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.

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.

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.

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.

Meet our Keynote

We are pleased to announce the keynote speaker of our 14th Annual Education Conference Young Adults and Mental Illness: Voices for Hope on Saturday, April 14 at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. Registration info will be available next week.  
 
KEVIN HINES
The instant that 19-year-old Kevin Hines jumped off the Golden Gate Bridge, he regretted his decision.

Recently diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Kevin had begun to hear voices telling him he had to die; and, days before his attempt, he began to believe them. Yet, as soon as Kevin jumped into the empty air, he turned, wanting to grab the rail. It wasn’t there. He thought to himself, "What have I done? I don't want to die!'

Kevin miraculously survived and, in the years since then, has spoken to more than a quarter million people about his firsthand experience with suicidal thoughts and living well with mental illness.

A powerful, honest, and intimate presenter, he has been featured in the critically acclaimed film The Bridge, on Larry King Live, 20/20, Anderson Cooper 360, Good Morning America, and Ireland’s famed Tonight with Vincent Browne. In 2012, he was awarded a Lifetime Achievement Award for his outstanding work as a suicide prevention advocate and speaker.

Kevin Hines speaks with gripping candor about his journey from the edge of despair back to recovery. It is an unforgettable and remarkable story of faith, courage and hope.

His memoir, Cracked…Not Broken: Surviving and Thriving After a Suicide Attempt, was released in July 2013. We are pleased to bring Kevin to Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Surviving Holiday Stress

Tips from BP Magazine:

Even positive life events, like a new job or the holiday season, can bring unsettling stress. Here are some survival tips for the next few weeks from Prakash Masand, MD, president of Global Medical Education and a former consulting professor of psychiatry and behavioral sciences at Duke University Medical Center:

Spread out the workload. Make a list of everything you’re trying to get done between now and New Year’s, then divide items into a day-by-day schedule so you don’t get overwhelmed by last-minute tasks. Figure out what you can simplify, what you can offload, and who you can recruit to help out.

Expect things to go wrong. The turkey may get overcooked, your kid may hate the gifts you picked, a family member (or you) might get sick. Something is bound to be less than picture-perfect. Accept the reality and try to focus on positives.

Sidestep family drama. Holidays are not the time to resolve family conflicts. Create a game plan to get through the few days you’re together—from practicing deep breathing to setting an early departure time in advance—and plan to address issues at another time.

Keep up your self-care. When things get rush-rush, it’s tempting to skip meals and skimp on sleep. Make an effort to eat a good diet, drink lots of water, stick to your exercise and medication routines, and attend scheduled appointments with your psychiatrist or other mental health professional.

 

Click here for more “Helpful Holiday Hints”—including why it feels like your moods fluctuate more this time of year—from the "Ask the Doctor" column (Fall 2012).

National NAMI Organization Names New Executive Director

NAMI Southwestern Pennsyvlania is pleased to share the news that its national NAMI organization, located in Arlington, Va., announced the appointment of Mary Giliberti as the new Executive Director.

Giliberti has served as a Section Chief in the Office for Civil Rights at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services since 2008. She previously served for three years as NAMI’s Director of Public Policy and Advocacy for federal and state issues.

She also has served as Disability Counsel for the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions and senior attorney at the Bazelon Center for Mental Health Law. She is a graduate of Harvard College and Yale Law School. After graduation from law school, she clerked for Judge Phyllis Kravitch on the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eleventh Circuit.

“Mary has had a long and distinguished career advocating for individuals and families living with mental illness," said NAMI National Board President Keris Jän Myrick.

“She was selected after an extensive search informed by many NAMI grassroots leaders and others.

“We are excited by the vision, energy and collaborative style she will bring to NAMI’s mission as we begin a new chapter in its 35-year history.”
While at NAMI previously, Giliberti was a co-author of NAMI’s Grading the States reports in 2006 and 2009.

“NAMI is a powerful agent for change in the mental health care system. Our greatest resource is our people,” Giliberti said.

“I am honored to become executive director at a time when new opportunities are arising for our movement to make a difference. NAMI will be at the forefront of education, support and advocacy  to improve treatment and life outcomes for people living with mental illness.”

Giliberti will assume her duties on Jan. 2. She succeeds Michael Fitzpatrick, who a year ago announced his intention to step down as executive director at the end of 2013.

“NAMI is grateful to Mike for his leadership over the past 10 years, a time of major progress and challenges,” said Myrick. “He has provided a steady hand and is leaving NAMI well-positioned to continue the fight.”

About NAMI

NAMI is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.

NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania, an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through recovery focused support, education and advocacy.