illness

“I consider The Emotion Project to be one of the most powerful presentations on any subject I’ve ever attended. In fact, I was so impressed that, in my capacity as director of communications at A-B Tech, I arranged for her to present it at our college. Like Tracey’s, my connection to mental illness is a long-standing and personal one. In 1986, my brother, then 22, committed suicide after suffering from schizophrenia for six years. Those six years were among the most traumatic of my life, and although it makes me ashamed to admit, among the times when I have shown the least understanding to another human being. How I could have benefited from the insight I gained through Tracey’s presentation!”  Mona Cornwell

Please join us on Tuesday, October 25 , 6 – 7 pm at the Mountain Area Health Education Center’s (MAHEC) new facility at 121 Hendersonville Road behind the Doubletree Hotel and TGIF’s. Requested donation: $10. A light buffet will follow. For more details, call 828-505-7353, email namiwnc@yahoo.com or go to The Emotion Project website at www.theemotionproject.org.

Sixteen new CONNECTION support group facilitators from all over North Carolina came to Asheville for an intensive three-day training September 30 – October 2. CONNECTION is our support group for those with a mental health diagnosis. All of our new facilitators are peers who have experienced their own life difficulties with mental health issues. This is what makes CONNECTION such a powerful tool for those needing to get out of the house and get extra support in a safe, non-judgmental setting. All CONNECTION groups are 90 minutes and are free of charge. Please go to our Support Group page for the full schedule.

Congratulations to Gail, Monica, Kevin, Jane, Sam, Justin, Jesse, Sheila, Karen, Lucy, Andy, Jeff, Diana, Jonathan, Greg and Ren!

Holiday Potluck Party – Tuesday, December 20 – Volunteers are needed to help set up the party at 4:30 pm  and to clean up after (about 8 pm). We have a good crew to work with so the “work” is actually “fun”. Where? St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Merrimon Avenue near Chestnut Street, Asheville. Contact Judy at: judidehavi@msn.com or Paulette at:  heck4247@yahoo.com for more details.

NAMI Western Carolina has a new email address! Please send all future emails to namiwnc@yahoo.com. Our previous address cijp1860@yahoo.com is being returned to Christine Smith for her personal use. Please add namiwnc@yahoo.com to your address book to keep important NAMI information from going to your SPAM folder. We will continue to check both addresses until we feel the transition has been made. Thank you!

You  can follow the link to the right or use our address: http://www.facebook.com/NAMIWesternCarolina

Come for a visit and tell us what you think about mental health issues in our area!

Another Bele Chere festival weekend in Asheville and another fun and successful fundraiser for NAMI WC. In spite of the HOT weather, all volunteers showed up for their shift – not one cancellation! – and sold shuttle bus tickets to poor lost souls from out-of-state trying to get downtown to all the food and the music!

A HUGE THANK YOU to Jim and Sharon, Bill and Bonnie, Judy, Chip, Leslie, Dawn, Nanette, Justin, Tracey, Duffy, Christine, Cathy, Florence, Pam, Michelle, Bob, Jesse, Bobbi, Sandra, Elizabeth and Bob!