Join Us On Walk Day!

Visit our walk website for more information! 

The NAMI Walk is the one day each year that we celebrate recovery in a big way! Thousands of people join us at the SouthSide Works for a wonderful morning of laughter and fun. You can expect the great feeling of being part of something special and rewarding.

Special Note:  Our location has been moved ONE BLOCK. If you look at the site map, we are now located on the Temporary Surface Lot. Look for the colorful balloon arch and listen for high energy music, and you'll find us! Four parking garages are within walking distance and charge $3 on Sundays.

Registration and activities run from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The walk starts promptly at 10 a.m. You will walk 1.5 miles down the river trail and 1.5 miles back. If you are unable to walk that distance, feel free to turn around early or stay back and enjoy music and refreshments with staff and volunteers.

The walk features fun activities and special guests including:

- Our Amazing NAMI Walk Chairs
- Miss Pennsylvania Juliann Sheldon
- Singer John Tucci
- The Four Fun Loving Pittsburgh Pierogies
- Complimentary Breakfast Refreshments
- Reiki and Massage Tent
- Moon Bounce
- Face Painting and Tattoos
- Caricature Artist (complements of Community Care)
- Mike the Balloon Guy
- Sponsor Exhibits (with giveaways and promotions)
- Team Photos
- High Energy Music
- Raffle Drawing (after the walk)

We hope to see you there! If you haven't already registered, click here to join us!

Upcoming Mood Disorders Conference

While NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania is focused on its NAMI Walk event this Sunday, Western Psychiatric Institute & Clinic is preparing for its mood disorders conference later this  month.

The Advances in the Treatment of Mood Disorders: 2011 conference is scheduled to take place Friday, October 21 at the Sheraton Station Square. This meeting will offer a succinct way for clinicians to assimilate recent advances in mood disorder treatment. Michael E. Thase, MD and the other speakers will present new developments in the treatment of depression and bipolar disorder.

This conference will also include a series of workshops, which will offer an intimate didactic learning opportunity for increasing understanding of psychopharmacologic and psychotherapeutic techniques. Some of the topics to be addressed include depression and cardiovascular disease, postpartum depression, depression and panic disorder, new brain modulation therapies, the use of neuroscience in mood disorders, and treatment guidelines for depression as well as the intersection of basic biology and clinical practice.

Details can be found at www.wpic.pitt.edu/oerp/conferences.

For additional information or to receive a brochure, contact Maria Pena-Jordan at penajordanmi@upmc.edu or (412) 802-6917.

Another Chance to Win Steeler Tickets!

The 5th Annual NAMI Walk is two weeks away! Taking place at the SouthSide Works on Sunday, Oct. 2, this is our biggest awareness raising event and fundraiser of the year.

Our latest promotion is this: for every $25 online contribution, that donor receives one chance to win two Steeler tickets. Example: if a person makes a $100 online donation, he or she earns four chances to win.

Steelers vs. Rams

Saturday, Dec. 24

1 p.m. 

Visit our NAMI Walk website and register today! If you cannot join us at the walk, Find a Walker to support or make a general contribution to the walk. You will still qualify for the Steeler promotion. Good luck and thank you!

Special thanks to our generous donors Ralph and Mary Ann Farmerie.

Community Health Fair

A Community Health Fair will kick off the Urban Renaissance Art's Movement Week!

When:
Saturday, September 24, 2011
Noon - 3 p.m.

Where:
Community Empowerment Association, Inc.
7120 Kelly Street, Pittsburgh, PA 15208
(former Holy Rosary School in Homewood)

Free Health Screenings will include:

- Blood Pressure
- BMI (Body Mass Index)
- Dental
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Drug and Alcohol
- Eye Care
- Flu Shots
- Heart and Lung
- HIV
- Sickle Cell Disease
- Sleep Apnea

For more information, contact 412-371-3689, ext. 14, or visit www.ceapittsburgh.org.

Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

NAMI Walk Contest Announcement

 Some rights reserved by Cesar Dominguez

We’re announcing a brand new contest for the NAMI Walk on Sunday, Oct. 2.

For every $50 raised online beginning today through Friday, Oct. 7, you will earn one entry in the drawing to win your choice of an iPad 2 or Flat Screen HDTV. Example: If you raise $500 during that time frame, you will earn 10 entries.

Let's do it! Register online, create your personal page, and email your family and friends today! Need help? Email dgarda@namiswpa.org or call (412) 366-3788.

All proceeds from the NAMI Walk support the mission of NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania.

NAMI Basics Classes This Fall

NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania will be holding a NAMI Basics class this fall - details below!

 Some rights reserved by o5com

Class Dates: Classes start Thursday, Oct. 13 and will meet weekly for six weeks through Thursday, Nov. 17

Class Time: 6:30 p.m - 9 p.m.

Location: NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania, 105 Braunlich Drive Suite 200, Pittsburgh PA 15237

To Register: Contact the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania office at 412-366-3788

About NAMI BASICS
Parents and other primary caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illness have diverse and complex needs. Getting the right diagnosis and treatment, as well as education and support, is critical for the entire family.

Education and support for families helps them to live the best life possible while managing the trauma that often accompanies the onset of mental illness.

NAMI Basics allows families to connect to one another while learning about mental illness and empowering themselves to overcome new challenges. It provides information families want and need about their child.

What makes the NAMI Basics education program unique?
Taught by parents or other primary caregivers who have lived similar experiences with their own children, NAMI Basics is an educational program that provides learning and practical insights for families. Course elements include:

- The trauma of mental illness for the child and family

- The biology of mental illness: getting an accurate diagnosis

- The latest research on the medical aspects of the illness and advances in treatment

- An overview of treatment options

- The impact of a child's mental illness on the rest of the family - caregivers and siblings

- An overview of the systems involved in caring for children and teens and the importance of record keeping

The course:
- Consists of six different classes, 2 1/2 hours each, offered on a weekly basis

- Is offered free of charge

- Is taught by trained NAMI family members who have children with mental illness

- Follows a structured format covering issues frequently faced by families dealing with a child or teen living with mental illness

Who can attend a NAMI Basics course?
The NAMI Basics course is specifically designed for parents and other primary caregivers of children and adolescents who are living with mental illness. It is not necessary that the child has received a specific diagnosis. Caregivers who suspect their child is experiencing symptoms of mental illness can also benefit greatly from the course as they begin to navigate the evaluation and treatment process.

Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary