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from NAMI.org
NAMIWalks Dates Include Mental Illness Awareness Week The next NAMIWalk will be Sept. 11 in Vermont. Others coincide with Mental Illness Awareness Week (Oct. 3-9).
Public Policy Alerts
The Latest from the NAMI Advocate e-newsletter
TERRY-ON-TERRY
Family-to-Family
-more at NAMI.org-
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WELCOME TO NAMI-BILLINGS

Billings' Voice on Mental Illness

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                                                                                                    Photo courtesy of Phil Bell 


SEPTEMBER EDUCATION PRESENTATION
"Nutrition for Maximum Wellness"

Tuesday, September 21 from 6:30-8:00 PM
Billings Clinic Health Conference Center, Rooms A/C.

Martha Arguelles, MSN, RN will tell us about healthy food choices and progressive ideas on diet and its role in good mental health. While mental illnesses certainly can't be cured by diet, recovery, quality of life, health, feeling well and longevity can be greatly enhanced.  Martha is passionate about the pursuit of wellness through optimal nutrition, and particularly how diet can impact mental well being.

Martha is a faculty member for the MSU Bozeman College of Nursing. She was educated at the University of New Hampshire and the University of the Philippines, and has worked in a variety of health care settings ranging from a clinic for the homeless in Boston, to one of Mother Teresa's House of the Dying in a Manila slum. She worked as a nurse practitioner and clinical nurse specialist in mental health nursing in Connecticut, before moving to Montana in 1990.

This is the third in our 2010 education series on the relationship between mind, body and behavior.  Our presentations are free of charge and open to the public.



UPCOMING CLASSES STARTING SOON!

We have two important classes starting in September: Family to Family and NAMI Basics.  Both courses are taught by trained family members and parents who have first hand experience with the day-to-day challenges of mental illness. The curriculum balances education and skill-training with self care, emotional support and empowerment.

These popular education courses are limited in size and fill quickly.  Be sure to register early.  As with all of our services, there is no charge.

For more information and to register please contact Libby at 256.2001. 

FAMILY-to-FAMILY
For families who have adult relatives with a mental illness
September 22 - December 8

Family-to-Family brings families back together. You'll learn up-to-date information about mental illnesses and the knowledge and skills that family members need to cope more effectively. Participants learn about:

  • handling crises and relapses
  • communication techniques
  • problem solving and limit setting
  • self care
  • medications
  • community services, support and advocacy
  • fighting stigma

NAMI BASICS 
The fundamentals of caring for you, your family,
and your child with a mental illness
September 23 - November 11

NAMI Basics is for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses.  The course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years.

Goals of NAMI Basics

  1. To give the parent/caregiver the fundamental information necessary to be an effective caregiver
  2. To help the parent/caregiver cope with traumatic impact that mental illness has on the child living with the illness and the entire family
  3. To provide tools for the parent/caregiver to use even after completing the program that will assist in making the best decisions possible for the care of the child
  4. To help the parent/caregiver take the best care possible of the entire family-especially themselves

Diagnoses discussed in the class include: childhood onset of bipolar disorder, childhood onset of schizophrenia, depression, ADD, ADHD, anxiety disorders, OCD and eating disorders.

Topics include:

  • it's not your fault
  • mental illnesses are brain disorders
  • getting an accurate diagnosis
  • an overview of treatment options
  • impact on family members
  • navigating the system for your child, (school, mental health)

"No one should have to face this journey alone!"


Parents Support Group

The PARENTS SUPPORT GROUP meets 2 times each month:

1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month
6:00-7:30pm
at the NAMI-Billings office

This support group is for parents who have a child or adolescent with a mental illness who still lives at home.  It may also be appropriate for parents whose child has recently moved out of the home as long as there is still some active parenting. Please call the office at 256-2001 if you have questions. 

Read more about all of our support groups...


Montana Mental Health Trust
 
The Montana Mental Health Trust was established last month with money reached from a settlement with Eli Lilly.  The state of Montana sued the pharmaceutical company in 2007, alleging it of marketing the antipsychotic medication Zyprexa for off-label uses.Image

NAMI-Billings volunteers Tami Brandt and Terry Ball were featured in a recent Billings Gazette article that talks about how the Montana Mental Health Trust might be used, which includes peer support services and public awareness about mental illness.

 
 

 
Montanan Wins Prestigious National Award

Quentin Schoeter of Helena and NAMI Montana's Consumer Support and Advocacy Specialist, was chosen to receive the prestigious national Lionel Aldridge Award for 2010.

The award, which recognizes a person with a mental illness for courage, leadership and service will be presented to Quentin on June 20 in Washington, DC.

Read more about Quentin and his award.


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Join the NAMI-Billings Walk Team!

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The Montana NAMI Walk will take place on Sunday, September 26, in Helena and is sponsored by NAMI Montana.  NAMI Walks is a nationwide fundraising and mental health awareness program held in communities around the country.

Last year was the first time NAMI-Billings was represented.  We had a great time and hope to have a large presence in 2010.  We need your participation!

This is an excellent opportunity for you to help NAMI-Billings raise the funds needed to continue our current programs. Contact Libby at libby@namibillings.org or 256-2001 to be included on Walk updates and for information about how you can be involved


SUPPORT GROUP LEADERS NEEDED!

NAMI-Billings needs more Connection Support Group leaders!   If you have a major mental illness, are in recovery and would like to help others in a support group, call Libby at 256-2001 for more information.

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Sunday's from 3:00 PM to 4:30 PM

Thursday's from 1:00 PM to 2:30 PM

NAMI Connection is a support group for adults with mental illness.  These confidential support groups meet weekly for 90 minutes and are offered at no charge.

The Billings NAMI affiliate has several support group leaders trained in the NAMI-Connection model.

Groups meet in the NAMI-Billings office.  Read more about NAMI-Connection on our  Education page or call the office at 256-2001. 

To view a list of all our support groups, please click here.


SUPPORT GROUP CHANGES

The mixed support group has changed to the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays, 7-8:30 PM.   We’ve added a new parent’s support group: 1st and 3rd Tuesdays, 6:00-7:30.   Click here for all support group meeting times.


YOUTH SUPPORT GROUPS
Ages 12-14

 NAMI-Billings provides weekly support groups for youth with mental illnesses in partnership with   Tumbleweed.  Groups meet in the NAMI-Billings office.  If you have a child who might benefit from this group experience, please call Libby at 256-2001 for more information and to start the intake process.  The groups are offered at no charge.


YOUTH NOW HAVE MORE MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES

A new study has found that five times as many high school and college students are dealing with anxiety and other mental health issues as youth of the same age who were studied in the Great Depression era.    Read more…


Sign Up for our E-Newsletter

Receive our updates directly to your in-box.   This will help us save money and reduce our impact on the environment.

Thanks for helping us serve you better!

Sign Up Today!

 

Do you have questions or need assistance with access to the public mental health system?

The Ombudsman represents the interests of Montanans seeking access to public mental health services.    Read more…

 

JOIN US ON FACEBOOK

 

You can support NAMI-Billings everytime you search the Internet or
shop on-line.

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What if NAMI-Billings earned a donation every time you searched the Internet? Or how about if a percentage of every purchase you made online went to support our cause? Well, now it can!

GoodSearch.com is a new Yahoo-powered search engine that donates half its advertising revenue, about a penny per search, to the charities its users designate. Use it just as you would any search engine, get quality search results from Yahoo, and watch the donations add up!

If you download the GoodSearch – NAMI-Billings toolbar, our cause will earn money every time you shop and search online - even if you forget to go to GoodShop or GoodSearch first! Add the NAMI - Billings toolbar at http://www.goodsearch.com/toolbar/nami-billings

You can still participate without downloading the GoodSearch toolbar. 

GoodShop.com is an online shopping mall which donates up to 30 percent of each purchase to your favorite cause! There are 1,000 stores including Amazon, Target, Gap, Best Buy, ebay, Expedia and Barnes & Noble who have teamed up with GoodShop and every time you place an order, you'll be supporting NAMI-Billings.

Just go to the GoodShop website and designate NAMI-Billings as your charity and then find the store you're looking for.  You'll enter the merchant website from here and a percentage of your dollars will come to us.  It's easy!

Thank you so much for helping.  If you have any questions, contact Sharon at 256-7805 or sharon@namibillings.org.

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