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NAMI PA, Main Line
Affiliated with National Alliance on Mental Illness
www.NAMIpaMainLine.org
info@NAMIpaMainLine.org
267-251-6240
Main Line NAMI Newsletter – April, 2015
Table of Contents
Main Line NAMI President’s Message – page 1
NAMI PA, Main Line Activities – pages 1-2
Other Local Information/Support Events – pages 2-3
News You Can Use – pages 3-4
NAMI launches Say It Out Loud Program – pages 4-5
Delaware County System of Care – page 6
Help to Find the Resources You Need – page 6
Membership Form – page 7
Main Line NAMI on the Move – Stepping out for Mental
Health Awareness flyer – page 8
President's Message
Please join us for our Workshop: How Problem-Solving Skills Really Can Solve Problems, with Edie
Mannion, Sunday, April 19, 2-4 p.m., Ardmore Presbyterian Church (see below).
Please save the dates for:
 Forum: A Book Discussion: Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness, by Jessie Close
and Pete Earley, with Craig DeLarge, Sunday, May 17, 2-4 p.m., Ardmore Presbyterian Church (see
page 2)
 Main Line NAMI on the Move – Stepping out for Mental Health Awareness, Saturday, May 30,
registration 9:30-10 a.m. in Bryn Mawr Community Center Park and walk on Lancaster Avenue
beginning at 10 a.m. Please register as a walker and/or make a donation. (see pages 2 and 8)
As part of NAMI National’s Say It Out Loud campaign, our affiliate is working to increase teen awareness of
ten common warning signs of a mental health condition and encourage teens who recognize these warning
signs in themselves or a friend to reach out for help. For additional resources and to learn how to request copies
of the flyer or a speaker, see pages 4-5.
Ingrid Waldron, President
NAMI PA, Main Line
NAMI PA, Main Line Activities
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Workshop: How Problem-Solving Skills Really Can Solve Problems, with Edie Mannion
Sunday, April 19, 2-4 p.m.
Ardmore Presbyterian Church, 5 W. Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore*
This workshop will offer guidance in problem-solving skills that can be particularly important for families
that include a loved one with mental illness. It will also provide opportunities to practice these skills. Our
workshop leader, Edie Mannion, LMFT (Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist), is the cofounder/director of the Training and Education Center at the Mental Health Association of Southeastern
PA, a private therapist and consultant specializing in serious mental health disorders, and a family
member. For more information, please contact us at info@NAMIpaMainLine.org or 267-251-6240.
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Bryn Mawr Family Member Support Group
The first Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m.
Bryn Mawr
For family members of people with mental illness. For more information, please contact Susie Vernick at
610-649-5206.
Event: New Beginnings Mental Health Support Group
Date: Meets twice monthly
Place: Holy Trinity Lutheran Church, 927 South Providence Road, Wallingford, Delaware County*
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Note:
NAMI PA, Main Line is co-sponsoring the New Beginnings Mental Health Support Group for persons in
recovery from mental illness, ages 25 and older. The purpose of the group is to provide a mutually
supportive environment. The agenda for each gathering is developed by group members and facilitators
to address topics of interest and concern. New Beginnings is open to the community and nondenominational. Interested persons should call 610-407-4595 and leave their contact information. A
New Beginnings group facilitator will set up an interview. All information is treated with complete
confidentiality.
Event: A Book Discussion: Resilience: Two Sisters and a Story of Mental Illness, by Jessie Close and
Pete Earley, with Craig DeLarge
Date: Sunday, May 17, 2-4 p.m.
Place: Ardmore Presbyterian Church, 5 W. Montgomery Avenue in Ardmore*
Note: Join us for a discussion about this new book co-authored by the Oscar award winning actress, Glenn
Close, and her sister, Jesse, who lives with Bipolar Disorder, is the caregiver of a son who lives with
Schizoaffective Disorder, and a mental illness stigma crusader through the non-profit,
BringChange2Mind. This autobiography tells Jesse's story through her and her sister's eyes. You will
enjoy this book and discussion if you fulfill any of these roles. Like so many resonant stories, it follows
Jesse's story from a childhood of abandonment to an early adulthood of abuse, abusing, and low
awareness of her illness to a middle age of recognition, redemption, and recovery. There will be a brief
annual membership meeting at the beginning of this event. For more information, please contact us at
info@NAMIpaMainLine.org or 267-251-6240.
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Main Line NAMI on the Move: Stepping out for Mental Health Awareness
Saturday, May 30, registration begins at 9:30 a.m., walk begins at 10 a.m.
Bryn Mawr Community Center Park, 9 S. Bryn Mawr Avenue, Bryn Mawr, PA 19010
We are pleased to announce that this spring we will host our own local awareness-raising and fundraising walk. This event, in the heart of the Main Line, will serve as a beacon to help light a path to
services and resources available for individuals with mental illness and their family members. In
addition, we will raise awareness of the need for better treatment and more supportive services. This
walk will raise funds to support our ongoing free services for individuals with mental illness and their
families. An additional goal will be to increase our outreach to families with a child or adolescent with
mental illness by offering the free Basics education program. For more information, please see he flyer
on page 6 or contact us at info@NAMIpaMainLine.org or 267-251-6240.
*Although some of our events are held at religious institutions, they are non-denominational and open to people of all beliefs.
Other Local Informational and Support Events
(Please see Support Groups by County for listings of local support groups.)
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
NAMI PA, Montgomery County’s Family-to-Family Program
Begins on Tuesday, March 31, and meets for 12 consecutive weeks from 6:30-9 p.m.
100 W. Main Street, Suite 204 in Lansdale
Family-to-Family (F2F) is a free series of 12 weekly classes, one evening per week, structured to help
family members understand and support a relative diagnosed with a serious mental illness while
maintaining their own well-being. The course is taught by trained volunteer family members who know
what it’s like to have a loved one with a serious mental illness. For more information or to register,
please call 215-361-7784.
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Evening at the Movies
Wednesday, April 1, from 7-8:30 p.m.
100 W. Main Street, Suite 204 in Lansdale
Leslie Burrs is Executive Director of Opera North, Inc. His beautiful project, Autumn Journey, is part of
his Visual Soundscapes for Mental Health/Pathways to Recovery program, designed to establish a new
model for mental health service delivery, education, awareness and stigma reduction. The Visual
Soundscapes project is a multi-phased series of music videos created and produced by award winning
composer Leslie Savoy Burrs, based on Dr. Arthur C. Evans A Systems Approach to RecoveryOriented Care: Concepts and Examples from Philadelphia. Join us for an evening with Leslie Burrs and
learn about this exciting project and view Autumn Journey. This event is free and open to the public;
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however an RSVP is appreciated by March 30 (215-361-7784).
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Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
LEAP Institute Family Trainings/Consults
Thursday and Friday, April 2 and 3
Riverhead, NY
Dr. Xavier Amador will offer this opportunity for family members to meet with him personally to work
together on their situation and goals. On the first day, Dr. Amador will lead a LEAP training with
extensive use of role-plays (you get to practice with hi,). The second day is reserved for family members
to have a private consultation with Dr. Amador and Tess Nopper, a Clinical Social Worker trained in
LEAP. After the consultation they offer follow-up and ongoing support. This event is only open to five
families on a first-come first serve basis. In most instances a portion of the consult fee can be
reimbursed by health insurance. For more information, please call Tess Nopper LMSW at: 888-801LEAP (888-801-5327) ext. 104 and/or e-mail Tess.Nopper@LEAPinstitute.org, or visit
http://www.leapinstitute.org/resources/leap-clinical-service/.
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Brunch and In Our Own Voice: Living with Mental Illness Presentation
Sunday, April 12, from 10-11:30 a.m.
Congregation Beth Or, 299 E. Welsh Road, Maple Glen, PA 19002
In Our Own Voice is the story of a personal journey of recovery from mental illness. The one hour live
presentation is accompanied by a video of mental health consumers from around the country. As it goes
through various aspects of one’s journey with mental illness, Dark Days, Acceptance, Treatment, etc.,
the presenters intersperse their personal stories with the video. The event is free and open to the public;
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however, an RSVP is required by April 7 . To RSVP, please contact Ellen Mirbach at 215-628-3870 or
semirbach@gmail.com.
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Comfort My People class series
Meets for four consecutive Sundays, April 12, 19, 26, and May 3 at 9:45 a.m.
Spellman Jr. at Westminster Presbyterian Church in West Chester, PA
In these 4 one-hour classes, we will seek understanding and insight and will explore how we might
reasonably respond as a caring Christian community to those with a mental illness and their
families. Feel free to attend one or all sessions; no preregistration is needed. Please contact Ginny with
questions at ginnybk@yahoo.com.
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Family Resource Network’s 6 Annual Family Recognition Celebration Luncheon
Saturday, April 25, noon – 3 p.m.
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Community Behavioral Health, 11 floor, 801 Market Street, Philadelphia
This event will bring together family members to honor their caring/leadership, receive information and
resources, learn family inclusive efforts, and network. For more information, please call 215-413-3100
or visit http://communitybehavioralhealth.org.
Event:
Date:
Place:
Note:
Explorations of the “Inner Frontier” with Patrick J. Kennedy
Monday, April 27, 6-8:15 p.m.
Goodhart Hall, Bryn Mawr College
Representative Patrick Kennedy served 16 years in the U.S. House of Representatives, and is
predominantly known as author and lead sponsor of the groundbreaking Mental Health Parity and
Addiction Equity Act of 2008. Now, Patrick Kennedy has built a national coalition seeking new
treatments and cures for neurologic and psychiatric diseases of the brain afflicting one in every three
Americans. His Kennedy Forum on Community Mental Health continues to advocate for mental health
parity, a goal started by President John F. Kennedy with the signing of the Community Mental Health
Act. This event is appropriate for families with teens. The evening will consist of a wine & cheese
reception for premium ticket holders, followed by Patrick J. Kennedy: Explorations of the “Inner Frontier”
for all ticket holders. This event is hosted by Main Line School Night and the DMAX Foundation.
Additional information and registration is available at
http://www.dmaxfoundation.org/event/pkregistration/.
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News You Can Use
For the first time, a report by a task force advising on new dietary guidelines, commissioned by the departments
of Health and Human Services and Agriculture, included a point considering the possible role of diet in mental
health outcomes. Go to http://huff.to/1FoRAVE for more information.
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Access Services’ Starting Point program is a Mobile Psychiatric Rehabilitation Service that supports adults
with mental illness living in Montgomery County, PA. This program strives to help clients develop the skills
they need to meet their goals. With a focus on recovery and planning, Starting Point offers personalized
support and guidance. Starting Point Workers and Certified Peer Specialists will assist clients around activities
of their choice such as locating a place to live, managing personal finances or going back to school. Their hope
is that this journey will lead clients to new-found relationships, opportunities and a valued role in your
community. If you’d like to learn more about Starting Point, you can contact Dave Eckert at 215-816-9608 or
deckert@accessservices.org.
Please note that the above item was submitted by an affiliate member who has found the services to be very
helpful for her son. Please let us know of other helpful services that you recommend for people living with
mental illness in the greater Philadelphia area.
NAMI Launches Say it Out Loud to get Teens Talking about Mental Health
One in five teens lives with a mental health condition, and yet more than half are not getting the help they need.
NAMI has created the Say it Out Loud campaign to get teens talking about mental health (multiple resources
available at http://bit.ly/1C9d2xT). NAMI’s helpful poster is shown below and is available online at
http://bit.ly/1GgZDGU. For a short introductory video about warning signs, with encouragement for people to
have hope and speak out, go to https://vimeo.com/121071189.
If you would like copies of the Say It Out Loud poster or a speaker on child and adolescent mental health,
contact us by e-mailing info@NAMIpaMainLine.org or calling 267-251-6240.
Here are some additional resources:
 DMAX Foundation (http://www.dmaxfoundation.org/) works to foster a community of caring and support
around mental and emotional struggles in youth and to eliminate stigma.
 Information on many types of behavioral problems and mental illness in children and adolescents,
together with advice on treatment and coping, is available at http://bit.ly/1CYNhUt .
 Information on local Child and Adolescent Mental Health Resources is available at
http://bit.ly/1FGZUUB
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Delaware County System of Care
Delaware County’s System of Care (SOC) is a philosophy on how care should be delivered. Individuals can join
the System of Care Leadership Team and share their experiences and ideas to help improve the systems that
serve children and families. The Leadership Team includes an equal number of youth leaders (ages 18-25) and
child-serving system leaders. All team members have an equal voice in decision-making and will benefit from
the experience in numerous ways, including developing leadership and professional skills and receiving
stipends and reimbursement for expenses. Delaware County is committed to providing services and programs
that are youth and family-driven. Join the Leadership Team and help improve services and outcomes for
children, families, and youth. For more information, please contact systemofcare@delcohasa.org or 610-7132365.
Help to Find the Resources You Need
Our Introduction to Services for Individuals with Mental Illness and their Family Members in Southeastern
Pennsylvania page summarizes the types of services available and provides information about how to find
available services. For more info, go to http://namipamainline.org/info-resources/intro-to-services/.
Please visit the Support Groups by County in Southeastern Pennsylvania page (available at
http://bit.ly/1xV2rlm) on our website for information about support groups for family members and for
individuals living with mental illness in Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and Philadelphia Counties.
Federal law is clear that insurers can no longer discriminate against patients with mental illness, including
substance use. For a clear and simple explanation of the mental health parity law and the steps to take when
a violation is suspected, go to http://www.psychiatry.org/practice/parity.
Medicaid Expansion Update
The Department of Human Services (DHS) is expanding its Medicaid program, also known as Medical
Assistance (MA). The expansion of MA will provide health care coverage in a streamlined manner to
Pennsylvanians who are most in need. It’s important to note that eligibility rules will NOT change.
What Is Changing:


Adults 21 years of age and older will transition into a single new Adult benefit package.
The health screening tool will be eliminated.
Upcoming Milestones:
Notice to Current MA Recipients Regarding Benefit Changes
In the last week of March, current MA recipients will receive notices from HealthChoices Managed Care
Organizations and DHS regarding the transition to the new Adult benefit package. These notices will inform
individuals that they will transition to the Adult benefit package on April 27.
Notice to Private Coverage Option (PCO) Recipients
PCO recipients will transition to MA in two phases. On April 27th, PCO recipients who were covered by MA in
December 2014 will move back to MA. On July 28th, all remaining PCO recipients will move to MA. Notices will
be sent to PCO recipients when they move.
New Adult Benefit Package Starts
On April 27th, the new Adult benefit package will start for MA recipients who are currently in the Interim Healthy
and Healthy Plus plans.
Please visit www.HealthChoicesPA.com for more information.
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To join or renew, fill out this form and send it with your check made payable to
NAMI PA, Main Line, 320 Woodley Road, Merion Station, PA 19066-1413
or go to http://namipamainline.org/sign-up/.
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unfortunately that will need to be a separate transaction; please go to http://namipamainline.org/donate/.)
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NAMI PA, Main Line is a non-profit organization under Section 501(c)(3) of the IRS Code.
Dues and donations are income tax deductible.
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