NAMI Conference Brochure Available Online

The brochure for the 11^th Annual NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania Conference is now online! Click here for information on our schedule, speakers, panelists and more!

Just interested in getting a registration form? Click here. Registrations can be faxed to our office at 412-366-3935.

Visit the NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania website for more information, or call us at 412-366-3788. We hope to see you there!

Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

2011 Regional Education Conference

NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania

2011 Regional Education Conference

April 30, 2011 - Pittsburgh Airport Marriott

Embracing Diversity:

Cultivating Respect and Inclusion for a Stronger Mental Health System

Mental illness reaches into every community and affects people from all walks of life. The National NAMI Standards of Excellence – diversity, inclusion and non-discrimination – charge us to actively strive to be inclusive of every sector of our demographic and to make no distinction among people who have a mental illness and other members of the community. To strengthen the mental health system, we must be able to demonstrate our openness to all as we describe who our members are and how we serve their communities.

Cultural competency requires all of us to recognize and respect culture, belief, behavior and needs. Cultures can include language, customs, beliefs and values of various racial, ethnic, religious and social groups. According to the 2009 article Cultural Competency and Its Impact on Addiction Treatment and Recovery by Curtis Upsher, MS, “Other cultural variables that have influential effects on health disparities and the healthcare encounter are age, gender, sexual orientation, religious affiliation, language and literacy abilities, education level, physical ability and social class.”

Reflectively, raising our self awareness of our own culture is as important as developing an awareness of the cultural context of others. Inclusion is more than acknowledging and tolerating differences. Embracing diversity means we make every effort to understand and appreciate our differences, to respect experiences different than our own and, finally, to value the quality of our differences.

Who Should Attend:

Consumers of mental health services and family members; mental health professionals; educators; local community leaders; and regional, county and state government leaders in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

Conference Tuition:

Family Member/Consumer Rates: 

     NAMI Member- $45.00 

     Non-Member- $50.00

Professional Rates: 

     NAMI Member: $75.00 

     Non-Member: $85.00

Download Conference Forms:

Conference Agenda

Registration Form

NIMH Science Update: Most Teens With Eating Disorders Go Without Treatment

 Some rights reserved by myDefinition

A National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) funded study recently reported that about three percent of U.S. adolescents are affected by an eating disorder, but many go without treatment.

For more information about eating disorders, visit the National Eating Disorders Association (NEDA) website, and check out informational articles about eating disorders (such as Anorexia Nervosa, Bulimia Nervosa and Binge Eating Disorder) and their treatment and recovery at Helpguide.

Keep up with mental health news- visit NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website, Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our blog's RSS feed!


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Upcoming Program: Peer Support in Recovery

 Some rights reserved by ~diP

Peer Support in Recovery: 

Learning About and Celebrating Peers

March 4, 2011

VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Highland Drive Division

A program on “Peer Support in Recovery:  Learning About and Celebrating Peers” (MC44) is scheduled to take place Friday, March 4, 2011 at the VA Pittsburgh Healthcare System, Highland Drive Division.  

This training will provide a broad overview of the role of peers in supporting consumers of health care, mental health care and homeless services.  Peers are individuals who have a mental illness and/or have been homeless who are trained to provide recovery services to other individuals who have a mental illness and/or are homeless.  Research on peers in health settings will be presented, as well as practical information on working with peers, working with staff, and developing new peer roles in health care settings.  The requirements of the VA Uniform Mental Health Services Handbook will be reviewed, along with strategies for optimizing peer contributions. 

The session is aimed at VA and community health care professionals interested in learning more about peers, those currently working with peers, and those who hope to add or increase peer support services.  Volunteer and employed peers are especially welcome. Continuing education credit will be available.

Details can be found on the website: http://www.wpic.pitt.edu/oerp/conferences

For additional information, please contact Sara Chapman, MS, OTR/L at sara.chapman@va.gov or call 412-954-5352.

To receive a brochure, please contact Nancy Mundy at mundynl@upmc.edu or call (412) 802-6900.

Want to keep up-to-date with mental health news?  Visit NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website, Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our blog's RSS feed!


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Update of Deaf or Hard of Hearing Resource Guide

 Some rights reserved by Scott Ableman

A task force made up of human services consumers and advocates, representatives from human services providers, representatives from state and local governments, educators and members of the deaf and hard of hearing communities has updated its online resource guide, the Southwestern Pennsylvania Resource Guide of Behavioral Health Providers for Persons who are Deaf, Deafblind or Hard of Hearing.

This resource guide lists regional behavioral health care providers that have experience working with individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing. Additionally, the guide can also benefit physicians, audiologists, behavioral health care providers and the general public.

The resource guide is available for download on the Allegheny County Department of Human Services website and on the website for the Behavioral Health Task Force for Persons who are Deaf, Deafblind and Hard of Hearing of Allegheny County.


Want to keep up-to-date with mental health news?  Visit NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website, Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our blog's RSS feed!


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

NAMI Basics

NAMI Basics is the new Signature Education Program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The NAMI Basics course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or caregiver of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years.

The course consists of six classes, each lasting for 2 ½ hours. Class will be offered weekly. All instruction materials are FREE to participants.

Watch "Understanding Mental Illness in Children" on the NAMI Basics Video page. Videos created by NAMI Minnesota and Twin Cities Public Television.





The goals of NAMI Basics are:

- To give the parent/caregiver the basic information necessary to take the best care possible of their child, their family, and themselves.

- To help the parent/caregiver cope with the impact that mental illness has on the child living with the illness and the entire family.

- To provide tools for the parent/caregiver to use even after completing the program that will assist in making the best decisions possible for the care of the child.

Upcoming NAMI Basics Class Information:

Classes will begin Thursday, March 3. They will be held at the Monroeville United Methodist Church from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. Call NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania at (412) 366-3788 or email info@namiswpa.org today to learn more and to register for the upcoming class.  Download the NAMI Basics flyer by clicking here.

Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary

Britons afraid to confess the truth when sick leave is stress-induced

 Some rights reserved by Slightlynorth

November 3, 2010, LONDON, England:


Millions of British workers feel forced to lie to their bosses about having to take stress-induced sick leave, a new study has found.


The mental health charity Mind said the findings prove that talking about workplace pressures remains a huge taboo.


The survey found that one in five workers has called in sick for stress-related reasons, yet the vast majority calling in (93 percent) lied to their boss about the real reason for their absence.


However, 70 percent said they wanted to be able to discuss stress with their employers, and one-third want their boss to make the first move and approach them directly when they are showing signs of strain.


Paul Farmer, chief executive of Mind, said stress problems that aren’t addressed can quickly snowball into low morale, low productivity and high levels of sick leave. “We’d urge employers to encourage a culture of openness at work so they can solve problems now, rather than storing up problems for the future,” he said.


Want to keep up-to-date with mental health news?  Visit NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's website, Facebook page, follow us on Twitter and subscribe to our blog's RSS feed!

Article © 2011 Bipolar Disorder Magazine


Contributed by Lora M. Dziemiela, Program Secretary