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NAMI CENTRAL MIDDLESEX, MA
January 2015
Vol. 31 / No. 5
Becky Hadden, Editor
Please Come to NAMI Central Middlesex
Annual Meeting and Dinner
Evening Schedule:
6:30 – Social Time, Appetizers
Lexington, MA
7:45 – Business Meeting
Time: 6:30 – 8:30 p.m.
8:00 – Speakers
7:00 – Buffet Dinner
Please come, all members of NAMI Central Middlesex,
new and old!
To help us with planning food, we would greatly appreciate it if
you would RSVP to Ivy Pompei at 978-667-4543 or via email
(preferred) ivypompei@comcast.net to let us know that you are
coming. If you are willing to bring an appetizer or dessert, let Ivy
know. But even if you forget to RSVP or decide at the last minute
that you will come, we encourage you to attend.
In case of inclement weather, call the affiliate helpline at 781982-3318 after 3 p.m. on January 26th to see if the activity has
been cancelled or rescheduled.
A delicious buffet dinner will be provided by
board members. There will be entrees to meet
everyone’s desires—gluten-free, vegan, dairyfree, and traditional good food.
The business portion of our meeting will be
relatively brief consisting of a review of our
accomplishments for the past year including
the revising of our Bylaws, a listing of the
events we are looking forward to in the coming months, and the election of officers and
board members for 2015. The slate of nominees is listed on page 7 along with the directions to the Edinburg Center.
Our guest speakers will be Laurie Martinelli,
Executive Director of NAMI Mass; and Annabel Lane, assistant to June Binney who heads
the CIT program (Crisis Intervention Training
for police officers) for NAMI Mass. They will
give us an overview and status report on this
promising program.
Inside This Issue:
Date: Monday, Jan. 26, 2015
Location: Edinburg Center,
1040 Waltham Street
Support Groups
President’s Message
Able Act Signed
Public Policy /Legislation
Solitary Confinement Forum
Prisons as MH Institutions
9 Positive MH Resolutions
MGH Education Series
Holiday Party Photos
Directions to Edinburg Center
Nominees for CMSX Board
Calendar/Membership
2
3
3,4
4
5
5
6
6
7
7
7
8
Local Support Groups
NAMI Connections: recovery support group for individuals in recovery facilitated by NAMI-trained peers
Marlboro: 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month, 7-9 p.m., meets same time as family/friends support group, Employment Options, 82 Brigham St. Call Tina at
(508)272-9061, website http://www.employmentoptions.org.
*Littleton:1st & 3rd Thursday each month, 10-11:30 a.m., Reuben Hoar Library, 41 Shattuck St. Contact Rosemarie at JOKING_ROSE@OUTLOOK.com.
*West Concord: 2nd & 4th Thursday each month, 10-11:30 a.m., Fowler Branch Library, 1322 Main St. Cancellation policy is if the town school district is
closed, group is cancelled. Contact Eliza at elizatwilliamson@gmail.com or (617)733-7627.
NAMI Family/Friends: support groups for family/friends facilitated by NAMI-trained peers
*Acton/Littleton: 2nd & 4th Tuesday each month, 7-9 p.m., St. Matthew's United Methodist Church in Acton, 435 Central Street, Acton MA 01740. Contact Susan McDougall at mcdougalletal@aol.com or phone (978)263-8830, or Clare Cooper at ccooper@westfordconsulting.com or phone (978)692-8994.
*Bedford: Last Tuesday each month, 7:30-9:30 p.m., First Church of Christ, 25 Great Rd. With questions or for more info, call the NAMI Central
Middlesex helpline (781)982-3318.
Fitchburg: 1st & 3rd Thursday each month, 7-8:30 p.m., Messiah Lutheran Church, 750 Rindge Rd. Contact Maryann Fairbanks at maryfair123@yahoo.com or (978)342-0988.
*Lexington: 1st & 3rd Tuesday each month, 6:30-8 p.m., Edinburg Center, 1st floor training room, 1040 Waltham St. Call Janet at (617)816-5856.
Marlboro: 1st Tuesday each month, 7-9 p.m., meets same time as recovery support group, Employment Options, 82 Brigham St. Call Tina at (508)2729061, website http://www.employmentoptions.org.
Newton: 2nd Tuesday each month, 7 p.m., Newton-Wellesley Hospital, 2nd floor, room #2, 2014 Washington St. Contact Tricia Silverman at
ps81896@aol.com or (617)232-5694.
*Stow: 3rd Saturday each month, 10 a.m., First Parish Church, Fellowship Hall, near the intersection of Rt. 117 and Rt. 62. Call Trish at (978)897-2962.
NAMI Caring & Sharing: support groups for family/friends facilitated by NAMI volunteers
Cambridge: 1st & 3rd Monday each month, 7:30-9:30 p.m., Cambridge Hospital, 1493 Cambridge St, 3rd floor of main building, Learning Center/
Conference Room A. Call Elizabeth at (781)646-0397 for more information.
Lowell: 3rd Wednesday each month, 7 p.m., Solomon Mental Health Center, 391 Varnum Ave. Phone (978)677-0618 or email namigreaterlowell@yahoo.com.
*Wakefield: 2nd Monday each month for the winter, 1-2:30 p.m., Beebe Memorial Library, 345 Main St, for the winter. Cancellation policy is if Wakefield schools are closed, meeting is cancelled. Contact Kay at (781)438-1851 or Diane at Dianeh23@yahoo.com or (978)658-3567.
DBSA Support Groups: sponsored by Depression Bipolar Support Alliance for individuals in recovery or family/friends
Belmont: Every Wednesday, 7-9 p.m., McLean Hospital, Demarneffe building cafeteria, 115 Mill St, Belmont. 2nd & 4th Wednesdays include lecture 7-8
p.m. followed by support groups. Additionally there are drop-in groups on Monday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday from 1:30-3:30 p.m.in room 132.
Phone (617)855-2795, email info@dbsaboston.org, website http://www.dbsaboston.org.
Lowell: Every Thursday, 6-7:30 p.m., Lowell First Church of the Nazarene, 1195 Varnum Ave. Email info@dbsamerrimackvalley.org.
Wayside Parent Groups: support groups for parents of children/adolescents with mental health challenges,
sponsored by Wayside Youth and Family Support Network
Framingham: 2nd & 4th Monday each month, 2 meetings: at 10-11:30 a.m. and 7-8:30 p.m., 88 Lincoln St. For more info contact Ann Killion at
Ann_Killion@waysideyouth.org.
Waltham: 1st & 3rd Monday each month, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, and 3rd Wednesday each month 7-8:30 p.m., 118 Central St. For more information contact
Kelley Daron at Kelley_Daron@waysideyouth.org or call (781)891-0555 Ext. 58.
Peer Support Groups: support groups for individuals in recovery facilitated by peers
Wakefield: Contact Mary Jo Fortes at (781)606-2042 before coming to any of the following groups.
“Peer Friendship Group”– Fridays, 11 a.m.-12 noon. DMH Site Office, 27 Water St., 3rd Fl, Suite 301.
“Striving for Happiness” – Tuesdays, 12-1 p.m., Horizon House, 78 Water St.
“Art & Music Appreciation” – Tuesdays, 10-11 a.m., Horizon House, 78 Water St.
“Come Together” - Wednesdays, 3-4 p.m., Horizon House, 78 Water St.
Somerville: Every Wednesday & Friday, 10:30 a.m.-12 noon, Cambridge-Somerville Recovery Learning Center (a big red brick building), first floor, suite
111 behind the elevator,35 Medford St, Somerville. For info and further directions, contact Janel at tanj@vinfen.org or (617)863-5388.
*Indicates sponsored by NAMI Central Middlesex
Other Support
Peer Warm Line: Friendly phone lines run by peers for peers, (877)733-7563, hours of operation: Tuesday thru Sunday, 4-8 p.m., and (800)243-5836, a
peer-run call-in service, hours of operation: 5-10 p.m. weekdays and 4-9 p.m. weekends
Psychiatric Emergency: Instead of calling 911 or using the local hospital emergency rooms, call the Emergency Service Provider (ESP) at (877)382-1609
and enter your zip code. This is a 24/7/365 toll-free line.
NAMI Central Middlesex Helpline: (781)982-3318 is covered by trained volunteers. Leave a message and someone will return your call within 24 hours.
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: nami.cmsx@gmail.com or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 2
NAMI Central Middlesex President’s Message by Judy McKendry
Happy New Year! I
hope you had a
pleasant holiday and
you were able to find
some time for R & R
in the days following.
Thanks to all the
folks who organized,
decorated,
and
brought delicious
treats and toiletry
item donations for
our Holiday Party
last month. A huge
thank you goes to
Janet Hodges for making the arrangements with the Edinburg Center and making it all happen. I really enjoyed
myself and it seemed like everyone else did, too. See
some photos on page 7.
On Monday evening, January 26, we are holding our
Annual Meeting and I encourage you to come. Those of
you who have attended in the past know it is a very nice
evening. What is not to like? There are other nice people
to talk to. A buffet dinner (with gluten-free and dairyfree options) is cooked for you by the Board members.
The business meeting is brief. There is a brief educational program. If you have never attended before,
please join us. Bring another NAMI friend who has
never attended.
At this year’s Annual Meeting, NAMI Central Middlesex
members will be voting both on a slate of officers and on
whether or not to accept the proposed Bylaw changes
for NAMI Central Middlesex. You will be receiving a
mailing about the election of officers and the Bylaw
changes very soon. The mailing will highlight any significant departures from our current Bylaws. You will
discover there are very few. As was stated in last
month’s President’s Message, the reason we are changing the Bylaws is to bring them more in line with the
template NAMI national has provided. We are in the
process of “reaffiliation” with the goal of bringing our
affiliate into compliance with NAMI’s new Standards of
Excellence.
The brief educational program at the Annual Meeting
will be a presentation on the status of the CIT (Crisis
Intervention Training) program developed by NAMI
Mass and DMH (MA Department of Mental Health).
This is the program doing the police trainings. I understand it is getting very good reviews. We are very
pleased and excited to have as our dinner guests and
our presenters Annabel Lane, assistant to June Binney
who heads the CIT program for NAMI Mass; and Laurie
Martinelli, NAMI Mass Executive Director. They are
looking forward to being with us. January 26 should be
a very interesting evening.
In closing, since it is the beginning of a new year, I
would like to share something with you. This is a time
when people sometimes make resolutions. I would like to
turn the tables a bit and offer YOU some resolutions I
came across a few years ago that were so meaningful
that I printed them up on cardstock and keep them on
my desk. You can find them on page 6. I hope you like
them, too.
OBAMA SIGNS ABLE ACT: MAJOR VICTORY FOR PERSONS
WITH DISABILITIES AND THEIR FAMILIES
Thank you to Francine Stieglitz for bringing this to the
attention of the editor. The following text comes from the
National Disability Institute’s website. For more, visit:
http://www.realeconomicimpact.org/News.aspx?id=463
On December 19, 2014, President Barack Obama signed
into law the Achieving Better Life Expectancy (ABLE)
Act. First introduced in 2006, and subsequent sessions
of Congress, the ABLE Act will allow people with disabilities (with an age of onset up to 26 years old) and
their families the opportunity to create a tax-exempt savings account that can be used for maintaining health,
independence and quality of life.
For first time in the nation's history, federal government
recognizes added costs associated to living with a
disability. "Today marks a new day in our country's understanding and support of people with disabilities and
their families," Michael Morris, National Disability Institute (NDI) Executive Director, said. "A major victory
for the disability community, ABLE, for the very first
time in our country's policy on disability, recognizes that
there are added costs to living with a disability." He continued. "For far too long, federally imposed asset limits
to remain eligible for critical public benefits have served
as a roadblock toward greater financial independence for
the millions of individuals living with a disability."
(continued on page 4)
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: nami.cmsx@gmail.com or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 3
(continued from page 3) NDI has long championed the
ABLE Act as a critical strategy to providing a pathway to
a better economic future for all people with disabilities. As
the nation's first nonprofit dedicated to improving the financial health and future of all people with disabilities, the
organization has extensively documented and called attention to the daily reality and extra expenses associated with
living with a disability, and the challenges of navigating
the complex web of government rules to maintain public
benefits eligibility.
In recognition of this unprecedented legislation, NDI has
created a list of 10 items about ABLE accounts that individuals with disabilities and their families should know:
9. How many eligible individuals and families might
benefit from establishing an ABLE account?
10. How is an ABLE account different than a special
needs or pooled trust?
For details on these 10 items about Able accounts, go
to:
http://realeconomicimpact.org/newsletters/
wash_insider_Dec_2014.html
1. What is an ABLE account?
2. Why the need for ABLE accounts?
3. Am I eligible for an ABLE account?
4. Are there limits to how much money can be put in an
ABLE account?
5. Which expenses are allowed by ABLE accounts?
6. Where do I go to open an ABLE account?
7. Can I have more than one ABLE account?
8. Will states offer options to invest the savings contributed to an ABLE account?
Public Policy and Legislation by Rita Sagalyn
During the past month two NAMI
Mass affiliates, Central Middlesex
and Cambridge/Middlesex, conducted education programs on the
topic: Why have jails become default mental hospitals? This is a
complicated subject. NAMI Mass is
trying to address part of the problem
through its Jail Diversion Program
directed by June Binney. There are many contributing factors including: lack of psychiatric, physical, and social
services; lack of supported housing; and inadequate training of workers in the criminal justice system.
It has been demonstrated that mass incarceration has become one of the greatest public health problems of our
time. It also is a financial burden costing annually $40,000
to $50,000 per inmate. In order to stop this epidemic, public health and criminal justice systems must work effectively together.
New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio (New York Times
12/13/14) has established a plan for reducing the number
of mentally ill persons in New York City jails. It will require a shift in priorities by the police, the courts, and so-
cial service and housing agencies. The aim is to improve the lives of mentally ill people by getting them
treatment and places to live instead of locking them up.
Nearly 40% of the approximately 11,000 inmates in
city jails suffer from mental illness. They cost more
than other inmates, cannot make bail, and keep returning to jail. The mayor's task force identified more than
400 persons that had been jailed at least 18 times in the
last 5 years. The plan will take steps to keep persons
with little or no risk to the public out of jail. It will reduce reliance on bail, expand community supervision
programs for low-risk persons, and experiment with
clinical drop-off centers where police can take persons
who do not need to be locked up. A crucial component
is to create supportive housing, places with psychiatric
and social services to help mentally ill people live independently. This is a very ambitious plan to address a
great societal problem.
We should encourage the development of such a plan in
Massachusetts. To learn more about the Jail Diversion
Program run by NAMI Mass, be sure to come to the
NAMI Central Middlesex Annual Dinner/Meeting on
January 26. See page 1 of The Bridge for more.
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: nami.cmsx@gmail.com or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 4
Solitary Confinement Forum Very
Informative by Ruthann Minkin
social situations.
Senator Eldridge will be reintroducing Bill S. 1133 in a revised form in January. The bill would make some needed
reforms to the practice of solitary confinement in Massachusetts. Attendees of the forum had an opportunity to sign letters to their state senators and representatives, asking them to
support this upcoming bill. For more information on this
event or on solitary confinement in Massachusetts, e-mail
Ruthann Minkin at rbmink28@gmail.com.
Prisons as
Mental Health Institutions
by Pam Andrews
From Left to Right: Leslie Walker, Dr. Stuart Grassian,
and State Senator Jamie Eldridge.
NAMI Central Middlesex co-sponsored a solitary confinement
forum at First Parish of Concord on December 7th along with
the primary sponsor, Amnesty International Group 15, and
other co-sponsors including the ACLU of Massachusetts and
the Social Action Community of First Parish. The panelists
included Leslie Walker, the Executive Director of Prisoners’
Legal Services of Massachusetts; Dr. Stuart Grassian, an expert
on the psychological impacts of solitary confinement; and State
Senator James B. Eldridge, the sponsor of Bill S. 1133, an Act
on the Appropriate Use of Solitary Confinement. The moderator was Ruthann Minkin.
The topic is important to NAMI because the prisoners with
mental health issues are disproportionately placed in solitary
confinement where the conditions exacerbate their mental illnesses. This is especially disturbing given that, in any prison or
jail in Massachusetts, approximately 20-25% of the inmates are
mentally ill. The exception to this is Bridgewater State Hospital
where 100% of the population has mental health issues.
The panelists shared a lot of information on solitary confinement. There are currently 80,000 prisoners in solitary confinement in the U.S. The prisoners in solitary confinement are deprived of almost all stimuli and are locked in their cells for 2224 hours a day. Visits from loved ones, when allowed, are from
behind glass, so the only physical contact most prisoners have
is when they are touched by guards as they are being handcuffed for movement in or out of the cell. Massachusetts is one
of only three states where a prisoner can be sentenced to up to
10 years in solitary confinement for a disciplinary infraction.
The damaging psychological effects of solitary confinement
leave many prisoners with a limited hold on reality and an inability to tolerate normal stimulation. This damage can happen
whether the prisoners had a pre-existing mental condition or
not. It is dangerous to release a prisoner directly from solitary
confinement to the community without a reintegration program. Some become violent while many others become loners
who hole up in their rooms, unable to handle the stimulation of
Neighboring affiliates are as concerned about our Massachusetts prisons as we are. NAMI Cambridge/Middlesex offered
a well-attended panel discussion on December 2nd. Speakers
were June Binney of NAMI, James Pingeon of Prisoners
Legal Services, and Michael Rezendes of the Boston Globe.
The moderator, Steve Rosenthal, President of NAMI Mass,
noted that the Globe's spotlight articles on Bridgewater State
Hospital brought to public attention the failure of mental
health services in prison. Binney, NAMI Criminal Justice
Program Director, reported that almost 3.5 thousand cases of
serious mental illness are documented in Massachusetts jails
and prisons. Pingeon, who has represented Massachusetts
prisoners and their families for the past 30 years, stated that
half of suicides that occur every year in prison are by people
in solitary confinement. Michael Rezendes, Globe Spotlight
Reporter, recalled that Bridgewater has used solitary confinement 100 times more than other mental health hospitals and
that three men have recently died in Bridgewater in 4-point
restraints. Part of the problem is that Bridgewater is a prison
run by the Department of Corrections.
Some questions that people asked were:
1.
If new facilities are constructed, will old attitudes be transported to new facilities? Is special training of staff attending
mentally ill people essential?
2.
Can behavior be identified and helped before it gets out of
control? How do we provide services for people who don’t
require institutionalization?
3.
How do we use limited funds to combat serious addiction and
mental illness?
Family members are asked to contact their representatives
and local jails and prisons to keep pressure on improvement.
A FRIENDLY REMINDER:
RENEW YOUR NAMI
MEMBERSHIP
If you would like to add a donation to your membership,
please send it to NAMI Central Middlesex at
PO Box 6243, Lincoln, MA 01773
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: nami.cmsx@gmail.com or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 5
Nine Positive Mental Health Resolutions
Author unknown.
Sent out over email by Chip Coffey, Director of Outpatient Services at St. Luke’s Behavioral Center in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.
1. “I will treat myself with respect and speak nicely
about myself.” Try taping a list of 10 positive characteristics about yourself in various places throughout
the house and workplace to remind you of these
things.
2. “I resolve to be mentally healthy.” In the United
States, there is still a stigma about seeing a therapist.
However, it is truly one of the healthiest things we
can do for ourselves. A therapist gives us an unbiased
ear and can also help us to understand why we do
things we do… think of seeing a therapist as a mental
health oil change.
3. “I will be physically active on a daily basis.” Multiple studies show a link between exercise and improved mental health.
4. “I will act and not react.” Many times we feel like
everyone is pushing our buttons. When this happens,
we are caught up in reaction. It is not that people are
intentionally pushing buttons; it is that we became
overly sensitive. If you know you’ll be around someone who says negative things, plan for this and have
a list in your head of disarming statements.
5. “I will learn to relax and enjoy.” Many times we become so busy we forget how or even when to take
care of ourselves. Take a yoga or meditation class.
Find some activity like photography or journaling
[that] is relaxing and enjoyable to you. Dedicate time
6.
7.
8.
9.
to this daily, if possible, or at a minimum, weekly.
“I will not define myself by a label.” We often become our labels, i.e., I am depressed, I am fat, I am
anxious. Drop your label. When you do so, it allows you to take control of the messages you have
about yourself. For example, you could say, “I have
depression, and today I will make sure to exercise
to manage it.”
“I will be mindful.” Being mindful is about staying
in the moment. “I cannot change yesterday; I cannot predict tomorrow; however, I do have control
over the here and now. So, I will be aware in the
moment and enjoy that moment.”
“I will work towards being the person I want to
be.” There is an old quote about life being a journey to be enjoyed not an obstacle to be overcome.
When we see our lives as obstacles we do not enjoy
life very much. When we see life as a journey and a
time to continue to be the person we desire to be,
life is much more pleasant and enjoyable.
“I will not be hard on myself if I make resolutions
and do not keep them. I may want to try them later
in the year. I may realize that it will take more time
than I thought to work on issues and I will look at
this as a good thing and not a bad thing. I do not
fail by trying.”
NAMI Central Middlesex Board meetings are
OPEN for ALL affiliate members. You are invited to attend and add your ideas to the discussions. If you would like to receive minutes of
the meetings, let Judy McKendry know.
MGH Patient and Family Education Series—Save the Dates
Jennie Payne gives her personal recommendation for this
series.
The programs are offered at no cost but you do need to
register for them. Registration opens 4 - 6 weeks prior to
the program. Please call (866)644-7792 or visit
www.mghpatientfamily.org to register.
The website also includes material including recordings
and slides from recent programs along with other information of use.
Getting there by public transportation is fairly easy. The
venue is a short walk from Charles St. station on the Red
Line. Parking is available via MGH parking but there is
no discount.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Saturday, February 21, 2015
Bipolar and Genetics
Saturday, May 9, 2015
Eating Disorders
Saturday, June 13, 2015
Depression and Neurotherapeutics
Saturday, October 3, 2015
13th Annual Schizophrenia Education Day
Saturday, November 7, 2015
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: nami.cmsx@gmail.com or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 6
Holiday Party Fun Photos!
Nominees for NAMI Central Middlesex
2015 Board of Directors
President:
Vice President:
Secretary:
Treasurer:
Assistant Treasurer:
Auditor:
Membership Committee:
Program Committee:
Walk Chair:
Legislation:
The Bridge Editor:
Outreach Coordinator:
Members At Large:
Veterans Outreach:
Directions to the Edinburg Center:
1040 Waltham Street, Lexington, MA
Judy McKendry
Jennifer Payne
Lynda McCumber
Liz Watson
Janet Hodges
Lynda McCumber
Ivy Pompei
Dee Febba
Janet Hodges
Pamela Andrews
Francine Stieglitz
Tom Scurfield
Rita Sagalyn
Becky Hadden
Susan McDougall
Melissa Talal
Maureen Reyling
Open
Take a slight right onto Concord Ave.
Take a right onto Spring St.
Take the first right onto Hayden St.
Turn Right onto Waltham St.
1040 Waltham St. will be on the left.
Via route 128:
Take exit 28 for Trapelo Rd., heading east, toward Belmont.
Follow Trapelo Rd. to Lexington St.
Turn left onto Lexington St. which soon changes into Via route 2 west:
Waltham St.
Take exit 54A toward Waltham St./Waltham
1040 Waltham St. will be on the right.
At the end of the ramp, merge right onto Hayden Ave.
At Waltham St., turn right.
Via route 2 east:
1040 Waltham St will be on the left.
Take exit 53 toward Spring St./Lexington/Waltham
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: nami.cmsx@gmail.com or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
Page 7
Calendar of Upcoming Events
Monday, January 5: NAMI Central Middlesex Board of Directors meeting, 7 p.m., Edinburg Center, Lexington
Tuesday, January 6: Family support group, Lexington (see page 2)
Thursday, January 8: Connections Group, 10-11:30 a.m., West Concord (see page 2)
Tuesday, January 13: Family support group, Acton/Littleton (see page 2)
Thursday, January 15: Connections Group, 10-11:30 a.m., Littleton (see page 2)
Saturday, January 17: Family support group, Stow (see page 2)
Tuesday, January 20: Family support group, Lexington (see page 2)
Thursday, January 22: Connections Group, 10-11:30 a.m., West Concord (see page 2)
Monday, January 26: NAMI Central Middlesex Annual Dinner Meeting, 6:30 p.m., Edinburg Center, Lexington
Tuesday, January 27: Family support group, Acton/Littleton (see page 2)
Tuesday, January 27: Family support group, Bedford (see page 2)
Monday, February 2: NAMI Central Middlesex Board of Directors meeting, 7 p.m., Edinburg Center, Lexington
Saturday, February 21: MGH Education: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (see page 6)
Monday, February 23: NAMI CMSX College and Mental Health Panel. Save the date!
Board of Directors
NAMI Central Middlesex
Saturday, May 16: NAMI Mass Walk. Save the date!

President
Vice President
Secretary
Treasurer
Assistant Treasurer
Auditor
Newsletter Editor
Community Outreach Coordinator
Legislative Coordinator
Membership Co-Coordinator
Membership Co-Coordinator
Programs Committee
Programs Committee
Programs Committee
Walk Coordinator
Walk Assistant
Veterans Outreach Coordinator
Board Member At-Large
Board Member At-Large
Judy McKendry
Jennie Payne
Lynda McCumber
Liz Watson
Janet Hodges
Lynda McCumber
Becky Hadden
Susan McDougall
Rita Sagalyn
Dee Febba
Ivy Pompei
Billie Drew
Francine Stieglitz
Janet Hodges
Tom Scurfield
Billie Drew
Tom Raposa
Francine Stieglitz
Helene Semchenko
(978)897-9541
na
(978)250-1509
na
(617)816-5856
(978)250-1509
(978)886-5666
(978)263-8830
(781)538-5102
(978)697-3441
(978)667-4543
(781)799-4744
(781)862-9171
(617)816-5856
(978)618-7521
(781)799-4744
(508)326-3220
(781)862-9171
na
jdmckendry@verizon.net
jpayne@mulherngroup.org
LMcCumber@comcast.net
liz@lizwatson.com
janet_hodges@yahoo.com
LMcCumber@comcast.net
bhadden@hadlorgroup.com
mcdougalletal@aol.com
ritacs0174@gmail.com
deefebba@comcast.net
ivypompei@comcast.net
drew.billie@gmail.com
fstiegli@bu.edu
janet_hodges@yahoo.com
garlandhome@comcast.net
drew.billie@gmail.com
traposa443@aol.com
fstiegli@bu.edu
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NAMI of Central Middlesex Annual Membership Form
NAMI Annual Membership: Obtaining a NAMI membership gives you membership in our local NAMI affiliate, the NAMI Mass organization,
and the NAMI National organization. Please join by completing and mailing this form.
Name:____________________________________________________ Phone: (_____)_____-_______ Email:__________________________
Address:_____________________________________________________Town:_____________________________Zip Code:_____________
New members, please tell us how you learned about NAMI: ___________________________________________________________________
I prefer to receive the affiliate newsletter, The Bridge, via
□ Post Mail
□ Email (preferred due to cost savings)
Check only one membership choice below:
Individual/Family membership:
□New □Renewal
$35.00
Open door membership for people of limited
means:
□New □Renewal
$3.00
Individuals with lived experience:
□New □Renewal
FREE
Check below only if you wish to receive our
affiliate newsletter but do not wish to have a
membership:
The Bridge only:
□New □Renewal
Please make check payable to:
NAMI of Central Middlesex
$10.00
Extra donation (Thank you!):
$________________
Mail to:
NAMI of Central Middlesex
PO Box 6243
Lincoln, MA 01773
Total enclosed: $________________
Special thanks to Joe McKendry for the bridge graphic on page 1 of this newsletter.
Connect to NAMI Central Middlesex: nami.cmsx@gmail.com or www.nami.org/sites/NAMICentralMiddlesex
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