Thursday, February 27, 2014

Meet Stacy Pershall, Conference Speaker

Much anticipation is building about our 14th Annual Education Conference on Saturday, April 12 at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott.  We are pleased to welcome amazing speakers to illustrate our theme: "Young Adults and Mental Illness: Voices for Hope." 

You can view the full agenda here. Over the next few weeks on the NAMI Blog, we will highlight each speaker, beginning with the first speaker of the day Stacy Pershall.

Meet Stacy Pershall, Motivational Speaker and Author

Morning Keynote Address - What I Wish I’d Known in My 20s: A Unique Story of Recovery
When Stacy Pershall was a teenager, she knew she was different, both in how she felt and how she acted on those feelings. But what she didn't realize for many years was that she was struggling with a serious mental illness, borderline personality disorder (BPD), as well as an eating disorder. It was only after she reached a state of complete exhaustion, near suicide, that she submitted to treatment. Stacy's presentation highlights BPD, eating disorders and bullying from a young person's perspective. She shares how BPD looks to others as opposed to how it feels, and the healing effect of unconditional love. She also discusses suicide, body modification, dialectical behavior therapy and reducing stigma, and how young people facing serious mental illness have found innovative, highly personalized recovery methods such as tattooing and body piercing.

For more information or to register for this conference, visit our website.

Tuesday, February 25, 2014

We Must Be More than Supervisors... We Must Be Leaders


We’re pleased to share a new conference offerered by Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic and Community Care Behavioral Health.

SUPERVISION IN BEHAVIORAL HEALTH
We Must Be More Than Supervisors...
We Must Be Leaders
Friday, March 21
Sheraton Station Square, Pittsburgh

Supervision is crucial for professional development. It is essential to examine why supervisors can and must be effective leaders who create an alliance between themselves and their staff. The supervisor and staff must work together in support of the purpose, principles, and mission of their agency to improve services for their clients. During the keynote, Mike Morrison, PhD, the founder of a leadership consulting firm, will address the art and science of personal leadership – a powerful framework for bringing our best self and the best self in others to the workplace.  There will also be workshops focusing on topics for leaders/supervisors including development of a supervisory model, balancing clinical and administrative supervision, and supervision needs for peer and recovery specialists.  Participants should leave the conference with a greater understanding of the importance of providing and receiving effective supervision.
 
KEYNOTE PRESENTATION: Leading Through Meaning
Mike Morrison, PhD
Executive Consultant, Lean Leadership
Los Angeles, California
 
BREAKOUT SESSIONS

·         The Reality of Supervision: Balancing Clinical and Administrative Supervision
·         “I Love My Job!”:  Leading with Compassion, Service, and Hope
·         Effective Leadership Skills for Clinical Supervisors
·         Supervision of Peer and Recovery Specialists
·         Developing Your Model of Supervision
·         Supervision and Trauma                
Details can be found on the conference website or the conference registration page.

 For additional information or to receive a brochure, please contact Nancy Mundy at mundynl@upmc.edu or (412) 204-9090.

Thursday, February 20, 2014

Registration Open for 14th Annual Education Conference

Registration is officially open for our much anticipated 14th Annual Education Conference "Young Adults and Mental Illness: A Voice for Hope" on Saturday, April 12 at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. Click here for the conference brochure, and click here to register online. Continuing Education Credits are available.

Wednesday, February 5, 2014

3 Reasons To Join NAMI Today

Joining or renewing your membership with NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania at this exciting time in our organization's history will help advance our mission of recovery focused support, education and advocacy in a very important way. 

Last year, our Board of Directors and staff spent a significant amount of time developing a new, three-year strategic plan. We decided that we needed to change in order to meet the needs of those we serve and represent. As a result, here are some of the many activities underway for the year ahead:   
  • We are expanding our focus to better serve children and youth. We have added a full-time position that is focused on children, adolescents and transition age youth and are expanding our education programs to better serve young families and school personnel. 
  • We are collaborating with peer organizations to increase our collective impact. We have joined with Allegheny Family Network and Mental Health America of Allegheny County to create a mental health advocacy collaborative.  
  • We are diversifying our reach to strengthen our voice. We are developing an advocacy hub to influence public policy and legislation.    
The more members we have who are standing together with us, the louder and stronger it  makes our voice for individuals and families affected by mental illness!

When you join or renew your membership to NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania, you will receive:   
  1. Discounted registration fee to our Annual Education Conference on Saturday, April 12 featuring Kevin Hines, an international speaker, author and mental health advocate who will talk about surviving a suicide attempt off the Golden Gate Bridge and his commitment to staying well and inspiring others to live their best lives.  
  2. Your New Personalized Membership Card and a subscription to our quarterly newsletter The Voice. (The Winter 2014 edition is hot off the press.)   
  3. Automatic membership to NAMI (National) and NAMI PA.
On behalf of the Board of Directors, staff and the people we serve each day, thank you for your support as a member of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania. Click here to join today! 

NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization, contributions to which are tax-deductible to the fullest extent permitted by the law. The official registration and financial information on NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania may be obtained from the PA Department of State by calling toll-free within Pennsylvania: 1-800-732-0999. Registration does not imply endorsement.