Find Help. Find Hope. · 2019-03-16 · Volume 19, No. 10 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 October 2016 9...

Find Help. Find Hope.

www.NAMIDallas.org

(214) 341-7133

http://www.namidallas.org/


Volume 19, No. 10 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 October 2016

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Some helpful websites NAMI National www.nami.org

NAMI Texas www.namitexas.org

NAMI Dallas www.namidallas.org

PLAN www.planofntx.org

National Mental Health Association www.nmha.org

NARSAD (National Alliance Research on Schizophrenia &Depression) www.narsad.org

Recovery International recoveryinternational.org

Texas Legislature Online www.capitol.state.tx.us

United States Congress Information

Senate www.senate.gov (202) 224-3121

House www.house.gov (202) 225-1908

Find Help. Find Hope.

An Affiliate of the

National Alliance on Mental Illness

The NAMI Dallas NEWS is published monthly by NAMI Dallas 2812 Swiss Avenue Dallas, Texas 75204

Ph. (214) 341-7133 Email: [email protected] Web: www.namidallas.org Hours 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Monday thru Friday The NAMI Dallas Board meets the 3rd Tuesday of each month. Board Meetings are CLOSED to the public Staff Executive Director & Program Director: Marsha Rodgers Youth Programs Coordinator: Lisa Pedersen Grant Writer: Susan Essary NAMIWalks Manager John Dornheim Board of Directors President: Sherry Cusumano Vice-President: Herb Cotner Secretary: Ilana Presley Treasurer: Paul Sloane Board Members-At-Large

Teena Adler Roberts* Mary Berger * Leonard Keesee * Claudia Smith * David Whitley* Maria Terrell

Green Oaks Hospital 7808 Clodus Field, Dallas, TX 75257 Green Oaks is located in North Dallas and

is also the crisis intervention unit for the NorthSTAR

area. The hospital is near the east end of Merit

Drive behind Medical City Dallas Hospital at Forest

Lane and Central. This Psychiatric Crisis

Stabilization Unit can be utilized as a psychiatric

emergency room, just as Parkland Hospital

Psychiatric ER is used.

It is not necessary to be a member of NorthSTAR

to access the services available at Green Oaks.

They will accept indigents, Medicaid, NorthSTAR,

most insurances, or private-pay patients. Services

are available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.

mailto:[email protected]



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Hello NAMI Members and Friends of NAMI! I hope things are going well for you this month. It’s certainly been a busy month for me and my guess is that you’ve been busy as well as we move into the fall season. Fall means so many things to me; it’s the last quarter of the year, kids are starting a new school year, the holiday season is being ushered in, and new projects are being started! So, I hope that you are taking the time to enjoy the cooler days and nights and just the beauty of the fall season! We had a very big group for our NAMIWalks celebration dinner last month! Those of you who didn’t make it missed an awesome celebration and a heck of a good dinner! We even had Melissa and Samuel (AKA Elton John and Kiki Dee) sing (and they really did sing their hearts out) “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”!!!! Maybe we can get them to do an encore one of these days. My guess is that we would need to promise to have a better sound system though. J The awards were numerous and well deserved! Now that we’ve celebrated our last walk, we can begin to plan our next walk. Part of the fun of NAMIWalks is in the planning of the event. Let us know if you have an interest in helping with that. I hope that each and every one of you plans to attend the next meeting. We have two very experienced professionals that will be speaking in our “Ask the Clinician” meeting. We’ll have Jennifer Perla, RN, LPC speaking along with Cindy Garrison, MSN, Nurse Practitioner! I’ve known both of them for many years and have the highest regard for them. So, bring your questions and be prepared to write them out on an index card so we can collect them and turn them in to our two professionals to address! Come at 6pm and attend a support group, have a light dinner while visiting with your NAMI friends, and then stay for our educational session. I look forward to seeing all of you there. I do hope that you all have made an advocacy call for S. 2680m the Mental Health Reform Act. The House passed Mental Health Reform in July when they passed the Mental Health Families in Crisis Act. It passed almost unanimously by a count of 422 in favor with only 2 voting against it! Wow! Now it’s time for the Senate to act. They have been talking about it, but it has YET to be brought up for a vote! Call your Senator NOW—call (202)224-3121 and press #1. After you’ve done that you will be instructed to enter your zip code. Then you will be asked to leave a message. My suggestion is that you say, “As a constituent of the Senator’s, I would like him to demand a vote on S. 2680, the Mental Health Reform Act. The House passed Mental Health Reform at a count of 422-2 and now it’s time for the Senate to act. There is a mental health crisis in this country and this bill will help. Thank you.” I know of 60 people who have made that call in the last two weeks and I believe that is why it is being talked about. I personally have called both U.S. Senators from Texas and it only took 2 minutes to leave a message for each office! I promise you that it’s that easy and it makes a difference. If you are interested in public policy, please let me know. I’m always looking for people who are willing to help. Sincerely, Sherry Cusumano, RN, LCDC, MS President of NAMI Dallas

Letter from our President


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Thursday, October 6, 2016

Support Groups: 6-7pm | Presentation: 7:30-8:30pm

Meeting Location: Park Central Baptist Church

7777 LBJ Freeway, Dallas, TX 75251

MAP

This month’s topic:

Ask the Clinicians

Jennifer Perla, RN, LPC and Cindy Garrison, MSN, Nurse Practitioner will be joining us. Bring your questions and learn from the experts!

https://goo.gl/maps/TTMuxfPnpNT2


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NAMI Dallas 2016 Community Awards Nomination Form

The NAMI Dallas Annual Community Awards 2016 will be presented at our holiday/awards party on Thursday, Dec. 1,

2016. Please submit your nominations and recommendations no later than Tuesday, November 1, 2016. Awards will be

presented in the categories listed below. Each NAMI Dallas member is asked to make nominations and tell us why you

believe the person or organization you nominate deserves an award. Please email (or mail) your nominations (using a

separate page for each one) to the NAMI Dallas office, at the address listed below. You may also call in your nominations to

the NAMI Dallas office @ 214-341-7133.

Each year, NAMI Dallas is honored to recognize a few people who have proven track records for improving the lives of

persons with mental illness and their families.

Categories include:

1. JEROME AND HAZEL BYERS AWARD (an enduring volunteer)

2. PROFESSIONAL of the YEAR (professional care provider)

3. MEDIA AWARD

4. COMMUNITY SUPPORT AWARD (for person or organization)

5. SPECIAL APPRECIATION

6. SPECIAL RECOGNITION

7. ADVOCATE OF THE YEAR

8. NORTH TEXAS CIT AWARD (for excellence in law enforcement)

Information Needed:

Nominee: _____________________________________________ Award:

_______________________________________________

Address & Phone:

_____________________________________________________________________________________________

Nominated by:

________________________________________________________________________________________________


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Your best friend. Your dad. That lady down the street. That quiet kid in school. That loud kid in

school. That dude in accounting. Your cousin in Alaska. That hipster in the flannel in Brooklyn.

That rando who might lurk online. Crisis Text Line is for everyone.

Crisis Text Line is free, 24/7 support for those in crisis.

Text “START” to 741-741 from anywhere in the USA to text with a trained Crisis Counselor.

Helping people move from a hot moment to a cool calm, guiding you to create a plan to stay safe

and healthy. One of the mantras at Crisis Text Line is to meet people where they are, and that

means offering discrete help on cell phones.

Watch the Crisis Text Line Founder’s TED talk for more scoop on how Crisis Text Line is

using data science and technology to learn when crises are most likely to happen — and

help schools and law enforcement to prepare for them.

https://www.ted.com/talks/nancy_lublin_the_heartbreaking_text_that_inspired_a_crisis_help_line


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NAMI Dallas partnered

with AT&T for an Ice

Cream Social to raise

awareness and decrease

stigma. Thank you for your

support!

NAMI Dallas volunteer

Blake Serpa moves the

crowd at the Dallas City

Hall Suicide Prevention

Day Awareness event.


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The Recovery Corner

The Recovery Corner is a section in which persons living with a mental illness in recovery can share a story of hope and recovery with our readers.

Practicing Civility While Adulting By Teena Roberts

The fall season will soon be upon us and I do not know about you all, but I am screaming, “Bring on the cooler weather, cute boots, sweaters and jeggings”!!!! Winter can’t get here fast enough for me. I am ready to start riding my bike at the lake, around my neighborhood, connect and then become one with the earth, and possibly make some new acquaintances while out doing something healthy. I hope this article finds you all doing well and in great spirits. I have been absolutely fabulous (ab fab), as usual and have been experiencing one big adventure after another lately. Unfortunately, not all of them have been fun or pain-free. Despite some painful and disappointing life lessons learned recently I can still proudly hold my head up high, smile, and acknowledge how blessed and grateful I am to be where I am in my life today. I am able to appreciate all areas of my life no matter how difficult things can get during certain seasons.

I am currently required by a professor to read a book called Choosing Civility: The Twenty-five Rules of Considerate Conduct by P. M. Forni for my Writing and Technology Skills in Social Work class at TAMUC. At first I was a tad bit upset that on top of the other six textbooks we have to read, we also have to read a book on how to be civil to one another. My first thought was, is this university or is this day care? My second thought was, how absolutely rude of them to make us read this book and participate in weekly discussion posts with other students about what we learned from this book. If I wanted to join a book club I would have joined Oprah’s Book Club. Now that we are three weeks into the book and discussions, I am grateful that I was required to read it. The book has been such a blessing to my life that I now feel that the added time it takes for me to read and participate in the discussion posts is worth it because I am a better person because of it.

“Practicing Civility while Adulting” is by far one of the biggest life lessons I have undertaken thus far in my life journey. In my wellness world that I created for myself (to keep me safe from others and at times even myself), it has been ingrained in my brain that if I don’t have anything nice to say to someone then I just don’t speak to them at all. However, despite my silence, my facial expressions remained a total free-for-all or an added bonus depending on how you choose to view it. Seriously though, I know deep down inside that I can’t continue to treat people that way for the rest of my life. Learning some new civility techniques and tips has been very beneficial to me, as well as those in my world. Civility has been defined by Tomas Spath and Cassandra Dahnke, Founders at the Institute for Civility in Government as “claiming and caring for one’s identity, needs and beliefs without degrading someone else’s in the process.” “Adulting” has been defined by the linguistics journal American Speech as “behaving in an adult manner; engaging in activities associated with adulthood; making someone behave like an adult; turning someone into an adult.” I am teaching myself how to practice massive civility when facing a whole host of situations while “adulting” in the last few months. Understanding that I am the only person that is responsible for my words, actions and responses to others has been one of many hard life lessons I have succeeded in learning this year. I can’t change anyone else but myself, and I realize that completely now. I am amazed at the situations I have found myself in where I could have easily said the first foul thing on my mind that I wanted to say that would have actually felt good to get out, but would have probably made things ten times worse down the road.


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I have been working diligently in therapy for years and as a result of my hard work on myself there is

this switch that automatically comes on when I am facing conflict that has me asking and answering a few questions before I respond to things people say or do every day. At times I am very grateful for this new found rationality I have because it has been a life saver, but there are other times that I wished that I had the freedom to be irrational and say exactly what I wanted to say. Let me rephrase that statement for a moment for clarification purposes. I always have the freedom to say or do what I want to say, but that does not mean that I would be free from the consequences as a result of my freedom to say or do whatever I wanted to. Every action has a consequence and I am happy to say that today consequences do matter to me because they help me realize what I have to lose if I choose irrationality over rationality. My gratefulness for my new positive coping skills really just depends on the situation and my mood at that current time. I have to be honest with you when I say that sometimes I do want to argue and vent because it has been all I have known for most of my life. However, I know I have to pick my battles in life and do the next right thing, always being sure to keep the consequences of my words and actions in the forefront of my mind. It’s all about progress and not perfection for me. Changing negative coping skills into positive coping skills is hard work, but it can be done. The questions I must ask myself before responding to things people say or do to me are as follows:

1. Is what I am about to say or do going to help or hurt someone or my current situation? 2. Am I talking to say something important, or am I talking just to hear myself speak or have the last

word? 3. In the grand scheme of life, is what I am about to say or do going to truly matter in a week, a month or

a year from now? 4. Is it best for me to walk away and give the other person space or stay and calmly state how I feel?

Trust me when I say that the struggle to practice civility while out “adulting” has been real on all levels. I

truly mean it. I don’t want to be a Debbie Downer or a Negative Nancy, but my emotions have been all over the place about certain situations I have had to deal with. It has been very unsettling to me to be as far as I am in my recovery and still have these challenges resurface in my life. I have been learning and processing a series of valuable life lessons regarding being vulnerable in relationships, changes in routines, and the ability to set healthy boundaries with others in order to maintain my recovery, authenticity, and my inner child’s will to be tenacious and continue to thrive. I have been making major progress in a large area of my life regarding trusting others, but it has not been without many stumbles here and there.

I now know that it is possible for me to open up space in my life for others despite having to end a new, unhealthy relationship that started in August. Now I need to make sure that I open up space for someone who has the right motive for wanting to be in my life and who has actual goals in their life that are in line with or mesh well with my life goals. I won’t know any of that unless I continue “adulting” and allow myself to live my life and be vulnerable with those around me. I am no longer scared of the thought of letting others into my world. When I ended the unhealthy relationship, in my mind it felt as if I was taking one step forward and two steps back. There was this window open where I sort of felt myself slipping back into old thought and belief patterns about myself, but the healthy me wouldn’t allow myself to resort back to those negative thought and belief patterns that I used to run to when hurting inside. They no longer fit the person I am today. I no longer have to resort to them. It was frustrating to me to find myself in that situation again after allowing myself to trust someone. I am very happy to report that ending an unhealthy relationship did not make me resort back to previous negative coping strategies or methods I have used in the past to make myself feel better when things go wrong in my world, but it made me stronger. I use my positive coping strategies when faced with various challenges daily while “adulting.” I now know that I can overcome anything that ever stands in my way again while “adulting” and I can do it while being civil.


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I have had to say no to hanging with family and friends, various committees, projects, and programs at

church and in my community that I am normally a part of due to my new responsibilities in my BSW program at Texas A&M University Commerce Metroplex Mesquite campus (TAMUC). Letting go of things that I feel a strong connection with has been very difficult for me. I understood a while back that I would have to let go of some things in my life in order to make room for new things, but I seriously had no idea that the actual process of letting go would be so painful for me. Despite having fear of missing out (FOMO), things are marvelous. Classes at TAMUC have been ab fab. I have thoroughly enjoyed learning about new theories and building my Social Worker skills. I have some really amazing professors and classmates and I am fitting in perfectly. University life is faster-paced than Junior College life, but I am most comfortable when doing multiple things at once and I absolutely thrive while doing so. Squirrel life (mass chaos) is what I call it and it is a specialty of mine. Others do not understand it or at times can’t keep up with me, but it is okay. My new journey in university education is most definitely all about that squirrel life and I am most definitely loving it. The only real issue is the fact that some of my family and friends do not understand that my free time is very limited. To me that is really not my issue, but more of an issue for them to resolve themselves. I do spend quality time with them when I can, just not as much as they would like for me to. For me, life today is all about creating balance and doing the things I need to do for my self-care in order to make my life work for me while still attempting to be civil to others while “adulting.” It is difficult for some people to understand and grasp the fact that some things have to be sacrificed in life temporarily when you are attempting to reach a dream or a goal. You can’t be all things to all people all the time. They may not be able to understand your goal or see your vision, but that is okay. Being able to understand your goal or see your vision is not mandatory for them to show you civility and understanding. As long as you know where you are headed, they should have the capacity and civility within them to be able to respect your dreams and goals. “Adulting” does not always mean agreeing with one another, but it is the civility within us that allows us all the space to agree to disagree, but still be there for someone when they need or want our emotional support, understanding, and love while they are on their journey.

I totally understand that no one ever said that life was going to be easy, but there are moments when I wish that I did not have to work so hard processing every emotion, thought, or behavior that I have in order to keep what I have in my life in perspective and stay firmly grounded in wellness. I know that doing things the way that I do in the life I have today is what works for me. Therefore, no matter how frustrating the things I do for my wellness are to me sometimes, I will continue to do them because this is the healthiest I have been in my entire life. I am very grateful that I know that it is possible to have various challenges that cause me pain or discomfort when the challenges that I overcome now end up turning into something fruitful, worthwhile, and fulfilling.

Life is absolutely fabulous today no matter what I experience or go through. I am no longer waiting for my messes to turn into messages or my tests to turn into testimonies. I have arrived at this place of bliss and I am no longer waiting for me to destroy what I have worked so hard to create for myself. My recent struggles are truly a reminder to me that no matter how far I am in my recovery, I will still come face to face with many challenges, but it is completely up to me whether I choose to handle them in dysfunction by using negative coping skills or whether I choose to handle them in wellness using the positive coping skills I have learned in therapy, support groups, conferences, and by reading books. I wish you well in taking care of yourselves and doing your best to be civil to those around you while you’re out in the world “adulting.” I hope to see you at the next NAMI Dallas Peer-to-Peer Connection Recovery Support Group meeting.


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GET & STAY CONNECTED

NAMI Dallas Needs YOU! Volunteers needed to help deliver our Youth Programs in local schools.

Help reduce stigma and raise awareness with these important programs! Learn more at NAMI Dallas Youth Programs or contact Lisa Pedersen@ [email protected]

The 2016 NAMI Dallas Community Awards & Holiday Party will be held December 1 at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church 9200 Inwood Rd. Dallas, TX 75220

NAMI DALLAS EVENTS FOR 2016 NAMI Dallas & Allen Americans Hockey Game: 2/5/2016 NAMIWalks Kick Off Luncheon: 3/11/2016 NAMI Dallas & Frisco RoughRiders Baseball Game: 4/29/2016 NAMIWalks: 5/14/2016 2nd Annual Community Forum: 5/20/2016 NAMI Dallas Garage Sale: 6/4/2016 North Texas Giving Day: 9/22/2016

□ Annual Community Awards & Holiday Celebration: 12/1/2016

MEMORIALS

Would you like to make a donation or contribution in honor of a loved one or someone

who has made an impact in your life? If you would like send a donation, please contact

NAMI Dallas via phone, email and/or paper mail. We’d love to hear from you and

acknowledge your support and tribute.


https://twitter.com/namidallas

https://www.facebook.com/NAMIDallasTX/

https://www.instagram.com/namidallastx/

https://www.youtube.com/user/namidallastx

http://www.namidallas.org/youth-programs.html

mailto:[email protected]?subject=Volunteer


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NAMI Dallas Support Groups

(updated 9/22/2016)

For individuals living with a mental illness and family members/caregivers of loved ones diagnosed with a

mental illness.

TYPE DAY TIME

LOCATION CONTACT

Family

1st Thursday of every month

6 PM - 7 PM

Park Central Baptist Church

7777 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75252

Rita (214) 341-7133

Mike (214) 341-7133

Family

2nd Saturday of every month 1 PM - 2:30 PM

First United Methodist Church 1200 E. Yellow Jacket Rockwall, TX 75087

Linda (214) 341-7133

Family

3rd Thursday of every month 6:30 PM - 8:00 PM

Lakes Regional Bldg 400 Airport Rd. Terrell, TX 75160

Emma (972) 962-3784 Glenda (214) 202-1183

Family

PLEASE CONTACT FACILITATORS TO ATTEND

Trinity United Methodist Church 1302 South Clark Rd. Duncanville, TX 75137

Evelyn (214) 728-0637 Madeline (214) 536-2703

Parents Group ** (Parents of children & adolescents)

3rd Thursday of every month 7 PM - 8:30 PM

The Warren Center 320 Custer Road Richardson, TX 75080

Cheryl (214) 923-2576 Amanda (214) 236-1706

Peer

1st Thursday of every month 6 PM - 7 PM

Park Central Baptist Church 7777 LBJ Freeway Dallas, TX 75252

Mike (903) 967-3763

Peer

3rd Wednesday of every month 6:30 PM – 8:00 PM

NAMI Dallas Office 2812 Swiss Ave. (parking in back) Dallas, TX 75204

Teena (972) 815-9491 Vita (214) 341-7133

Peer Schizophrenia

Every Tuesday

7 PM

515 Custer Rd.

(First Center) (Across the street from FUMC) Richardson, TX 75080

Mike (903) 967-3763

Peer **Dual Recovery

Mondays & Wednesdays 5 PM - 6 PM

Quaker Meeting House 5828 Worth St. Dallas, TX 75214

David (214) 824-2435

Peer

2nd & 4th Wednesday of every month 7 PM - 8 PM

Iris Place Apartments 13321 Emily Rd. Dallas, TX 75240

Jeanine (214) 575-9492

Peer

2nd Saturday of every month 1 PM - 2:30 PM

First United Methodist Church 1200 E. Yellow Jacket Rockwall, TX 75087

William (214) 341-7133


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NAMI Dallas

(National Alliance on Mental Illness) Find Help. Find Hope. 2812 Swiss Avenue

Dallas, TX 75204

Hours: 9 a.m. – 5 p.m. Monday - Friday Ph: (214) 341-7133 Email: [email protected] www.namidallas.org RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED

NON PROFIT ORG. U.S. POSTAGE

PAID RICHARDSON, TX

75080

PERMIT NO. 158

http://www.namidallas.org

mailto:[email protected]


Find Help. Find Hope. · 2019-03-16 · Volume 19, No. 10 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 October 2016 9...

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Transcript of Find Help. Find Hope. · 2019-03-16 · Volume 19, No. 10 NAMI Dallas (214) 341-7133 October 2016 9...