What’s “New at NAMI NH” Newsletter
March 2008
News to distribute and share with your groups and classes
Please share these updates with your support group and classes.
Upcoming Events-
Spring Semi-Annual Affiliate Leader and Teacher Meeting
Saturday April 12th at New Hampshire Hospital in concord,
Conference room C, 9-1:30, lunch will be provided.
Please RSVP to Annette
Meeting Agenda
- Presentation: Engaging Volunteers and Fostering Leadership
- Updating you on the results of the membership/marketing project, including what providers think about NAMI NH, what it will take to get them to refer to groups and classes and the recommendations for how to market NAMI NH to both providers and families.
- Networking- Teachers, Leaders and volunteers will share updates on their groups, classes and projects. Bring your updates to share with the group.
- Information and referral program- how is the referral to programs and supports working for you?
- NAMI NH updates- Important news to share on programs and initiatives
- Celebrating Volunteer Appreciation Week
*Please invite people from your group or class to attend the meeting.*
****Support Group Facilitator Training- Note date change*****
May 3, 10 and 17th. Leaders and teachers please share the names of people that you feel would be appropriate for leadership. The training will be held in Concord, mileage reimbursement and childcare reimbursement are available.
The first 2008 WALK MEETING – Tuesday, March 25 - 4:30 TO 6:00pm – at the NAMI NH office - Refreshments will be served
Please join our 2008 Walk Chair - Jonathan Routhier, of Westbridge Community Services, at our INFORMATION NIGHT – VOLUNTEER MEETING for the 2008 NAMI WALK! We need your suggestions, ideas and energy to make 2008 our BEST WALK EVER! Please RSVP to Win Saltmarsh at wsaltmarsh@naminh.org if you can attend or are interested in helping.
The WALK will be held on Sunday, October 5, 2008.
Updates
Legislative Forums- A very successful forum was held by the Rochester parent group in February. Legislators, family members, local police, court system, mental health center and consumer representatives attending. Laurie and Lisa did an awesome job!
Upcoming forums are being held in Hollis, Nashua, Portsmouth, Merrimack, Manchester and Littleton.
Our goal was to hold 10 forums. If you would be interested in holding a forum in your area it’s not too late! The NAMI NH office will assist you in sending invitations and organizing. Legislators are in session until June. Please contact Annette for more information
Life Interrupted presentations-
NAMI NH family speakers are now trained and ready to present.
If you know of an organization, school, civic group, church or any one else in your community that would benefit from a presentation, please contact Annette
Annual Award Nominations-
Thanks to all who sent in nominations, there was a record 38 nominations submitted. The Annual Awards dinner will be in June, a date and location will be forthcoming.
Parents Meeting the Challenge classes – This 8 week parent educational program is starting this month in Manchester and in May a class will be offered in Woodsville. For more information contact Claudia at cferber@naminh.org
What’s New?
Family and Community Support Specialist—NEW POSITION!
Sue Allen has recently joined the NAMI NH staff in the role as Family and Community Support Specialist. Sue brings both personal and professional experience to the position.Her primary responsibility will be to provide 1:1 time limited support and education to families and then encourage them to move into NAMI NH’s support groups and family educational programs.Sue will work with Claudia and Annette to further expand NAMI NH’s ability to offer family educational programs and establish support groups in new communities. Sue can be reached by contacting the NAMI NH office in Concord or by email sallen@naminh.org. If you have a family that would benefit from some individualized support and education in a specific area, please don’t hesitate to refer them to Sue by calling or emailing her.
May 8 is Children’s Mental Illness Awareness Day ! NAMI NH is offering a book discussion program to elementary schools (grades 1-5) for FREE! The program has a story book “Why is Mommy Sad?” which talks about depression, stigma and that treatment works, related activities, a “gift” for each participant and resource materials for the book discussion facilitator. Would you like to have this brought to your child’s school? If so please provide a contact person’s name, school name, address and telephone number to Claudia on or before April 18, 2008.
And Again…
If you need additional electronic or hard copies of monthly survey forms or Information and Referral sheets, please let me know.
Thank you to everyone who is completing the Information and Referral forms. You are all doing a great job! I heard a phrase this week that rings clear about how things work these days and it went something like this “antidotal stories are great but it is data that brings in the money”. We have two volunteers Christine and Julie who respond to calls that come through the Information and Referral Line. You may hear from them periodically when they contact you about a family they are referring to the support group or family education program. Christine has been doing this for over a year and Julie begins this month.
If you would prefer not to receive this email newsletter, please email me to be removed from the distribution list.
Please contact me with questions, needs, and news of your groups and classes at acarbonneau@naminh.org or 1-800-242-6264 ext 25.
Annette
