The PHOENIX

NAMIWalks go to our

programs of support, ed-

ucation and advocacy

and all

We need your help as we strive to improve the lives of those affected by men-tal illness find help and find hope.

Should you wish to do-nate, make checks paya-ble to NAMI Texas with a notation on the memo line—NAMI Abilene. Or you can donate online at

CONGRATULATIONS! We

made it!

On in our efforts to be-

come an officially recog-

nized Affiliate of NAMI.

We’re working feverishly

preparing and uploading all

the required documents for

NAMI Texas/NAMI while

simultaneously focusing on

programming and fundrais-

ing. We continue to

strengthen our relationship

with Mental Health Ameri-

ca of Abilene and other

members of the recovery

community through the Big

Country ROSC (Recovery

Oriented Systems of Care)

group.

With regard to program-

ming we’re trying to ar-

range for our members to

be trained/retrained to fa-

cilitate two (2) NAMI Signa-

ture Programs - NAMI

Family Support Group and

NAMI Connection Recov-

ery Support Group.

We have contacted NAMI

Dallas about participating

in their 2017 NAMIWalks,

under the banner, Team

PHOENIX, and have be-

gun raising funds in our

service area of Taylor and

Jones counties by soliciting

sponsors and individual

contributions. Additional

funds are required for

transportation and Team

tee-shirts. Proceeds of

Along These Lines...

Volume 1, Issue 3 Summer 2017

NAMI Abilene

General Meetings

NAMI Night Big Country

Tuesday, July 11, 2017

Tuesday, Aug. 1,2017 .

Tuesday, Sept. 5, 2017

All meetings are at 6 p.m. Grace Fellowship

910 Cypress Street. Abilene, TX

Inside this issue:

NAMI 2017 Public Policy Agenda

2

Our Community 2017 2

In Our Own Voice: Theresa S.

3

About NAMI Abilene 3

NAMI On Campus: Abilene Christian University

4

Signature Programs 5

Special Thanks 5

Contact Us 5

PHOENIX

July is National Minority Mental Health Month. July 11th meeting—NAMI Night Big Country

2-1-1 Texas “A Call for Help” Program Over-view

During Minority Mental Health Month NAMI Abi-lene joins the mental health community in reaf-firming our commitment to building our under-standing of mental illness, increasing access to treatment and ensuring that those who are strug-

Until next issue ...

The PHOENIX

Advocate! Advocate! Advocate! Is still our rallying cry.

for a new legislative calendar and a new administration in the nation’s capital. There will be much rancor in the United States capi-tol over expenditures and NAMI will be there!

So, from the NAMI Blog, January 27, 2017, by Happy Carlock, “New Congress, What Now?”, we’re reminded, America is in a time of transition. And any major transition—whether in poli-tics or in our personal

lives—is often accompa-nied by a range of emo-tions. Just log onto your Facebook or Twitter page and you’re likely to be flooded by alarming head-

lines and heated com-mentary. NAMI pledges to be in the conversation every step of the way, fighting to make sure that your mental healthcare is protected and keeping you in-formed of new develop-ments.

NAMI opposes the re-peal of the Affordable Care Act (ACA or Obamacare). The pa-

tient protections and in-creased access to insur-ance that were included in the bill have supported mil-lions living with mental

NAMI 2017

NAMI Abilene Community Outreach

it contains square foot garden-ing style, available for neigh-bors of the garden. In addition, at this time, there is a section for 50 rows of vegetables. The garden itself was begun in March 2010.

NAMI Abilene turned it’s first shovel of soil in the hot sun on Saturday, March18th. Why “Byl” decided to start in the heat of the day has yet to be “unearthed”. But if you know Byl, you know the answer.

Participants include volunteers from the NAMI Abilene mem-bership and supporters.

NAMI Abilene has chosen as one of it’s community outreach projects participa-tion in this years Grace Community Garden which is located directly across the street from the facility that hosts our monthly NAMI Nights Big Country (monthly general meeting).

The Gardens of Grace Community Garden con-tains numerous raised beds, one of which seats NAMI’s garden of vegeta-bles, herbs and plants. In addition to the raised beds,

NAMI Abilene

participates with

Grace Community

Gardens

2017

Page 2

GARDENERS OF GRACE

The PHOENIX

NAMI Abilene Community Outreach

I am Theresa and I live in recovery. My dark days were filled with self-mutilation, self–loathing, and low self-esteem which manifested itself in alcohol-ism, bulimia, anorexia, and prescription pill addiction. Although I have no con-scious memory of it, my birthmother told me I was raped by my stepfather at the age of seven. Later in early childhood I did expe-rience molestation by a guy I was “running” pills for as a means of punishment and dominance. My need for pills and alcohol in-creased as well as my overwhelming sense of loneliness. The very man

who repeatedly molested me, the very man for whom I was a runner, was the very man I fantasized about marrying. Suicidal ideations ran rampant but God always put someone

in my path to give me the will to go on. I finally ac-cepted the fact that I was an addict. That I had hurts, habits and hang-ups and my life had become un-manageable. The evi-dence, my badly scarred arms that I’d kept hidden. There had to be more to life. What led to my ac-ceptance was my siblings who offered much needed support and love. Although I didn’t go to a Treatment program I did move into a sober living facility where I learned to live independently again, here in Abi-lene. My sobriety date is May 6, 2016. I have learned that happi-ness is out there. Happiness is even

In Our Own Voice (Theresa’s story)

About NAMI Abilene

NAMI Abilene activities. Our service area (Abilene) covers Taylor and Jones counties.

All meetings, classes, and support groups are free and are centrally located.

The success of our organi-zation depends upon involvement of community members like yourself!

Come JOIN US!

YOU can make a DIFFER-

ENCE!

There are many ways to get involved:

Take a mental health class

Participate in a support group

Lead a class or support group

Attend our general meetings

Advocate for improved mental health

services

Become a member

NAMI Abilene is a newly formed Affiliate in Texas. NAMI Abilene offers a vari-ety of education classes and support groups, partic-ipates in area mental health events, and advo-cates for people with men-tal illness and their family members and friends. We welcome people living with a mental illness, their fami-ly members and friends, and mental health profes-sionals to get involved with

Page 3 Volume 1, Issue 3 Summer 2017

The PHOENIX

NAMI On Campus

College life swiftly passes imbued with memories fond. The recollections, slowly fade away. But there’s one college campus, and a graduate student in particular, that wants to make a difference. And help

eliminate stigma.

On Wednesday, March 22, 2017, I had the distinct honor of meeting with Mallory Brickman, a young graduate student and employee of Abilene Christian University. Our hour-long meeting was most pro-ductive. Initial introductions had been arranged through the efforts of one of the members of our Lead-ership Committee, Shawn Wright. After assessing her knowledge of NAMI, I shared NAMI Abilene’s vision for the current calendar year. We discussed the NAMI On Campus program and how beneficial it

could be to the ACU family of student organizations.

NAMI On Campus clubs provide students with peer-run mental health organizations on campus. They work to end stigma that makes it hard for students to talk about mental health and get the help they need. Clubs hold creative meetings, hold innovative awareness events, and offer signature NAMI pro-

grams through partnerships with NAMI Texas and NAMI Abilene.

Abilene Christian University is no stranger to advocacy and to these ends can lend their voices to ours. NAMI Texas’s role as an advocacy organization grew from the need of it’s members—individuals with mental illness and their families—to affect a positive change in the response of society, government

and business to an individual with a mental illness.

We look forward to great things as we forge our relationship with Mallory and ACU!

Introducing WRAP Training (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)

Workshop—Saturday, June 3, 2017. 180 House Campus. 2102 Amy Lyn Ave. Abilene.

NAMI Abilene hosted a one-day workshop introducing WRAP. WRAP is a self-designed prevention and wellness process that anyone can use to get well, stay well and make their life the way they want it to be. It was developed in 1997 by a group of people who were searching for ways to overcome their own mental health issues and move on to fulfilling their life dreams and goals. It is now used extensive-ly by people in all kinds of circumstances, and by health care and mental health systems all over the

world to address all kinds of physical, mental health and life issues.

WRAP has been studied in rigorous research projects and is listed in the National Registry of Evidence

-based Programs and Practices. We graduated five (5) participants.

WRAP helps you:

Discover your own simple, safe Wellness Tools.

Develop a list of things to do every day to stay as well as possible.

Identify upsetting events, early warning signs and signs that things have gotten much worse and,

using Wellness Tools, develop action plans for responding at these time.

Guide you through the process of developing a Crisis Plan or advance Directive.

Introduce you to Post Crisis Planning.

The PHOENIX

P.O. Box 2352 Abilene, Texas 79604 (325)701-9051 officemanager@namiabilene.org www.namitexas.org/nami-abilene

https://www.facebook.com/NAMIAbilene/

Millions of Americans are affected by mental health conditions every

year. NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s

largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building

better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness

through education and support for both the individual and the family.

A Note of Thanks:

Special thanks to Jenny Goode of Betty Hard-wick Center, Richard Kennedy and Ronnie Si-mon of the 180 and 180-2 House, Paul Mathis of Highland Church of Christ/Grace Fellowship, Holly Doggett, Stacy Hollingsworth, and Patty Haynes from NAMI Texas, Renata Ponichtera, Field Capacity & Governance, NAMI, and most of all, to YOU!

“The only person you are destined to become is the person you decide to be.”

- Ralph Waldo Emerson

We’re on the web

www.namitexas.org/nami-abilene

Every year , NAMI Texas hosts a

mental health conference.. It will again be in Austin, Texas and

NAMI Abilene plans to be there.

November 2-4, 2017

NAMI Signature Programs

Type Day and Time Location Contact

NAMI Connection Support Group

Third Tuesday 6:00 p.m. -7:30

Grace Fellowship 901 Cypress,

Byl (Bill) (229) 429-4535

NAMI Family Support Group

First and Third Tuesdays of the

month 7:00 p.m. -

Grace Fellowship 901 Cypress Abilene, TX

Byl (229) 429 -4535

NAMI In Our Own Voice Coming Fall,2017

TBA.

Make appointments at williamboyd

@namiabilene.org Byl

(229) 429-4535

General Meetings

NAMI Nights Big Country

Open to the Public First Tuesday of the month 6 p.m.

Grace Fellowship 901 Cypress

Abilene, Texas Byl (Bill) Boyd

(229) 429-4535

Crisis Line:

1-800 758-3344

Suicide Hotline

1-800 784-2433