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Welcome to the website of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Portage/Wood Counties chapter!  FROM THE PRESIDENT’S DESK:
As some of you may know, Ministry Medical Group sponsors an Emotional Support Group which meets every 4th Monday of the month at 2501 Main St., Oak Room, Stevens Point, (the old Rice Clinic building), from 6 - 7 pm. Each of Ministry’s meetings features a topic for discussion and several feature a guest speaker as well. As these meetings address such topics as nutrition and mental health, building self-esteem, sleep and mental health, medications, etc., we plan to use Ministry’s speaker meetings for our general meetings. Please watch the newsletter calendar as general meetings could be either the 3rd or 4th Monday of the month. Also, there may be times when there are two informational meetings, one hosted by our affiliate, and one by Ministry’s Emotional Support Group. I hope the Marshfield area group will come up with ideas of what they need at their informational meetings from April through the rest of the year. They are welcome to attend any of the Stevens Point meetings as well. Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and Crisis Intervention Partners (CIP) trainings for 2010 are coming up, with the 1st CIT training scheduled for March 15-19. CIT is for law enforcement officers and first responders; CIP is targeted to meet the needs of personnel within correction, residential, vocational, medical, and first responders settings. For more information see the NAMI Wisconsin web site (www.namiwisconsin.org) or contact me. NAMI Wisconsin offers several other trainings throughout the year. Our affiliate needs more In Our Own Voice presenters, as well as teachers for Peer to Peer, Family to Family and Basics classes. We would also like more people trained as NAMI Support Group Facilitators. Often there is not enough time to get notice of these trainings into the newsletter. If you are interested in training for any of these crucial positions, please let me hear from you. --Marvin Lutz, President  ************************************************************************************************** NEW INFORMATION! FIND HELP WITH THE COST OF MEDICINE AT NeedyMeds
NeedyMeds is a 501(c)(3) non-profit with the mission of helping people who can't afford to pay for their medications. This web-based organization features U.S. programs in all 50 states and serves as a clearinghouse for pharmaceutical assistance programs as well as state and local programs that provide financial or medical assistance. NeedyMeds has information on more than 2,400 programs such as Patient Assistance Programs (PAPS), which provide medicine at no cost or at a discount to people who qualify; a database of Free/Low Cost Clinics; Disease-Based Assistance - programs that help with the costs of specific diseases and conditions, including some insurance co-pays and premiums; State Programs - programs offering various types of assistance with healthcare costs for residents of specific states. Visit the NeedyMeds website: www.NeedyMeds.org, e-mail them at
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, or contact them by mail at PO Box 219, Gloucester, MA 01931. ************************************************************************************************** "MAKING PARITY REAL" SYMPOSIUM TO BE HELD IN WAUSAU MARCH 5 NAMI Wisconsin is partnering with Community Advocates and other groups to host "Making Parity Real" events throughout the state. We are looking for local advocates who can sit on a reactor panel to comment on what parity will mean and what policy or system changes might need to occur as parity becomes a true reality for Wisconsin citizens. Please contact Jennifer Lowenberg, 800-236-2988, if you have any questions. Jennifer Lowenberg is the Advocacy and Training Specialist for NAMI Wisconsin, Inc. You're invited to help shape the future of addiction and mental health treatment in Wisconsin.
The next Making Parity Real symposium will be 10 a.m.-2 p.m. Friday, March 5 at Northcentral Technical College, Building E, Rooms 101/102 (1000 W. Campus Dr., Wausau. Attendance is free, but registration is required by Wednesday, March 3.
Making Parity Real will feature a moderated dialogue among state policymakers and northcentral Wisconsin stakeholders -- including treatment providers, advocates, the recovery community, consumers and law enforcement officials -- to assess the major state policy challenges facing addiction and mental health services in Wisconsin.
Rep. Donna Seidel (D-Wausau) will co-host the symposium with Rep. Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay) and Daivd Riemer, Director of the Community Advocates Public Policy Institute.
Making Parity Real is a statewide series; based on information learned during this and other symposia, state lawmakers and policymakers will be presented with recommendations to improve the treatment of mental health and addiction illnesses and disorders in Wisconsin.
Through moderated discussion, panelists will explore:
· The quantity, cultural competency and location of providers.
· The adequacy of public and private funding sources.
· The ability of non-medical providers to administer treatment.
· Strategies to reduce stigma.
· Other non-financial barriers to receiving treatment services.
Making Parity Real will also feature updates on the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 (P.L. 110-343), emerging Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services regulations on addiction and mental health treatment, and Wisconsin legislative proposals including the Wisconsin Parity Act. The Wisconsin Parity Act will require most group health plans in Wisconsin to provide mental health and substance abuse disorder benefits at parity levels, increasing treatment for hundreds of thousands of people in Wisconsin, saving lives and lowering costs.
Tell Us Your Ideas
We are eager for you to share your ideas about how to provide improved coverage, access and outcomes for Wisconsinites seeking mental health and addiction care.
************************************************************************************************** MARSHFIELD PLANNING PEER TO PEER, FAMILY TO FAMILY CLASSES FOR SPRING 2010
Peer to Peer and Family to Family programs will be held in the Marshfield area, probably starting in April. More information will be forthcoming, as plans develop. Anyone interested in helping with publicity or preparation of class materials, or in need of more information on these classes, call Phyllis Werner at 715-387-1016. For information on Peer to Peer teacher training contact Marvin Lutz, 715-592-4522, or e-mail
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************************************************************************************************** NAMI WISCONSIN CONSUMER COUNCIL LEADERSHIP SUMMIT APRIL 29, GREEN BAY
The NAMI Wisconsin Consumer Council will host a Consumer Leadership Summit on Thursday, April 29, 2010 from 4:30 until 7:00 pm at the Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, Green Bay. The speaker this year is Austin Mardon, PhD, who will be discussing his personal journey with schizophrenia. Consumers attending the Leadership Summit are encouraged to also attend the two day conference. Consumers wishing to attend the Leadership Summit must pre-register and submit a $10 registration fee. Space for the Consumer Leadership Summit is limited. A limited number of consumer scholarships will be available for the conference. The Consumer Scholarships awarded for the conference include Leadership Summit registration fees. For more information please call the NAMI Wisconsin office at 608-268-6000 or 800-236-2988, or visit the NAMI Wisconsin website: www.namiwisconsin.org . ************************************************************************************************** NAMI Wisconsin 2010 Annual Conference
Taking the Journey Together: The Art of Living with Serious Mental Illness
Co-Hosted by NAMI Brown County, April 30 – May 1, 2010
Radisson Hotel & Conference Center, Green Bay, Wisconsin
NAMI Wisconsin’s annual conference has been providing nationally recognized speakers, informative workshops, print resources, and networking opportunities for mental health consumers, family members, and health care providers for over twenty-five years. Pamela S. Hyde, J.D., Administrator of the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) will be Friday's keynote speaker.
This year’s specialist topics will include: Depression and Bipolar, Borderline Personality Disorders, Dual Diagnosis, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia Disorders.
NAMI Program introduction workshops will include: Crisis Intervention Training, NAMI- Past, Present and Future, In Our Own Voice, NAMI Basics, Peer to Peer, Planning for the Future, Launching a New Affiliate.
Other topics include: Pregnancy & Parenting with Mental Illness, Mental Illness in the Criminal Justice System, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and Veterans.
Conference Registration Fees
• Members, Family, & Caregivers: 2 Day Registration- $115 / 1 Day Registration- $70
• Professionals: 2 Day Registration- $195 / 1 Day Registration- $105
• Low Income: 2 Day Registration- $65 / 1 Day Registration- $45
Scholarships have been offered in the past to cover registration costs; contact NAMI Wisconsin early for scholarship information.
For more information on the conference, scholarships, reservations, etc., scroll to bottom of this page and click on the NAMI Wisconsin logo, or visit NAMI Wisconsin’s website: www.namiwisconsin.org, or call NAMI Wisconsin: 608-268-6000, or 800-236-2988. E-mail is
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************************************************************************************************** FORGET-ME-NOTS GARDEN CLUB, NAMI PORTAGE/WOOD COUNTIES TO HOLD RUMMAGE SALE FUNDRAISER MAY 8
NAMI Portage/Wood Counties is invited back to the Forget-me-Nots' Garden Club RUMMAGE and PLANT SALE. This year's rummage sale will take place on May 8 in Stevens Point. Please start saving items that are in GOOD condition for re-use. In addition, we need plants to sell; if you can plan ahead to provide plants for our fundraiser we’d appreciate that! Donations of baked goods for this sale are also welcome. Finally, we need volunteers to help make this event a success. This has been a major fundraiser for NAMI Portage/Wood Counties; last year we generated over $600, all used locally for materials and programming. For information call Kathy Hartman at (715) 341-4483 or Marvin Lutz at (715) 592-4522. ************************************************************************************************** ARE YOU INTERESTED IN BECOMING A CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALIST? -OR-
ARE YOU PLANNING ON HIRING CERTIFIED PEER SPECIALISTS?
Certified Peer Specialists’ goals are to:
• Focus on recovery
• Promote wellness
• Facilitate self direction
• Foster independent living
• Enhance the ability of service recipients
to achieve their chosen goals
Peer Specialists are examples of recovery with experience and training. Be part of a rewarding career experience by becoming a Wisconsin Certified Peer Specialist! Find out about the 2010 Employment Initiatives. For more information contact Alice F. Pauser, WI Peer Specialist Program Coordinator, 608-242-8484 Ext. 224,
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. ************************************************************************************************** NEW RESOURCES FOR VETERANS AND THEIR FAMILIES: VETERANS SUICIDE PREVENTION HOTLINE:
1-800-273-TALK, VETERANS PRESS “1”
The Department of Veterans Affairs' (VA) Veterans Health Administration (VHA) has founded a national suicide prevention hotline to ensure veterans in emotional crisis have free, 24/7 access to trained counselors. To operate the Veterans Hotline, the VA partnered with the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) and the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline. Veterans can call the Lifeline number, 1-800-273-TALK (8255), and press "1" to be routed to the Veterans Suicide Prevention Hotline.
VETERANS CAN CHAT LIVE THROUGH NEW ONLINE SERVICE
The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Lifeline launched an online chat service for veterans in emotional distress available at: www.suicidepreventionlifeline.org/Veterans. Veterans are encouraged to chat online anonymously with a counselor during the operating hours of 4:00 pm-7:30 am EST Daily. Friends and family members of a veteran in crisis are also welcomed to use Veterans Chat. ************************************************************************************************** NATIONAL BIPOLAR FOUNDATION JOINS MedicAlert FOUNDATION TO OFFER MedicAlert® + Safe ‘til Stable® A 24-hour comprehensive protection system for children, adolescents, and adults with bipolar disorder or a related condition and their families (Press Release excerpt from the National Bipolar Foundation)
Bipolar disorder is said to affect at least 1 in 100 people and some say as many as 1 in 25. This cooperative effort between NBPF and MedicAlert Founda-tion will have a widespread impact on our society. Children, adolescents, and adults living with bipolar disorder or a related condition, who are involved in accidents and unable to speak for themselves will have the MedicAlert Emergency Medical Information Service speaking for them, informing hospital staff and medical providers of their diagnoses and current medications in order to avoid potential dangerous withdrawal and acute onset of instability in regards to any symptoms of bipolar disorder. And when a person with bipolar or a related condi-tion finds him/herself in an unfore-seen incident, responders will react in an appropriate manner; thus given the opportunity to defuse the situation or transport the person to an appropriate facility. It is expected that this will ultimately create jail diversion, thereby benefitting all of society. The MedicAlert® + Safe ‘til Stable® program will benefit individuals wearing the identification jewelry, reduce stress on their families and ultimately reduce the cost of their care for all taxpayers.
Each individual enrolled in the program will be provided with a personalized MedicAlert ID and a MedicAlert wallet card that provide emergency responders with identifi-cation information, and details on any additional critical medical conditions or life-threatening allergies. Additional information is provided to first responders when they call the MedicAlert 24-hour Emergency Response Center.
The MedicAlert® + Safe ‘til Stable® program also ensures that designated family members will be notified if an individual requires emergency medical treatment in a caregiver’s absence; caregivers will have the reassurance that any time a person wearing a MedicAlert ID has been located or treated, MedicAlert Foundation will contact them immediately.
For more information, call MedicAlert at 888-633-4298 or visit www.medicalert.org or www.nationalbipolarfoundation.org. |
