News Anchor David Johnson Shares His Story

WPXI-TV News Anchor David Johnson made an appearance at our 10th Annual Education Conference last weekend for the second year in a row.

David told his family story of depression and suicide in the hope that people will begin to speak more openly about mental illness. In his case, a wonderful piece of family history had been hidden for years beneath the silence of stigma.

Please click below to view David's full six-minute appearance at our conference. For more information about mental illness, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

Explore Your Emotions!

In honor of National Children's Mental Health Awareness Day on May 6, NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania is helping the Allegheny County Dept. of Human Services distribute free coloring books Explore Your Emotions! to children ages 3 to 8.  

To order Explore Your Emotions coloring books -- at no charge --  for your classroom, school district or organization, contact Darcey Garda at (412) 366-3788 or dgarda@namiswpa.org.  You can order coloring books in any quantity. They are available in limited supply, so place your order soon. Delivery will be arranged within the next two weeks. 

For more information on Children's Mental Health Awareness Day, click here.

10th Annual Conference A Success

NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania would like to thank attendees, exhibitors, volunteers, special guests and all supporters who helped make its 10th Annual Education Conference The Power To Ignite Change: A Personal Call To Action a success.

We'd like to extend a special thanks to our generous sponsors whose funding enabled us to plan our first-ever two-day conference.

Premier Sponsor
Staunton Farm Foundation

Platinum Sponsor
Community Care

Gold Sponsors
Lilly
Janssen

Silver Sponsor
Allegheny HealthChoices, Inc.

Bronze Sponsors
AstraZeneca
Mercy Behavioral Health
Project Transition
Value Behavioral Health of PA

Supporters
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic of UPMC

Pete Earley To Sign Books At NAMI Conference

We are pleased to welcome award-winning journalist Pete Earley as a panelist and workshop presenter at our 10th Annual Education Conference this weekend.

Pete will be selling and signing his award-winning book CRAZY: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness. Cost is $15 with part of the proceeds going to NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania.

In a Washingtonian Magazine cover story titled, “Top Journalists: Washington's Media Elite,” Pete was described as one of a handful of journalists in America who “have the power to introduce new ideas and give them currency.” A former reporter for The Washington Post, he is the author of nine nonfiction books and three novels.

His book CRAZY: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness, tells two stories. It describes Pete’s attempts to help his college-age son, Mike, who becomes ill with bipolar disorder and is arrested. It also describes a year Pete spends at the Miami Dade County Jail, where he follows people with mental disorders – who had been in jail – out into the community to document what types of services and assistance they receive. This book was one of two finalists for the Pulitzer Prize in 2007 and has won awards from Mental Health America and the American Psychiatric Association.

Look for Pete at the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania table at the conference this weekend. For those who have not yet registered, we are accepting walk-in registrations at the door. For more details on the conference, click here.

Seeking Nominations for "EveryDay People" Award

Multicultural Outreach & Education (MOE) is proud to announce the Joyce King “EveryDay People” Achievement Award. The Award is to recognize significant individual contributions made towards promoting advocacy and recovery in Allegheny County.  Submissions are due Monday, April 19!  For a nomination form with submission details, click here.

The award was created in 2002 by the Day of Self Discovery Planning Committee. The “EveryDay People” Award was created to acknowledge the significant contributions that Joyce King made promoting advocacy and recovery for individuals with a mental health diagnosis and/or alcohol/substance use diagnosis.

Joyce King was a pioneer and leader in the Self-Help Consumer/Survivor movement. She believed strongly that recipients of mental health/substance use services should be involved in all aspects of the system and that their voices must be heard! Joyce King’s achievements were many, including empowering others to self-advocate, dispelling myths and stereotypes about individuals with mental illness, promoting recovery and educating providers about mental health /illness.

One of Joyce King’s most powerful testimonies was, “I have a condition, but I am not the condition. And I refuse to let anyone equate my illness with my intelligence.”

For more information on mental illness, visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website.

New Credits Offered For NAMI Conference

NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania is pleased to announce that Pa. Certification Board credits are being offered for its 10th Annual Education Conference The Power To Ignite Change: A Personal Call To Action on Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24 at the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott. 

We are offering the following Continuing Education Credits:

Counselors (NBCC) – up to 13 credits

Educators (Act 48) – up to 13 credits

Licensed/Clinical Social Workers (LSW/LCSW) – up to 13 credits

Licensed Marriage and Family Therapists (LMFT) – up to 13 credits

Licensed Professional Counselors (LPC) – up to 13 credits

Psychologists – 7 credits, Saturday, April 24 only

Other healthcare professionals – up to 1.9 credits

We are offering the following new Pa. Certification Board Credits (up to 13 credits over two days):

Certified Addiction Counselors (CAC)
Certified Addiction Counselor Diplomate (CAC Diplomate)
Certified Allied Addiction Specialist (CCMS)
Certified Case Manager (CCSM)
Certified Case Manager Supervisor (CCMS)
Certified Clinical Supervisor (CCS)
Certified Criminal Justice Addictions Professionals (CCJP)
Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professionals (CCDP)
Certified Co-Occurring Disorders Professionals Diplomate (CCDP Diplomate)
Certificate of Competency in Problem Gambling
Certified Prevention Specialist (CPS)
Certified Recovery Specialist (CRS)

For more information, to download a brochure or to register, click here.

Scholarships Available for NAMI Conference

HSAO has generously agreed to fund scholarships for the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania Education Conference on April 23 and 24. The scholarships are offered to Allegheny County residents who have children in the mental health system. Scholarships are awarded on a first-come, first-serve basis. For information, call (412) 366-3788 or email info@namiswpa.org.

For more information on the conference, click here.

Conference Highlight: Michael Fitzpatrick

With NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 10th Annaul Education Conference fast approaching, we are pleased to welcome some highly notable speakers and presenters to the Pittsburgh Airport Marriott on April 23 and 24. 

On Day 1-- Friday, April 23 -- we are thrilled to welcome NAMI National's Executive Director Michael Fitzpatrick as our keynote speaker.  Mr. Fitzpatrick will share with participants the importance of developing collaborative relationships to heighten the effectiveness of local, state and national advocacy efforts.

With impending changes in the mental health landscape due to statewide budget cuts, the end of the Rendell administration and the evolution of national healthcare reform, partnerships among mental health advocates across the system are vital.  When grassroots advocates through local NAMI affiliates connect with NAMI National, combined efforts ensure a louder, more effective voice in championing a transformed menteal health system in the future.

For more information on the conference, call the NAMI office at (412) 366-3788 or email info@namiswpa.org.

NAMI Closed Friday, April 2

The NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania office will be closed on Friday, April 2.  Have a wonderful weekend!