Speaker/educational meetings are held on 4th Wednesdays monthly on Zoom. We strive to invite experts in many areas involving mental illness (research, housing, alternative interventions, medications, county system and agency services). Please contact us if you are interested in speaking.
Check out “What’s New” on NAMI East Bay’s website for Zoom meeting links and post-event videos from speaker meetings. Summaries will be available in newsletters.
Join us for a lively discussion with members of FASMI (Families Advocating for the Seriously Mentally Ill). This group is making waves with their informed advocacy for our loved ones and families. We will be hearing more about their organization and getting an update on current legislation measures, the challenges underlying the process of working for system change and an inside look at advocacy efforts.
1. *******TIME CHANGE***** Because our presenter lives on the East Coast, we will be taping her talk at 6:00pm our time.. She has some guided exercises so be sure to join us for a chance for interaction. The presentation will be videotaped and hopefully available for viewing later in the evening on Wednesday, March 22 at the What’s New tab on our website www.namieastbay.org.
March 22, 6:00-7:30pm Zoom Presentation: NOTE TIME CHANGE
Families are typically the first line of recognition and care for a struggling loved one. We are called on to be case manager, vocational counselor, therapist and housing specialist. Yet we have little access to training and support.
Kayla Solomon, LICSW, facilitator of the Allies in Recovery (www.alliesinrecovery.com) support group, and co-host of the podcast Coming up for Air, has worked at the intersection of mental illness and SUD (Substance Use Disorder) for many years as a clinician in private practice.
People struggling with serious mental illness feel alone and unheard. Families feel helpless and unsupported. Kayla will explain how families can take care of themselves while learning positive engagement with our struggling loved ones. She uses what is called the CRAFT approach, Community Reinforcement and Family Training.
By practicing the communication techniques she describes, we will learn how to acquire and maintain effective communication and connection. In her presentation we will have real time experience of staying centered and strong as family members and connected as loved ones by using mindfulness and reflective listening.
This presentation will be offered on zoom, Wednesday, March 22, 7:30-9:00pm
Many of our families’ ill loved ones are not receiving county services, unless in crisis. Insurance coverage is a primary reason that one is ineligible for such service accessibility. With that in mind, along with full awareness of frantic families who need help as they plan for the future, we’re hosting an introduction to and casual conversation with three service providers who provide crucial help for a fee. Join us and meet Ryan Gardner, therapist/consultant/case manager; Ian Morgan, peer specialist (pending) and Meredith Taylor, fiduciary with IMT. They’ll be giving us an introductory overview of services and respond to questions. This may be the first of our explorations into this arena and we’ll be reviewing some of the already-known resources as well. The discussion will occur on zoom and will be videotaped for sharing afterwards. Here is the link for Wednesday, Feb 22, 7:30pm
January Author/Speaker meeting – Jan 24/25. 2023 BEYOND MADNESS
Beyond Madness, written by Dr. Rachel Pruchno, is a comprehensive, very readable book which addresses all aspects of mental illness. Ms. Pruchno, a PhD psychologist, Professor of Medicine at Rowan University and director of research at the New Jersey Institute for Successful Aging,.covers an array of topics, from stigma, securing financial benefits, resistance, history, resilience, obstacles, research findings, legal aspects, etc. Throughout, she shares insights from experiencing her own daughter’s journey with the challenges of mental illness and brings in others’ stories as well.
The book has earned the endorsement of many professionals, including E. Fuller Torrey, author of Surviving Schizophrenia, who wrote “…excellent book…strongly recommended”.
Because Ms.Pruchno lives on the East Coast and we do not expect her to talk with us late at night, we will be talking with her the day before our regularly scheduled 4th Wednesday evening meeting. If you have read the book or are interested and would like to meet the author for a group discussion of topics she covers, join us for our Tuesday, Jan 24, morning meeting from 10-11:30 am. The link is below, under Author Meeting.
The recorded discussion will be posted on our website the next day so you can view it then if you aren’t able to come to it “live”.
A sometimes hidden gem among county services are the Wellness Centers or Hubs. Scattered throughout the county are six sites which offer welcoming, accessible, and supportive community spaces for individuals with a wide range of mental health needs. The sites have the goals of building community, encouraging independent skills, and providing support through groups and activities.
Bay Area Community Services (BACS, www.bayareacs.org) offers four hubs: Hedco, Towne House, South County, and Valley. Bonita House (www.bonitahouse.org) has two sites: the Berkeley Wellness Center and Casa Ubuntu Creative Wellness Center.
We are pleased to have the directors of wellness programs from each agency speak with us on Wednesday evening. LeAnne Rozner from Bonita House is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Clarise Burton is from BACS and she or a representative will be joining us. The speakers will be describing their programs and respond to questions.
Speaker Meeting starts at Wednesday, November 16, 7:30 pm
According to the National Institutes of Health, 100,000 youth and young adults in the U.S. experi- ence a first episode of psychosis each year (NIH, 2013). And yet, it takes 21 months on average before someone can received specialized treatment for early psychosis after they first begin experiencing symp- toms (NIMH, 2019). Coordinated specialty care for early psychosis is a treatment model provided with evidence-based components designed for early detection, individual psychotherapy, strength-based care management, supported employment and education, judicious medication management, and peer and family support.
Adriana Furuzawa, LMFT, is the director of Felton Institute’s Early Psychosis Division and over- sees the implementation of the (re)MIND® programs (formerly PREP – Prevention and Recovery in Early Psychosis) in five counties in the San Francisco Bay Area and Central Coast. Felton’s (re)MIND® programs were first implemented in 2007 and are nationally recognized for bridging the gap between science and community-based services. Furuzawa will discuss what is psychosis and why it is important to intervene early, with the right resources, to prevent lifelong challenges and to support individuals and families to reach their life goals and dreams.
Click on the flyer image above to register for the speaker meeting and receive the Zoom link. The recording of the presentation will be posted on this webpage.
