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October November 2015 · James Fraser. Jennifer Gerlach. Priscilla Hammon. James Isaac. Amelia...
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EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Jessica Gruneich
BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dr. Beverley Watkins, President
Peter J. Dodge, Vice President
Mary Pat Dejarnette, Secretary
Royal Boeder, Treasurer
Marion Endress
James Fraser
Jennifer Gerlach
Priscilla Hammon
James Isaac
Amelia Jumper
Amber Kaan
Cathy Malear
Kimberly McClellan
Kelly Medlin
April Scales
Kris Gamm-Smith
Larry Stevens
Susy Woods
NAMI Southwestern Illinois
proudly serving the 12 IL counties of:
See page 2 for HOTLINE phone #s &
state crisis psychiatric services for the
12 counties of NAMI SWI.
Bond
Calhoun
Clinton
Greene
Jersey
Macoupin
Madison
Monroe
Montgomery
Randolph
St. Clair
Washington
NAMI SWI Gateway Regional Medical Center
2100 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor
Granite City, IL 62040
Website: http://namiswi.org
E-mail: [email protected]
Phone: (618) 798-9788
Fax: (866) 332-5338 October-November 2015
October 4 - October 10, 2015
Mental Illness Awareness Week
Take the StigmaFree Pledge
NAMI SWI is calling on everyone to learn the symptoms of
mental illness conditions such as depression, bipolar disorder, and
schizophrenia and to “go stigmaFree”. This is the perfect time for
all to take the stigmaFree Pledge. One in five adults experience mental illness problems every
year; however, 50 percent of chronic mental illness begins by age
14 and three-quarters by age 24. Although many people today un-
derstand that mental illness is a medical condition, individuals and
families affected by mental illness are still often subjected to stig-
ma and discrimination. Individuals, companies, organizations and others can all take the
pledge to learn more about mental illness, to see a person for who
they are, and take action on mental health issues. Take the pledge to
raise awareness:
Learn about mental health.
See the person not the illness.
Take action—spread the word and
help make a difference by raising awareness.
Wear your green awareness ribbon.
Take the stigmaFree pledge by clicking on the link below. Join
the stigmaFree campaign today to learn more about what you can
do to help and start replacing stigma with hope. Click here:
http://www.nami.org/Get-Involved/Raise-Awareness/
stigmaFree-Pledge.
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1 Mental Illness Awareness Week
2 Table of Contents
2 Moving???
2 Newsletter Due Date
2 Social Media
2 Hotline Information
3 A Letter from NAMI SWI President, Beverley Watkins
3 Certified Recovery Support Specialists
3 708 Boards
3 Are You a Blogger?
4 NAMI SWI Support Meeting Locations/Times/Contacts
5 Other Local Support Meetings
6 Recovery Conference “Opening Doors to Success”
6 Breathe Easy with AIR
6 The Power of the Green Ribbon
7 NAMI SWI Volunteer Spotlight Is On…
7 Holiday Shopping--eBay Giving Works/AmazonSmile
8 Executive Director’s Report
9 VOLUNTEERS
10 Allsup Blog, August 31, 2015
10 Belleville News Democrat & Edwardsville Intelligencer
10 IL Warm Line - (866) 359-7953
10 Message from NAMI Llama
11 NAMI Illniois Announces Two Teacher Trainings
11 NAMI Illinois Conference
12 Hospital Beds for People Suffering ...Condition
13 Photos
14 What is NAMI SWI?
BOND COUNTY
Prairie Counseling Center
(618) 664-1455 (8:30AM - 4:00PM)
After hours, call Greenville Hospital (618) 664-1234
CALHOUN COUNTY
JERSEY COUNTY
WellSpring Resources (618) 639-2016 (Call 24/7)
CLINTON COUNTY
Community Resource Center
(618) 533-1391 (Call 24/7)
GREENE COUNTY
MACOUPIN COUNTY
Locust Street Resource Center
Weekdays only - (217) 854-3166
After hours/weekend - (217) 854-3135 calls go to
Police Department who will notify a crisis worker
NORTHERN MADISON COUNTY
WellSpring Resources (618) 465-4388 (Call 24/7)
SOUTHERN MADISON COUNTY
Chestnut Health Systems
(618) 877-0316 (Call 24/7)
MONROE COUNTY
Human Support Services
(618) 939-4444 (8:00AM-4:30PM)
After hours, dial 911; Police will contact crisis worker
MONTGOMERY COUNTY
County Health Dept. - Hillsboro
1-888-324-5052 (Call 24/7)
WESTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Comprehensive Behavioral Health
(618) 482-7330 (Call 24/7)
EASTERN ST. CLAIR COUNTY
Chestnut Health Systems
(618) 877-0316 (Call 24/7)
RANDOLPH COUNTY
WASHINGTON COUNTY
Human Service Center
(618) 282-6233 (8:00AM-4:30PM)
After hours, dial 911; Police will contact crisis worker
____________
Hotline Information
Website WordPress Twitter Facebook
If you move, don’t forget to call the NAMI
SWI Office at (618) 798-9788 or send an email
to [email protected] with your new address,
phone number and email.
Dec 2015 - Jan 2016 newsletter articles due
Nov 15th
Email your articles to Newsletter Editor, Sandy, AND to Webmaster, Mary,
at [email protected] & [email protected], respectively, on or before due date of ...Nov 15th!!!!
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Hello Everyone, September 15, 2015
As we move into autumn, NAMI SWI continues to grow and flourish under the
capable leadership of Jessica Gruneich, JD, Executive Director. Thank you, Jessica,
for all your recent and successful efforts!
Let’s start with the really fun part! I have many thank yous and shout-outs this
month for members and supporters.
Thanks to Ann Barnum, Mary Ann Miller, Amber Kaan, Mary Gruneich, Herbert Lomax, Marianne
Kohrman, Kim McClellan and Sharon Zenik for completing our affiliate Parents and Teachers as Allies
training on August 1st, 2015. Our own Donne Reedy conducted the training for NAMI SWI.
Thank you, Kami Bonnell, Marie Krysnoski, John Person, Cheryl Rivers, Jamie Miller, Megan Munzert, Marion Endress, Tricia
Hogan, Cindy Mayhew, and Cathy Schultz for completing NAMI Connection and Recovery Support Group Facilitator training on
September 18th and 19th.
Thanks to Ann Barnum for coordinating our Allsup Post for a Purpose Blog about Suicide Prevention and Awareness, which has
provided financial benefit to NAMI SWI.
Thanks to Mary Gauen, Webmaster, who is working on completing mobile formatting and capabilities etc. for our website.
Kim McClellan and Eugene Luster are starting a new support group for parents and caregivers of children and adolescents with
mental health challenges on September 21st in East St. Louis. The new group will be under the sponsorship of NAMI SWI. Kim and
Eugene are doing a great job with East St. Louis outreach.
Peer to Peer leaders, Marian Endress and Tricia Hogan have completed the requirements as Certified Recovery Support Special-
ists (CRSS). Congratulations, Marian and Tricia!
A big shout out to all of the individuals mentioned above for your efforts on behalf of our affiliate!
We will be participating in the Region 5 Division of Mental Recovery Conference at Our Lady of the Snows Shrine Conference
Center in October. NAMI SWI had a table at the When Mental Illness Hits Home Conference at the Shrine on August 28 th. I
attended along with Jessica and De Familia-a-Familia leaders, Elfrend and Carlos Garcia.
Jessica, Kim McClellan and four of her sons (Youth MOVE members: Alan Williams, Fabian Luster, Seth Luster, and Ryan
Luster) and I attended the Sharing our Stories Conference for youth and parents at Belleville East High School on August 29 th.
Thank you, Dr. Dawn Porter, for putting this fun and informative event together.
De Familia-a-Familia has launched as our first Spanish language signature program offering on September 8 th, 2015 taught by
Elfrend and Carlos Garcia. We also have a new Family to Family class which just started in Edwardsville.
Jessica, Mary Pat DeJarnette, and I attended the first United Way Fundraising training in August. Peter Dodge, Mary Pat
DeJarnette, and I attended the second of the four trainings on September 12th. The training is truly awesome. We have been gaining
valuable knowledge about sending messages that “sizzle” to potential donors, perfecting the art and science of “the ask,” and
developing an effective fundraising plan. We are looking forward to the third and fourth session.
Our United Way Site Visit will occur on October 27th, 2015 at Gateway Regional. Jessica has been diligently preparing, and we
expect it to go well. We have our increased 708 Board funding, additional programming, and a solid budget to report on our site
visit.
Thank you all for your ongoing support and participation in NAMI Southwestern Illinois.
Regards,
Beverley Watkins, Ph.D., LCSW
President, NAMI Southwestern IL
Certified Recovery Support Specialists (CRSS)
Congratulations to NAMI SWI members
Tricia Hogan and Marion Endress!! By the
time this newsletter goes to print, Marion
and Tricia will have already completed the
IL Certified Recovery Support Specialist
(CRSS) credential, overseen by the Illinois Certification Board.
Marion and Tricia also teach NAMI Peer to Peer Education
courses for our affiliate.
Again...by the time you receive this newsletter, both Marion
and Tricia will have also completed NAMI Connection Support
Group facilitator training on September 19, 2015.
Well done, Marion and Tricia! Looking forward to collab-
orating in the future! ____________
708 Boards
NAMI SWI extends a big thank you
to the Madison & St Clair County 708
Boards. NAMI SWI appreciates their
continued support with Family Member Support Groups &
Connection and Recovery Support Groups. Additionally,
their support has made possible the following Fall 2015
educational classes upcoming for our affiliate: NAMI
Family-to-Family, Basics, and Peer to Peer courses.
For information on support groups and educational pro-
gramming call (618) 798-9788 visit namiswi.org or email
____________
Are You A Blogger?
If so, NAMI SWI can use your
help!! NAMI SWI is looking for
volunteers interested in blogging on
the NAMI SWI WordPress Blog. If
you’d like to help NAMI SWI by vol-
unteering, please email our Executive
Director, Jessica Gruneich, at [email protected].
THANKS!
_____________
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When Southwestern Ill College (SWIC) classes are
cancelled because of bad weather (snow, sleet, etc.),
NAMI support meetings are also cancelled. SWIC can-
cellation notices will be broadcast on all major TV and
radio stations in the St. Louis area.
If there is a tornado watch or warning for the area
where a support meeting is to be held during the time
frame of 6:00-9:00PM, that support meeting will be also
be cancelled. ____________
NAMI SWI CONNECTION RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUPS
BELLEVILLE (St. Clair County) Second Friday of each month, a support meeting for individuals living with mental illness, 3:30-5:00PM, Chestnut
Health Systems 12 N. 64th St., Belleville, IL 62223. NEW contact Matt G. at [email protected].
EDWARDSVILLE (Madison County) First Wednesday of each month, a support meeting for individuals living with mental illness, 12:00-1:30pm, SIUE,
#1 Circle Drive, Edwardsville, IL 62026, Center for Spirituality, Room MLK. For more information NEW contact
Matt G. at [email protected]. NOTE: The meeting on the third Wednesday of each month has been discontinued. GRANITE CITY (Madison County) First Tuesday of each month, a support meeting for individuals living with mental illness, 6:30-8:00PM at Gateway
Regional Medical Center, 2100 Madison Ave, Granite City, IL 62040, in the Pascal Hall Meeting Room. Use the main
entrance, sign in, and then immediately make a left. Pascal Hall is the last room on the left. NEW contact
Matt G. at [email protected].
NAMI SWI MILITARY FAMILIES SUPPORT GROUP MARYVILLE (Madison County)
NOTE: NAMI military and veteran family support group is relocating to a new site starting with the October
meeting. For more information, contact Peter Dodge at (734) 330-6776 or by email at [email protected].
OTHER NAMI SWI SUPPORT GROUPS BELLEVILLE (St. Clair County)
Third Tuesday of each month, a support group for Family Members and Individuals Living with Mental Illness,
7:00-8:30PM, St. Matthew’s Methodist Church, 1200 Moreland Drive, Belleville IL 62223, in the library. Use the
Fellowship Hall entrance from parking lot. Contact Mike or Kathy Janik (618) 277-5459.
EAST ST. LOUIS (St. Clair County) NEW Meeting
Third Monday of each month, a support group meeting for parents/caregivers of children & adolescents with brain
disorders, 6:00-8:00PM. For location and more information contact Kim McClellan by email at
[email protected] or by phone at (618) 407-9081.
EDWARDSVILLE (Madison County)
Fourth Tuesday of each month, a support meeting for Family Members, 7:00-8:30PM, First Baptist Church, 534
St. Louis St., Edwardsville, IL 62025; use church parking lot entrance. NEW Contact Pat Rudloff at (618) 656-6781.
GREENVILLE (Bond County)
Third Tuesday of each month, a support meeting for Family Members, 7:00-8:30PM, at St. Lawrence Catholic
Church, 512 S. Prairie Street Greenville, IL 62246. For more information contact Linda Methvin at (618) 541-2407.
WATERLOO (Monroe County)
Second Monday of every month, support meeting for Family Members, 7:00-8:30PM, at the Immanuel Lutheran
Church, 522 S. Church Street, Waterloo, IL 62298. For more information contact Royal Boeder at (618) 340-8825.
____________
NOTE: For questions or more information about
any of these meetings, please call the facilitator at the
phone number/email provided for that particular
meeting.
More information is also available on NAMI SWI
website namiswi.org. Questions can be emailed to
[email protected] or call the office at (618)798-9788.
____________
SUPPORT GROUPS
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St. Louis Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Support Group: 3rd Saturday of each month,
10:00AM to Noon at Missouri Baptist Hospital
Auditorium #1, 3015 N. New Ballas Road, Creve
Coeur, MO 63141. Contact: Jan at (314) 291-7556.
DBSA (Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance)
of Madison County Meeting: Every Monday
at 7:00PM, Anderson Hospital, Maryville, IL,
on Level B, behind cafeteria. Facilitated by
Nicole Meyers (618) 225-7709.
DBSA of Hope - Belleville: Every Tuesday at
7:00PM AND every Saturday at Noon, St.
Elizabeth Hospital, 211 S. 3rd St., Belleville,
IL, 7th Floor, Room 722. Facilitated by Lisa
Wojick at (618) 581-4179 and Roger Wegener
(618) 444-6927.
DBSA of Hope, Belleville: Every Thursday,
6:00PM, at Call for Help-Recovery Support
Center, 9400 Lebanon Rd, Edgemont, IL, 1st
building, use side entrance. Contact John
Wuest (618) 397-0968, ext 109.
GROW meeting for individuals living with mental
illness, every Wednesday, 7:00PM at St. Bartholo-
mew’s Episcopal Church, 2167 Grand Ave, Granite
City, IL 62040. Contact Sharon at (618) 977-1133.
GROW meeting for individuals living with mental
illness, every Thursday, 7:00PM at St. Elizabeth’s
Hospital, 211 S. Third St., Room 729, Belleville, IL
62221. Contact Sharon at (618) 977-1133.
ADHD Support Group: Please contact facilita-
tor Kristen Weber at (618) 406-0842 or email kris-
[email protected] more information.
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline: Call toll-free
1-800-273-TALK (8255) or go to their website at
http://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ Youth M.O.V.E.: meets concurrently with Family
Voices Parent & Caregiver Group above. Same time,
same location, but separate room. Contacts for
Youth M.O.V.E. Group are Jennifer Johnston at
[email protected] and Beverley
Watkins at [email protected].
Emotions Anonymous: A Twelve Step Program for
Those Seeking Emotional Health - Meets every Tues-
day evening 6:00-7:00 p.m. at Latzer Memorial Li-
brary 1001 9th St. Highland IL (use lower level chil-
dren’s library entrance). . For more information call
Jackie 618-654-9351 or JoAn 618-654-9874.
Nar A Non: meeting for families seeking help and
support who are facing dual diagnosis issues. Every
Monday, 7:00PM at Bridge Church, Steiss Road,
Glen Carbon, IL 62034. For more information call
618-973-6863.
Karla Smith Foundation Support Group for family
and friends of anyone with mental illness: 1st and 3rd
Thursday of each month, 7:00–8:30PM, Peace
Chapel, 10101 W. Main St., Belleville. For more
information call Tom or Fran Smith at (618) 624-
5771 or send email to @karlasmithfoundation.org.
Belleville Location—Karla Smith Foundation
Suicide Survivor Support Group: 2nd & 4th Thur. of
each month, 7:00 – 8:30PM, Peace Chapel, 10101
W. Main St., Belleville. For more information call
Tom or Fran Smith at (618) 624-5771 or send email
Karla Smith Foundation Support Group in St Lou-
is for family and friends of anyone with mental ill-
ness: 1st & 3rd Wednesday of each month, 7:00 -
8:30PM, Lutheran Family and Children's Services,
8639 Delmar, St. Louis, MO 63132. For information
contact Linda or Jim Murphey 314) 481-0008 or
[email protected] Friday Night Social: for persons living with mental
health conditions on the first Friday of each month
from 7:00 - 8:30PM, 607 Vandalia, Suite 500, Col-
linsville, IL. Contact Jen Gerlach by phone (636)
358-1800 or send email to [email protected].
REFRESH (formerly Family Voices Parent & Care-
giver Group in Fairview Heights) IS ON HOLD
TILL FURTHER NOTICE. Questions, contact
Kim McClellan at 618-407-9081 or email at
Youth M.O.V.E. meets concurrently with Family
Voices Parent & Caregiver Group above. Same time,
same location, but separate room. Contacts for
Youth M.O.V.E. Group are Jennifer Johnston at
[email protected] and Beverley
Watkins at [email protected].
REFRESH (formerly R.E.S.T. Parent & Caregiver
Group in Alton) IS ON HOLD TILL FURTHER
NOTICE. Questions, contact Kimberley McClellan
at (618) 855-4806 or send email to
____________
OTHER LOCAL SUPPORT MEETINGS
CONTACT PERSONS: Please check that
the information (time, location, contact
info, etc.) for your meeting is still current.
Send any changes to NAMI SWI Newsletter
Editor, Sandy at [email protected] and
to Webmaster, Mary, at [email protected].
ATTENDEES: These support group meetings are not
affiliated with NAMI SWI. For questions please call or email
the contact person for that particular meeting.
____________
New contact
New contact
New location
NOTE
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Recovery Conference
“Opening Doors to Success”
The nineteenth Annual Recovery
Conference is scheduled for Friday,
October 2, 2015, from 9am to 3:15pm
with registration beginning at 8am. It will be held at the
National Shrine of Our Lady of the Snows in Belleville
Join us for an inspiring message from our keynote
speaker, Herbert Cobbs. Herb prides his recovery jour-
ney in which he turned full circle. Living in a cardboard
box on the streets on the south side of Chicago, eventually
led Herbert to several incarcerations and receiving mental
health services. Sober for 15 years now, Herb is currently
helping others reach success in their recovery as the Coor-
dinator of the drop-in center at Community Counseling
Centers of Chicago. Herb is now a homeowner and lives
with his wife and family on the south side of Chicago.
After the keynote presentation there will be a live
WRAP for an hour. A WRAP class will be demonstrated
and the audience will join the class sharing in the group
discussion of the topics.
Other highlights: Afternoon Recovery & Wellness
Workshops; Information Tables; and Consumer Art Show.
The cost is FREE and lunch will be provided. For more
information or questions, contact Cindy at 618-474-3813
_____________
Breathe Easy with AIR
What is Air? AIR (Anonymous Inspiring Relatable) is
the new NAMI app, a free, mobile-based social network
designed for individuals living with mental health condi-
tions and their family members/caregivers. NAMI AIR is
intended to provide another way for people to find and
give support, to connect with others through smart phone
and computer tablet. AIR encourages users to anonymous-
ly share their stories and receive feedback in the form of
social interactions such as “like,” “hug” and “me too.”
Also allows users to access information on how to get
help, learn more about NAMI and connect with the NAMI
HelpLine. AIR facilitates personal connections with others
who may be going through, or have been through, similar
situations. Users are anonymous but not alone.
How do I start using NAMI AIR? After AIR is down-
loaded through the Apple and Android App Stores, users
will start by creating an account and selecting a group to
join. Individual living with a mental health condition
Family member or caregiver What posts you see are
determined by the path you chose (for example, If you am
a caregiver or family member, the stories you see on your
feed will also be from caregivers or family members). You
can “toggle” between these two groups—so you can
choose to engage in one group, then select the other,
allowing you to interact in both communities. However,
you will not be able to interact in both at the same time.
How do users know that my information is safe and
confidential? Users don’t create any sort of username
while signing up. All posts are completely anonymous.
The only information you give is your email address.
Email addresses are only used for sign in and in case of an
emergency. So you can be assured that your posts and
participation are completely anonymous. Find out more by
reading the NAMI Air EULA and Privacy Policy. - See
more at: http://www.nami.org/Find-Support/Air-
App#sthash.JBxIZIv1.dpuf ____________
The Power of the Green Ribbon
by Sandy Giger
These little green awareness ribbons really do spark
conversations. Last month my husband & I were at an
airport and I was wearing a hat with the green
awareness pin on it. One of the employees at
the airport that I was talking to was wearing the
pink ribbon pin and asked me what my green
ribbon pin was for? I explained that it was to
promote mental health awareness. I told her
that the brain can get sick too & that persons with mental
illnesses should not be stigmatized because of it.
I felt really good knowing that I possibly made a
difference in her line of thinking toward mental illness.
Please wear your green ribbons not just this month
during Mental Illness Awareness Week or during Mental
Health Awareness Month in May - wear them ALL the
time. Education is the KEY!! By working together,
we CAN make a difference.
If you misplaced your pin, pick one up from any of the
support group facilitators or call the office and make
arrangements to pick one up.
REMEMBER: The power of breaking down stigma
begins with a single story.
____________
S U C C E S
We wish our NAMI friends a safe Halloween and a very
blessed Thanksgiving!
Mary Gauen Sandy Giger Tom Giger
Jess Gruneich David Malear Carol Morrow Lynn Piggott
NAMI Llama
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NAMI SWI VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT IS ON…………
Our affiliate is proud to announce that Linda Methvin is the NAMI
SWI spotlight volunteer!! Linda has been instrumental in helping our affiliate
grow into the organization we all know today, by providing leadership and
enthusiasm for NAMI’s mission of education, support, and advocacy for per-
sons affected by brain disorders and their families. Linda has been a NAMI
member since 2012. Linda facilitates the NAMI SWI monthly Greenville, IL
Family Member Support Group, which meets the 3rd Tuesday of every
month at St Lawrence Catholic Church 512 S Prairie Street, Greenville, IL
62246 7-8:30pm. Linda has worked to grow the affiliate presence in Bond
County and coordinates information on behalf of our affiliate with the Bond
County Health Department regarding upcoming NAMI SWI programs and presentations. Our affiliate ex-
tends a huge “THANKS” to Linda for all her time and talents to help provide help and hope to individuals
and family members affected by brain disorders!!
If you want to find a NAMI SWI Support Group or if you’d like to start a support group in your area,
please call the office at 618-798-9788 or email [email protected]. You can find the support group infor-
mation also by logging onto namiswi.org!!!
LINDA METHVIN!
Let the walk begin... Let the walk begin...
HOLIDAY SHOPPING!!
If you shop online with
either eBay or Amazon, you
can support NAMI SWI while
you’re shopping. NAMI SWI
will earn money when you
purchase from AmazonSmile (instead of Amazon.com)
and Ebay Giving Works (rather than Ebay).
You account info does not change. The only change is
that NAMI will reap some donations because of your
purchase. It is a simple and automatic way for you to
support your favorite charitable organization every time.
eBay Giving Works
Helping people support great
causes: NAMI SWI is now available
as a charity on eBay Giving Works.
Through eBay Giving Works you can
support the causes that matter most to
you - by buying and/or selling on eBay. EBay Giving
Works help nonprofits connect to over 145 million eBay
community members to raise money.
Integrated into eBay's regular buying and selling
platform, eBay Giving Works makes it easy for people to
support important causes, both in the U.S. and abroad. It
enables sellers to donate a portion of their sales and buyers
to shop while supporting their favorite charities — all the
while giving your nonprofit an opportunity to engage new
supporters.
HERE’S HOW TO SET UP YOUR FAVORITE
CHARITY ON EBAY GIVING WORKS: go to
http://givingworks.ebay.com, then click on “browse
charities”, choose “health & sport” from the drop down
menu. Scroll down to “NAMI Southwestern Illinois” and
click “Add to my charities”. That’s it…you are now ready
to buy and/or sell on eBay.
Amazon Smile
AmazonSmile is a simple and automatic
way for you to support your favorite
charitable organization every time you
shop, at no cost to you. You just order
items like before except you’re ordering
from AmazonSmile rather than Amazon.
You use the same account on AmazonSmile as you do on
Amazon.com. Your shopping cart, Wish List, wedding or
baby registry, log-in, and other account settings are also
the same.
HERE’S HOW TO SET UP YOUR FAVORITE
CHARITY ON AMAZON SMILE: simply go to
smile.amazon.com. On your first visit, you need to select
your favorite charitable organization before you begin
shopping. Select “NAMI SOUTHWESTERN IL-
GRANITE CITY, IL". Then...let the shopping begin!!!
Amazon Smile will even remember your charity selec-
tion, and then every purchase you make at
smile.amazon.com will result in a donation to NAMI
SWI. The AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the
purchase price from your AmazonSmile purchases.
____________
8
...Jessica L. Gruneich, J.D.
September 8, 2015
Office Administration:
United Way welcomed all area Executive Director’s to the annual ED meetings held at Gateway Regional Medical Center on
August 18, 2015. The United Way shared information on the Allocation Review Process and multiple committees working on
specifically aligning the allocations process for all divisions. The United Way is examining moving to a two-year funding cycle,
with annual agency site visits every other year. This policy would not take effect until 2017. NAMI SWI is completing a Fund
Development Program training in partnership with the United Way. The Executive Committee is working with numerous NAMI
SWI members, donors, and volunteers. NAMI SWI is scheduled for our annual site visit on October 27, 2015. Thanks very much
to Executive Committee members, Beverley Watkins, Peter Dodge, Royal Boeder, and Mary Pat DeJarnette for all your exper-
tise in ensuring a successful site visit!!
Congratulations to NAMI SWI members and Peer to Peer Instructors Marion Endress & Tricia Hogan!! Marion & Tricia
completed the IL Certification program for CRSS-Certified Recovery Support Specialist—we look forward to future collabora-
tive projects!! National Suicide Prevention Week is Sept 7-13, 2015. To promote suicide prevention NAMI SWI is partnering
with Allsup Inc, in their “Post for a Purpose” campaign. Please log into NAMI SWI’s Facebook page to learn how to support this
joint effort.
On September 10, 2015, National Suicide Prevention Day, NAMI SWI is collaborating with SIUE School of Pharmacy, Col-
lege of Psychiatric and Neurologic Pharmacists at the SIUE campus. The School of Pharmacy will have handouts from NAMI
and QPR—Question, Persuade, and Refer, suicide prevention training. Special thanks to Rachael Kozinski, Student President,
SIUE, College of Pharmacy.
Thank you to Tom Giger for editing the new 2016 NAMI SWI Adult and Child & Adolescent Resource Guides. Thank you to
Sandy Giger for updating the Support Group Flyer. Thank you to Mary Gauen and David Malear for your work on formatting the
affiliate website with mobile capabilities. Thank you to members Lisa McMichael, Kami Bonnell, and Shirlee Byrd for volunteer-
ing in the NAMI SWI office.
NAMI SWI Programming Updates:
NAMI SWI completed a local Parents and Teachers as Allies training at Anderson Hospital in Maryville, IL on August 1,
2015. Parents and Teaches as Allies is a free 90 minute presentation offered to school personnel, administration, other staff, etc.
Special thanks to our State Trainer Donna Reedy for leading the training. NAMI SWI members completing the PTA training:
Ann Barnum, Mary Ann Miller, Kim McClellan, Amber Kaan, Sharon Zenik, Herbert Lomax, Jen Gerlach, Mary Gruneich, and
Marianne Kohrmann—we appreciate your time and dedication to the program!!
NAMI SWI will be attending a local NAMI Connection and Recovery Support Group training at Gateway Regional in Granite
City, IL Sept 18-20, 2015. NAMI SWI members who will complete the facilitator training are Kami Bonnell, Marion Endress,
Tricia Hogan, Jamie Miller, Megan Munzert, Marie Krysnoski, John Person, Cara Emrich, Cathy Schultz, Cindy Mayhew, and
Cheryl Rivers
We appreciate everyone’s dedication to recovery, rehabilitation, and empowerment. I look forward to working with you all!
Community Collaboration:
August 7: NAMI SWI Toby Gross Memorial Hockey Game St. Louis, MO
August 12: Hispanic Leaders Group St. Louis, MO
August 14: Troy Chamber of Commerce Back to School Event Troy, IL
August 22: United Way Fund Development Granite City, IL
August 28: “When Mental Illness Hits Home” Conference Belleville, IL
August 29: “Sharing Our Stories” Conference Belleville, IL
September 9: De Familia-a-Familia Education Fairmont City, IL
September 10: SIUE School of Pharmacy Suicide Prevention outreach Edwardsville, IL
September 10: Family to Family Education Edwardsville, IL
September 22: Peer to Peer Education Swansea, IL
October 2: 19th Annual Recovery Conference Belleville, IL
Jessica Gruneich, J.D.
Executive Director, NAMI SWI
9
Volunteers Representing NAMI SWI
for Events/Projects or Teaching Classes Since
Last Newsletter Through September 15, 2015
Aug 6: Kim McClellan at the Molina Healthcare Commu-
nity Wellness Fair in East. St. Louis, IL.
Aug 7: Marion Endress at the Tobias Gross Memorial
Hockey Game Benefit St. Louis Mills St. Louis, Mo.
Aug 12: Carlos & Efrend Garcia at the Hispanic Leaders
Group presentation at Ameren IL in St. Louis, Mo.
Aug 14: Amber Kaan & Sharon Zenik at the Troy Cham-
ber of Commerce Back to School kick off event Troy, IL.
Aug 15: Carlos and Efrend Garcia at the “When Mental
Illness Hits Home” Conference in Belleville, IL.
Aug 22: Beverley Watkins & Mary Pat DeJarnette at the
United Way Fund Development training Granite City, IL.
Aug 28: Beverley Watkins, Carlos and Efrend Garcia at
the annual “When Mental Illness Hits Home” Conference
Belleville, IL.
Aug 29: Beverley Watkins, Mary Pat DeJarnette, and
Kim McClellan at the Sharing Our Stories Conference at
Belleville East High School Belleville, IL.
Sept 1: Ann Barnum coordinated the NAMI SWI Allsup
Post for a Purpose Suicide Prevention Fundraising Cam-
paign.
Sept 3: Roger and Judi Boker began teaching 9-week
NAMI Family to Family Education in Edwardsville, IL.
Sept 9: Carlos and Efrend Garcia began teaching NAMI
De Familia a Familia Education for NAMI SWI in Fairmont
City, IL.
Sept 10: Beverley Watkins at Christ Church’s Suicide
Prevention and Awareness Panel Discussion Fairview
Heights, IL.
Sept 11: Bill Jeffreys at the annual O’Fallon High School
Wellness Fair O’Fallon, IL.
Sept 12: Kami Bonnell at the annual Troy, IL Fall
Community Expo Troy, IL.
Sep 12: Beverley Watkins, Peter Dodge, & Mary Pat
DeJarnette at the United Way Fund Development training
Granite City, IL. ____________________
Monthly Volunteers
Webmaster Mary Gauen for keeping the website current
and user-friendly.
Tom Giger for coordinating NAMI SWI brochures,
resource guides, community directories, and overseeing the
office equipment and keeping Kettler lobby stocked with
brochures!
NAMI SWI Social Media Coordinator Ann Barnum.
NAMI SWI Helpline Volunteers: Bill Jeffreys, Ann
Barnum, Amanda Corrado, Joan Foster, Claudia Voris,
and Bev Churchill!
Linda Methvin who facilitates the Greenville, IL family
member support group!
Mike and Kathy Janik who facilitate the NAMI SWI
Belleville Support Group Meeting.
Pat Rudloff who facilitates the NAMI SWI Edwardsville
Support Group Meeting!
Peter Dodge who facilitates the Maryville Military
Families Support Group!
Kim McClellan started the new NAMI SWI Child &
Adolescent Family Member/Caregiver support group meet-
ing in East St. Louis, IL.
Royal Boeder who is facilitating the Waterloo, IL family
member support group in Monroe County!
Our NAMI SWI IOOV Presenters: Katie Crockett, Dan
Crockett, Sharon Diaz, Dani Robinette, Heather Harris,
Jen Gerlach, Pat Norris, AJ French, Melody Corbin, &
Jeremy Lincicum!
Shirlee Byrd, Jen Gerlach, Matt Gauen, John Malson,
and Patrick Norris who facilitate the Connection Recov-
ery Support Group meetings in Edwardsville and Granite
City!
Jim Isaac, Mary Gauen, Matt Gauen, Ann Barnum, and
Marilyn Vise for working on the marketing team!
Tom Johnson who is our NAMI SWI CIT Project Leader!
Chestnut Health Systems & WellSpring Resources who
have been printing our newsletters for many years as a
service to NAMI SWI!
Pat Rudloff for coordinating NAMI SWI press releases in
Madison County!
NAMI SWI Newsletter team including: Mary Gauen, Tom
and Sandy Giger, Jessica Gruneich, David Malear, Carol
Morrow, Lynn Piggott and NAMI Llama!
Jessica Gruneich for setting up NAMI SWI as an available
charity with AmazonSmile & eBay Giving Works too!
Kami Bonnell, Shirlee Byrd and Lisa McMichael have
volunteered weekly at the NAMI SWI office!
Bill Jeffreys is the NEW NAMI SWI Helpline Coordinator!
Board Development Committee consisting of Bev Watkins,
Peter Dodge, Royal Boeder, Mary Pat DeJarnette, Tom
Johnson, Jim Isaac, Cathy Malear and Jessica
Gruneich!
NAMI Llama for being an awesome mascot!!!
____________
“Volunteers are not paid — not because they are
worthless, but because they are priceless.”
As a grassroots organization, NAMI relies on volunteers. Special thanks to ALL volunteers for your awesome work!! MEMBERS: If a project strikes your fancy and you’d like to help with it or just to find out more information about it, call
the NAMI Office at 618-798-9788 . We’d love hearing from you!!
VOLUNTEERS: Don’t forget to email your volunteer hours to [email protected].
10
Allsup Blog, August 31, 2015
by Guest Blogger, Jessica Gruneich,
Executive Director, NAMI SWI
Mental Illness is Not A Casserole Illness –
Suicide Prevention Week is Sept 7-13
What does the general public think when they see or
hear the phrase “suicide prevention”?
What thoughts and feelings does the phrase invoke in
you?
The answer depends on our personal, lived experiences.
Many people may feel fortunate and thankful; some may
even be a bit pompous, thinking that mental illness and
suicide would never touch their family.
Others who have lost a loved one to suicide experience
shock, sorrow, regret, anger, overwhelming guilt…the per-
sistent feeling that they could have/should have known,
done something to prevent the horrible tragedy.
Perhaps the most damaging feeling of all is shame due
to the stigma associated with mental illnesses. It is terribly
sad for families to experience the double-edged sword of
loss and shame due to the stigma of mental illness.
Mental illnesses are medical, biological based illnesses
that affect the brain. When an individual experiences a
major physical illness, such as a heart attack or stroke,
many friends and neighbors in the community reach out
with care, compassion and a casserole, offering love and
support during difficult and tumultuous times.
Families and individuals experiencing a mental illness
rarely receive any community support and compassionate
care.
Any meaningful discussion about suicide prevention
must be held in the context of a much broader conversation
about mental illness, brain disorders, including major
depression, bi-polar disorder, and schizophrenia.
The stigma associated with serious mental illness (brain
disorders) prevents uninhibited discussion about
prevention, diagnosis, treatment and recovery.
Stigma stands in the way of millions of Americans seek-
ing out help and relief from illness. One in four Americans
are impacted by mental illness. It takes courage to stand up
and advocate for effective treatment, compassionate care,
and fundamental change throughout the mental health care
system.
As the harmful and sometimes deadly effects of stigma
disappear for this category of illnesses, more individuals
will be willing to discuss treatment, rehabilitation and
recovery.
Fortunately, there are numerous suicide education
programs like the QPR Institute (which stands for
Question, Persuade, and Refer) and Mental Health First
Aid that train the general public in responding timely and
effectively in a mental health emergency.
NAMI Southwestern Illinois provides free evidenced-
based education programs, support groups, and advocacy
presentations throughout the Metro East region. Standing
up and fighting stigma is the first step to suicide preven-
tion.
NAMI SWI asks for your help and support—you are not
alone in the fight to end stigma, join us today!
________________
Belleville Edwardsville
News Democrat Intelligencer
NAMI SWI offers a special
thanks to our partners at the
Edwardsville Intelligencer and
Belleville News Democrat,
especially Mr. Bill Tucker,
Editor, Edwardsville Intelligencer & Mr. Patrick Kuhl,
Lifestyle Editor, Belleville News Democrat. We appreciate
their tremendous support, including publishing various
meeting and class announcements.
THANKS SO MUCH!
_____________
IL Warm Line - (866) 359-7953
www.illinoismentalhealthcollaborative.com
Hope is Just a Phone Call Away
Phone support for persons with mental health and/or
substance use challenges, their families, friends, and
community members. Staffed by Recovery Support Spe-
cialists who live out recovery. Staff provides emotional
support, recovery education, self-advocacy support, and
referrals.
Phone hours are Monday thru Friday, 8am-5pm. Dial
1-866-359-7953. Then from the main menu, select option
#2, then option #5.
Sometimes what is needed most in difficult times is
someone to talk with who listens and understands.
____________
Hey Friends,
Have you taken the stigmaFree pledge? I did and I hope you do too because together we CAN make a difference!
11
NAMI ILLINOIS ANNOUNCE
TWO TEACHER TRAININGS
Family-to-Family Teacher Training - Nov 13-15, 2015
NAMI IL is proud to be able to offer this Family-to-
Family Teacher Training coming this fall! This training
will be held at the NEW office and community center of
NAMI DuPage in Wheaton, Illinois. NAMI Illinois'
Family-to-Family Teacher Trainings have limited availa-
bility. You will want to register soon.
Family-to-Family Teacher Requirements:
A Family Member of a person living with mental
illness,
A member of a NAMI Illinois affiliate,
Willing to undergo 3-day training and adhere to
fidelity of program model is required,
Committed to teaching a minimum of two 12-week
Family-to-Family Courses for your affiliate,
Have the ability to report course data as required,
Willing to identify potential new teachers from
educational courses,
Willing to promote NAMI membership to course
participants .
NAMI Basics Teacher Training - January 22-24, 2016 NAMI Illinois' Basics Teacher Training has limited
availability. Registration deadline is November 30, 2015
so if you’re interested, register soon.
Basics Teacher Basics Teacher Requirements:
The course is designed to be taught using a co-leader
training model. Teacher trainings are expensive, time con-
suming and can be emotionally draining for all in-
volved. In an effort to ensure that only the best candi-
dates participate in the training, NAMI organizations use
an application process to select individuals to participate in
teacher trainings. Individuals who are interested in being
trained to teach the curriculum must meet the following
criteria:
Be the parent or other primary caregiver of an individ-
ual who began experiencing symptoms prior to the age
of 13 (it is not necessary that the child have been
formally diagnosed prior to 13). It is important that all
individuals trained in this curriculum have lived
through the experiences of having a young child with a
mental illness.
Be at a point in their life where they are familiar and
comfortable with the emotional issues families face
and can self-disclose about their own feelings of guilt,
anger, shame, ambivalence and grief regarding their
life situation.
Be willing to participate in an intensive weekend
training on how to teach the curriculum.
Be willing to make the commitment to participants in
the course, the co-leader and to the NAMI organization
to complete the 6-week course once it begins.
Must be a member of NAMI.
If you are interested in becoming a Family-to-
Family or Basics Teacher, please discuss this with your
affiliate president, executive director, or education co-
ordinator.
____________
NAMI Illinois Conference
Date: Friday, October 2 – Saturday, October 3, 2015
Location: Techny Towers Conf. & Retreat Center
2001 Waukegan Road, Techny, Illinois
This 2-day conference will bring up-to-minute
information on mental health services in Illinois, cultural,
faith, and community outreach, and types of NAMI
affiliate assessment and development tools and strategies.
NAMI IL has over 20 concurrent sessions to choose from
this year!
Here is a glimpse of our 2015 educational offerings:
Welcome to Illinois where currently the State of
the State is under construction.
Cognitive Enhancement Therapy
Managed Care in Illinois
Mental Health Courts/What’s Working & What’s
Not
Supportive Housing
NAMI Faithnet and Interfaith Endeavors
Future of CRSS & its Role in all Settings
Suicide Prevention
Telling Your Story: Working with the Media
Outreach into Latino Communities
Board Assessment and Development that’s
Guaranteed to Grow and Strengthen Your Affiliate
Team Building
Re-Affiliation in Illinois…What’s Next?
NAMI Support Group Refresher
Registration fee after September 20 is $75 per person.
Registration includes breakfast and lunch on Friday and
Saturday.
For more information and to register, call NAMI IL at
(217) 522-1403 or by email at [email protected] or
visit their website at http://www.namiillinois.org.
___________
12
JESSICA GRUNEICH
The number of mental
health beds is not suffi-
cient, according to Jes-
sica Gruneich, executive
director of NAMI of
Southwestern Illinois,
the local chapter of the
National Alliance on
Mental Illness. “We’re
talking about people’s
lives on the line,”
Gruneich said. “No one
is an expert until it hits
you and your family.
You have this medical
problem, and you
believe you can get
medical treatment for it,
and you have no idea
about the lack of
community support until
it hits you.” Often the
patient is sent away, to
hospitals as far away as
Chicago or even out of
state. That can be diffi-
cult for families, sepa-
rating the patient from
their local support
system. It’s a problem
that exists across the
region, advocates say —
patients from Chicago
are just as routinely sent
down to the metro-east
when their facilities are
full. _________
JENNIFER ROTH
Jennifer Roth, executive
director of the Madison
County Mental Health
Board, said of the six
hospitals in Madison
County, some do not have
any inpatient psychiatric
beds, some have limita-
tions on their psychiatric
services and some have
no mental health facilities
at all. “Whether there
are sufficient beds in this
county — region, if you
include St. Clair County
and the surrounding
rural areas — I would
definitely say no,” Roth
said. “Lack of community
psychiatric beds is a
continuing problem even
with the growth we have
had in the past year at
Gateway.” Jails often
keep someone who is a
danger to himself or oth-
ers in protective custody,
sometimes up to 48 hours
while searching for an
inpatient space, she said.
“The jails do the best
they can, but they are not
designed or intended to
be mental health
centers,” Roth said.
________
ERIN ECHELMEYER
Gateway Regional Med-
ical Center has the larg-
est ward in the metro-
east by far with 100
beds. Of those, 18 are
designated for children,
18 for adolescents, 18
for adult females, 23 for
adult males and the
remainder for older
adults. About 40 percent
of Gateway’s mental-
health patients come
from the emergency
room, and the rest are
transferred in from
other hospitals sending
their overflow to the
metro-east, according to
Gateway spokesman
Erin Echelmeyer. In
fact, more than 20% of
Gateway’s emergency
room admissions are
mental health patients,
Echelmeyer said.
________
SULBRENA DAY
Sulbrena Day, vice presi-
dent of Touchette ancillary
services, said the commu-
nity needs assessment
completed in advance of
Touchette’s application to
the state in 2013 highlight-
ed mental disorders as one
of the most common causes
of disability in the area.
Day said Touchette is a
“disproportionate share”
hospital, which means a
large number of its
patients are uninsured or
underinsured, and thus
they receive additional
support funds. It has its
challenges, but it’s not
impossible to care for
these individuals,” Day
said. “It’s our mission,
and we hold fast to our
mission.” The new facili-
ty at Touchette is under
construction and projected
to be completed at the end
of the year, with an open-
ing date in January 2016.
St. Elizabeth’s, Touchette
and Southern Illinois
Healthcare Foundation are
working on a transitional
plan for the new facility,
Day said.
________
NOTE: To read the
entire article click :
http://www.bnd.com/
news/local/
article32671221.html
________
Hospital Beds for People
Suffering a Mental Health Condition
The metro-east soon will have fewer beds available for people suffering a mental health crisis, even as advocates
say they need more inpatient beds for mentally ill patients in Madison and St. Clair counties.
In 2013, St. Elizabeth’s Hospital and Touchette Regional Hospital joined forces with Southern Illinois Healthcare
Foundation to build a new 30-bed behavioral health services center. It is intended to expand Touchette’s ability to help
patients who have a mental illness that arrive in the emergency room with a need for inpatient treatment. Currently,
Touchette has 12 beds available for mental health services, so the new facility will more than double Touchette’s
capability. But overall, it appears to forecast a decrease in the total number of beds available for mental health treat-
ment in the metro-east. At the moment, there are 35 beds at St. Elizabeth’s, 12 beds at Touchette, 100 beds at Gateway
Regional Medical Center in Granite City and 20 beds at Alton Memorial Hospital. That’s a total of 167 beds in the
metro-east.
But St. Elizabeth’s plans to close its ward when Touchette opens the new one. That’s a loss of 35 beds in St. Clair
County, which also lost 39 beds when Kenneth Hall Regional Hospital closed in East St. Louis. Once St. Elizabeth’s
closes and Touchette opens its new ward, there will be a total of 150 beds in the metro-east, or an overall loss of 17
beds.
Read below what some of our advocates have to say on this subject:
13
A rendering of the new Behavioral Health Center under construction at Touchette Regional Hospital.
(See related article on Page 12)
NAMI SWI presented at the Hispanic Leaders Group on August 12th at Ameren offices in St Louis. Representing NAMI were members from NAMI St Louis and NAMI SWI affiliates. Seated at the table are Efrend and Carlos Garcia from NAMI SWI and Leslie Hernandez & Sharon Lyons from NAMI St Louis. The group discussed our affiliate's De Familia-a-Familia educational class and mental health among the Hispanic community.
Tobias Gross Memorial Hockey Game and Fundraiser to benefit NAMI SWI was held on Saturday, August 7 2015, at St Louis Mills in St Louis, MO. The picture is Tobias's hockey teammates. NAMI SWI Board Member Marion Endress represented our affiliate at the benefit. Special thank you to the Gross Family and Jake Benedict, event organizers.
NAMI SWI participated at the Troy Chamber of Commerce Back-to-School event on August 14, 2015. Member/volunteer Sharon Zenik & Board Member Amber Kaan represented our affiliate.
14
RETURN SERVICE REQUESTED
What is NAMI SWI?
NAMI Southwestern Illinois
(NAMI SWI) is an affiliate of the
National Alliance on Mental Illness.
It is a 501(c)3 nonprofit, self-help,
volunteer organization dedicated to
improving the quality of life for peo-
ple with mental illnesses and their
families.
There are more than 950 NAMI
Affiliates in communities across the
country in addition to NAMI State
Organizations.
NAMI SWI is one of the 26 affil-
iates in Illinois and serves the follow-
ing 12 Illinois counties: Bond,
Calhoun, Clinton, Green, Jersey,
Macoupin, Madison, Monroe,
Montgomery, Randolph, St. Clair,
and Washington.
We provide free education and
support programs for persons with
mental illnesses and their families.
We provide a voice for individuals
affected by mental illnesses by
advocating for them with public and
private policy makers for better legis-
lation and more effective treatment
options. NAMI SWI is here to
help. Please call the office at (618)
798-9788 or send an e-mail to
[email protected] or attend one of
the support group meetings listed on
page 4.
What Are the Benefits
of NAMI SWI Membership?
All NAMI members receive the
benefits of membership at all three
levels of the organization, including:
NAMI Affiliate, NAMI State
Organization, and the NAMI
National organization;
Eligibility to vote in all NAMI
elections;
A subscription to The Advocate,
NAMI's flagship magazine, as
well as access to optional sub-
scriptions to specialty newsletters
and information at the national,
state and local levels;
A subscription to NAMI SWI
Newsletter;
Member discounts on brochures,
videos, promotional items and
registration at NAMI's Annual
Convention and many state and
local conferences;
Access to exclusive members-
only material on www.nami.org;
Access to NAMI SWI library;
And maybe the best of all,
you’ll meet a great group of folks
who share your same concerns.
Not a NAMI SWI member yet?
Call the NAMI SWI Office at (618)
798-9788 to have a registration form
mailed to you or register today by
clicking:
http://namiswi.org/
namiswiMembershipAPP.pdf.
____________
NAMI Southwestern IL Gateway Regional Medical Center 2100 Madison Avenue, 4th Floor Granite City, IL 62040
TO: