July 2004

              Contents

NAMI North Carolina Spring Conference
Message from the President
NAMI North Carolina Welcomes New Executive Director
Message from the Executive Director
NAMI North Carolina Bids a Sad Farewell to Beth Greb
Building and Guarding Community Capacity:
The Re-designation of the GACPD
Young Families Program: Power Point Presentation Available
Research Update: New Drug Information Required
Family to Family Hall of Fame
Consumer Corner: Living with Bipolar Disorder  
Affiliate News     
Development: Fundraisers and Gifts

NAMI North Carolina Spring Conference: Celebrating Our 20^th Birthday

Held on April 25-26 at the North Raleigh Hilton, the annual NAMI North Carolina Spring Conference was entitled: Reform, Responsibility and Recovery: NAMI North Carolina, 20 Years and Going Strong. This year’s conference was particularly meaningful because it corresponded with NAMI North Carolina’s 20^th anniversary and NAMI National’s 25th anniversary.  NAMI-NC is fortunate to still count among its active participants founding members Elaine Purpel, Marcia Garatt, Paul Garatt, and John Baggett.  (For more information about the 20th anniversary of NAMI-NC, see March issue of Clippings, available online at www.naminc.org.)

 The conference included an impressive and diverse group of presenters: Charles Curie, MA, ACSW, Administrator of Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA); Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, MD, (NAMI National Board member); Beth Melcher, PhD, NAMI-NC’s former Executive Director; and several other knowledgeable presenters. Advocacy, education, and support, the key missions of NAMI-NC, were discussed in the sessions- many times within a single presentation- as the presenters explored the many facets of mental illness. By encouraging the audience members to ask questions, the presenters made the sessions relevant and personalized.

 In addition to the sessions, the conference featured a birthday celebration for NAMI-NC with presentations by founding members and musical excerpts from Balancing Act by Wambui Bahati.  There were presentations by founders and other members.

 Conference participants also had the opportunity to meet the new Executive Director, Chris Aycock, MPA, who began work on the first day of the conference. (See additional stories “NAMI North Carolina Welcomes New Executive Director” and “Message from the Executive Director” for more information about Chris Aycock.) 

 Beth Garriss Hardy, PhD, NAMI-NC President, commented “One of things that excited me most about the conference was the positive energy that seemed to flow throughout the conference.  Informal networking among family, consumers, and professionals in attendance was indeed gratifying to observe.” 

 Thank you to everyone who planned and participated in the conference.

 By Kalani MacGregor, MPH,  Editor, Clippings

Message from the President

To Members of NAMI North Carolina:

 It is with great pleasure that I write this, my first letter to you as President of NAMI North Carolina.  We have so much to look forward to in the coming year, and I invite each of you to join me in moving NAMI-NC into a new phase of advocacy and program activity.  We have just celebrated our 20^th Birthday and it is indeed exciting to consider our past accomplishments as we look toward our new endeavors. As with any organization, there have been good years and there have been lean years.  As we reflect on the past year, we see a year of exceptional challenges, but one in which many people joined hands to fill in the gaps and keep the work of NAMI-NC going strong.  I’d like to take this opportunity to thank those individuals, including staff, affiliate leaders, Board members, and others throughout the state who have spent so many long hours making sure the organization stays strong.  I speak for many when I thank you as individuals and as affiliates for your dedication and commitment to our organization.

 I believe we are truly at a crossroad, not only within our organization, but also within the larger mental health arena.  As the reform process continues, with its positive features and with its flaws, we have an unprecedented opportunity to make a real difference.  As our local CFACs continue to get stronger and more involved in the reform process, we have an obligation to get our message out to those who need to hear from us, and to be part of the decision-making process.  While we all recognize that there is great variability in how well CFACs are working across the state, the concept is a good one, and we, the NAMI-NC membership have this very real opportunity to get more involved at the local level and begin to effect change. As advocates for mental health reform, it is our duty to partner with professionals whose responsibility it is to implement mental health reform mandated by our legislature.  The CFAC ensures a process through which the NAMI voice can be a strong one across the state. 

 The new vision for NAMI North Carolina is a new version of the three Rs: Reconnect, Redefine and Revitalize.  We are planning a Fall meeting in each of the three regions, with a view toward building capacity among local affiliates to increase the number of people served by NAMI programs, and to do it closer to home.  Please plan to attend the Fall meeting in your region.  Plan to join your colleagues and counterparts in your region.  Plan to reconnect with each other, redefine the way you work in your community, and revitalize our organization.  We plan to strengthen connections to NAMI National, utilizing their expertise as we redefine our plan of work for the coming year.  We plan to strengthen connections to our local affiliates, finding out more about what your needs are and how we can reorganize to help you address those needs.  And we invite you to connect with your Board, giving us valuable input as we reorganize ourselves.

 Let us know your needs.  Let us work together.  NAMI-NC is not just the staff and Board; NAMI-NC is you.  Let’s enter this next year with a promise to each other to Reconnect, Redefine and Revitalize NAMI North Carolina.

 -Beth Garriss Hardy, PhD
President, NAMI North Carolina Board of Directors

NAMI North Carolina Welcomes New Executive Director

 NAMI North Carolina Board of Directors is pleased to announce the appointment of Chris Aycock, MPA, as its new Executive Director.  Chris began work on April 23 at the NAMI-NC Annual Spring Conference.  He has a Bachelor of Arts in History from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and a graduate degree in Public Administration from North Carolina State University.  Chris is a member of PI Alpha Alpha National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.  His most recent employment was as a Deputy Director of the Neuse Mental Health Area Program/LME.

 Chris brings strong experience, skills and attributes to the position of NAMI North Carolina Executive Director.  His former position as a Deputy Director of an area program makes him knowledgeable about the complex issues related to mental health reform.  He is passionate about the role NAMI-NC needs to play in giving voice to our most vulnerable citizens, those with severe and persistent mental illness.   His goals include building stronger affiliates, growing our membership, strengthening the NAMI-NC Consumer Council, increasing and diversifying sources of funding for NAMI-NC programs, and increasing NAMI-NC visibility across the state.

Chris will be responsible for the management of the NAMI North Carolina office and staff, with budgeting and fiscal responsibilities.  He will also maintain and grow our presence in several arenas: the North Carolina Legislature; the NC Division of Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities/Substance Abuse Services (MH/DD/SAS); and the various coalitions, taskforces and work groups in NAMI-NC’s network of advocacy organizations.

 Chris and his wife Alicia have a new son, Joshua.  Chris enjoys swimming and considers his avocation in theatre as a source of enjoyment, plus good experience for his profession.  Two of his favorite books are The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People, by Stephen Covey, and The Religions of Man, by Houston Smith.

 Chris believes that all the work of NAMI-NC is predicated on the position that people with mental illness can lead a full life.  He is committed to the belief that together we can make that happen.

 Welcome to the new NAMI-NC Executive Director, Chris Aycock!

Message from the Executive Director

 I am honored to be the new Executive Director of NAMI North Carolina. I look forward to working with all of you.

 Many people would say that the mental health systems in North Carolina are in a state of chaos. This is partially true. But chaos is equal to opportunity. The Chinese character for chaos is identical to the one for opportunity. Now is a time when we will need to positively face the challenges and the opportunities that improving the North Carolina mental health systems may bring.

 Together we will make a difference.

 -Chris Aycock, MPA
Executive Director, NAMI North Carolina

NAMI North Carolina Bids a Sad Farewell to Beth Greb

 As we welcome our new Executive Director, we must say goodbye to Beth Greb, longtime employee of NAMI North Carolina.  As the Director of Affiliate Relations, Beth worked tirelessly with affiliate members in all aspects of setting up and maintaining local NAMI-NC affiliates.  In her work as the Editor of Clippings, she developed a collaborative newsletter by encouraging contributions by staff, mental health experts, affiliates and consumers. She will be sorely missed and we wish her the best!

 Please contact Chris Aycock, MPA, with any questions regarding affiliate relations.  For submissions to Clippings, contact Kalani MacGregor, MPH, Editor of Clippings at kalanimac@yahoo.com.

Building and Guarding Community Capacity: Another Role for CFACs

 As a result of statewide mental health reform, local communities are currently facing both change and opportunity. At this point in the reform process, North Carolinians must move beyond blaming “the system” (state or local governments) for not having solutions.  Instead, we must engage, collaborate, reason, and create solutions that will expand the resources of our home communities.  Through this process, we will expand local community capacity. Consumer and Family Advisory Committees (CFACs) are an excellent vehicle to shape the development of local services.   

Creating and Protecting the Capacity to Care

It is important that NAMI North Carolina members become familiar with this concept of community capacity.  Consumers and family members who actually use their local mental health system are more aware of the gaps in services than anyone else!  Also, because of their expert knowledge about their communities, consumers can better plan services that provide real solutions.  The NC State Plans of 2002-2003 (with 2004 soon to come) require local Local Management Entities (LMEs) of Area Programs to get meaningful community input by working with CFACs in all aspects of developing and overseeing local service plans.  Through CFACs, consumers and their families can make changes to their community mental health systems that really work and thus develop community capacity.  CFACs can also protect service capacity that might otherwise have been lost. 

Case in Point: A Service Potentially Threatened

One example of a CFAC intervening to protect service capacity happened recently in Winston-Salem.  Forsyth Hospital closed its child and adolescent inpatient psychiatry unit in November.  By December, Wake Forest University Baptist Medical Centers was considering the cost benefits of its own unit.  As the hospital administration considered which units to close, with insurance and Medicaid issues defining policy (as they do), the situation was not looking good for children with acute mental health needs.

When the advocacy community learned of the situation, the CFAC to Center Point Human Services quickly developed a Statement of Concern.  The concerns expressed were three-fold: First, the unit was the only inpatient psychiatric unit for children living in Forsyth and surrounding counties; second, the national shortage of child psychiatrists and places to train them made closing one of the few remaining training sites unconscionable; and third, the hospital had an obligation to give something back to the community that had supported it for generations. The statement was then given to the CEO and other staff of Baptist Medical Centers, along with a letter detailing other pertinent information including information about the recent downsizing of children’s beds at the state hospitals. Fact-sharing meetings were held with key hospital staff, members of the Mental Health Association, and members of NAMI (one of whom is the Chairperson of the CFAC). 

 The collaborative efforts between the local CFAC and the Medical Center staff were successful: The administration of Baptist Medical Centers kept the child/adolescent psychiatric unit open and expressed their commitment to ongoing service. The opportunities afforded through local mental health reform and our CFAC helped keep the hospital unit open. Such collaboration from the community of consumers and advocates raises awareness of our needs and our potential!  

The CFAC’s Challenge

The future of our mental health system lies not only in funding from Raleigh (though CFACs certainly have a voice on that, as well!), but in the meaningful participation of community members in mental health reform.  Consumers and families, through CFACs, can develop and preserve high-quality supports and treatment within our local communities.  Together we can build community capacity to promote mental health recovery!         

 By Laura Coker, Board Member, NAMI North Carolina

The Re-designation of the Governor’s Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities

 On July 14, 2003, the appointed members of the Governor’s Advocacy Council for Persons with Disabilities (GACPD) recommended that Governor Easley re-designate the North Carolina’s Protection and Advocacy program from an agency within state government to a non-profit organization. This recommendation, if accepted by the Governor, initiates a federal re-designation process.

 Before the Governor re-designates GACPD, he must review state-wide focus groups results and the new bylaws. Highlights of the bylaws include the following: a seventeen-member Board of Directors must consist of representatives from Western, Central, and Eastern North Carolina, with no more than five individuals from each region; people with disabilities must make up the majority of the Board; and family members must make up no less than 35% of the Board.

The mission of the proposed new non-profit organization, Disability Rights Center of North Carolina (DRC-NC), will be to advance, protect and enforce the civil rights of people with disabilities.  The re-designation of GACPD as a non-profit outside of state government would make the agency more independent and reduce conflicts of interest. The hope is that more effective advocacy work on behalf  of individuals with mental illness will then take place .

 For more information, go to www.drcnc.org.

 By Linda Swann, Director, Young Families Program

Young Families Program: Power Point Presentation Available

 NAMI North Carolina’s Young Families Program was spotlighted in NAMI Beginnings, a magazine that focuses on youth with mental illnesses.  Because this article sparked so much inquiry from other states, Linda Swann, Director of the Young Families Program at NAMI-NC, finalized a script and Power Point presentation that will go on sale shortly.  This presentation will be available to NAMI affiliates around the country for the nominal fee of $150. 

 When Linda Swann surveyed NC parents six years ago, they said they needed teachers and other school personnel to understand that mental illnesses are no-fault brain disorders and that children needed appropriate accommodations and interventions in the schools.  Working with Chary Sundstrom of NAMI Wake, she developed a two-hour presentation that would help educate professionals who work with children with mental illnesses. The presentation covers mental illness in children (including warning signs), the diagnostic process, treatment options, and what teachers can do to help.  Also included is a section that is told from the point of view of youth, as well as the parents of youth, who have mental illness. 

 In terms of how she measures success, Swann says, “We believe we have succeeded in our efforts if teachers and other professionals leave our workshop with more empathy for children with mental illness.” 

 The presentation has educated over 4,000 teachers in North Carolina. Other professionals targeted for these seminars work in social services, the court system, juvenile justice and school nursing services.

 According to Linda Swann, many people worked together to help make this presentation a success. Diane Weaver, Sue Bennett, Phyllis Kennedy, Colleen Russell, and Beth Ann Russell helped her tremendously.  If you are interested in either purchasing the presentation or having an advocate make a presentation in your community, contact Linda Swann by phone at 919-788-0801 or by e-mail at lswann@naminc.org.

Research Update: New Drug Information Required

 On March 29, the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) issued a warning  that patients on some popular antidepressants should be closely monitored for warning signs of suicide.  The FDA is asking ten pharmaceutical companies to include a warning on SSRIs (Selective Seretonin Reuptake Inhibitors) and other newer antidepressants.

Although the FDA's investigation initially focused on children, its warning is aimed at both adult and pediatric use of the medicines to alleviate depression.      

It isn't clear yet that these medications actually do lead to suicide, the FDA stressed. Depression itself can lead to suicide. Others have noted that since the invention of SSRIs, the overall suicide rate has dropped.

 But until new studies are done, advisers to the FDA called for stronger warnings that the antidepressants may cause agitation, anxiety and hostility in a subset of patients who are unusually prone to rare side effects.  These effects are particularly noticeable in the first weeks of beginning treatment.

 This action by the FDA has its critics, with some experts saying that over-reacting may stop some from using potentially lifesaving medications.

 This information should be discussed with your physician.  Abrupt withdrawal from these antidepressants can produce suicide, mania, seizures, psychotic breaks, and other serious side effects.                                                     

By Gloria Harrison, Director, Helpline

Family to Family Hall of Fame

 At the NAMI North Carolina Spring Conference 17 Family-to-Family teachers were inducted into the NAMI North Carolina Family-to-Family Hall of Fame.  This recognition is given to teachers who have taught the course five times or more.  It is given in appreciation of their time, dedication and willingness to serve families of persons with severe and persistent mental illness in their communities

 Congratulations to the following NAMI North Carolina Family-to-Family Hall of Fame inductees! 

 By Phyllis Kennedy, Director, Family to Family

Consumer Corner: Living with Bipolar Disorder        

 In the spring of 2000, I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, a mood-altering biochemical imbalance in the brain.  The illness can start in early childhood all the way through late adulthood. My illness began at the age of 26, although indicators were present at an earlier age.

 When first diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I knew little about depression and mania.  My understanding of depression was limited to feeling blue and mania was thought to mean having a good time.  Because of lack of knowledge,  I denied a problem existed.  The symptoms of bipolar disorder, high level of energy and reckless behavior, may feel good to a person and this leads to denial.

 Bipolar disorder is characterized by mania and depression that lasts hours, days, weeks or even months.  My illness has a seasonal aspect: depending on the time of year, my symptoms range from depression alone to depressions and mania. Medication, rest and positive activities help control these symptoms.

 Before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I was given different medications in varying dosages and combinations.  At one time, medication was stopped and herbs were tested.  After being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, medication has been prescribed that has given me freedom from mood swings.  Having a psychiatrist who works with me has helped too.  This is essential when it comes to mental illness.

 Living with bipolar disorder has been destructive and complex.  Psychotic thinking led to bizarre and frenzied behavior while clear, creative thinking allowed for moments of inspiration and innovation.  Despair and desperation made life meaningless.  Life was shattered and dreams were taken away.  Plans for tomorrow were interrupted and new ways to adapt had to be learned.  A new outlook has been found to overcome the many issues connected to this illness.

 There is no cure for bipolar disorder, but medication, psychotherapy, and life-adjustment skills help.  Support from family, friends, and peers help individuals with bipolar disorder stabilize their emotions and behavior.  The best support I have received has been through NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill).  Just before being diagnosed with bipolar disorder, I learned of NAMI as a source for information about mental illness.  All it took was a telephone call to NAMI North Carolina to get information about bipolar disorder.  Had it not been for NAMI, I do not know where I would have gone for the information and support I needed.

 Accepting my illness has taken a keen understanding of bipolar disorder, its triggers, and therapeutics that work.  It has meant letting go of old beliefs and coming to realize I cannot always control what is happening outside my being but I can learn to control how I react to life’s circumstances.  Fighting mental illness has required changing the manner in which the past is perceived and creating a new reality by not forgetting the past, but altering the view of myself as I am now.  I have learned to change, grow and take charge of my emotions. By looking at my life, recognizing who and what to avoid, and taking small, persistent steps to face needed changes, I have a greater sense of  balance in my life.  With balance, life has taken on a new meaning and recovery has been made.

 By Sarah K. Boyd, President, NAMI Rowan County

Affiliate News

 NAMI Alamance members headed Operation Santa Claus sponsored by the Burlington Times News.  NAMI Alamance vice president, Luellen Kaighn, chaired the committee and with her band of NAMI helpers did the shopping for the 37 Alamance and Caswell Counties consumers at John Umstead Hospital in December. President Norman Melton said they fulfilled every person’s wish when they unloaded Norman’s horse trailer, filled with over $3000 worth of gifts, at Umstead Hospital. 

 NAMI Guilford received a $3000 grant in 2003 and a $1500 Grant in 2004 from the Community Foundation of Greater Greensboro.  The grants fund NAMI Guilford’s Information Outreach project, a project that provides brochures about mental illness to Guilford county public libraries, hospital libraries, police stations, and other public institutions. Each year 14,000 residents of Guilford county become more knowledgeable about mental illnesses through the free materials of Information Outreach.  For information, contact Dorothy M. Oliver, Ed.D at 336-299-9992 or e-mail schetia@aol.com.

 NAMI Pitt surprised Katie Sawyer with a NAMI Library dedicated in her honor.  “She has been an instrumental figure in getting our chapter off the ground,” says Millie Hagler, Treasurer of NAMI Pitt.  “Our group wanted to say thanks for all her hard work over the past two years and this seemed the best way to do it.” To attend meetings of NAMI Pitt (the nearest affiliate), Katie drives 47 miles from her home in Pantego, in eastern Beaufort County.

 NAMI Durham sponsored Next Step Housing Apartment Building along with the Durham City Council, who allotted $470,000 toward the program. The program provides not only safe housing, but supportive services coordination. Shirley Strobel Apartments is named in memory of the founder of Next Step Housing and a former NAMI North Carolina president.

Welcome to NAMI Outer Banks, our newest affiliate, founded in March!

 By Beth Greb, former Director of Affiliate Relations

Development: Fundraisers and Gifts

 On March 6, The Barn at Fearrington Village held a fundraiser for NAMI North Carolina to raise awareness of NAMI-NC and area independent book stores.  The event celebrated the life of Joshua Seay, the recently deceased son of renowned North Carolina author Lee Smith. 

 Kay Gibbons hosted the event and Virginia Holman read a passage from her new book Rescuing Patty Hearst.  Almost 200 people attended this event, raising an impressive $2350 in donations.

 The literary community worked together to make the fundraiser a success.  Nancy Olson (Quail Ridge Books), Keebe Fitch (McIntyre’s Fine Books), Kate Branch (Branch’s Chapel Hill Bookstore), Tom Campbell and John Valentine (The Regulator), Kathryn Henderson (Market Street Books and Maps), Joan Scott (Country Bookshop of Southern Pines), and Gloria Mock (The Independent) pitched in to fund, plan, and advertise the event.

NAMI-NC thanks everyone involved in the event.

 By Kalani MacGregor, MPH, Editor, Clippings

Memorial and Honorary Gifts (12/17/03-03/26/04)

Memorial Gifts:

Braswell, Kevin
      Ms. Laurie Baldwin 
      Edward Beason, M.D.        

      Mr. and Mrs. Richard Bey   

      Ms. Kristian Bissette      

      Mr. and Mrs. Jim Blaylock  

      Ms. Mabel Burgess          

      Mr. and Mrs Rence Callahan 

      Ms. Susan Carson           

      Ms. Sandra Chitty          

      Ms. Corinne Clinton        

      Mrs. Elizabeth Cobb        

      Ms. Rebecca Connelly       

      Daniel Professional Group, Inc.

      Mr. and Mrs. Ray Dehart    

      Mr. and Mrs. Bobby Dixon   

      Mr. and Mrs. Thomas        

      Mr. and Mrs. H. H. Felty,  Jr.

      Ms. Ann Flinchum           

      Mr. and Mrs. Robert Francis

      Mr. and Mrs. John Harrison 

      Mr. and Mrs. Thomas Hendren

      Mr. Rodney Henley          

      Mr. and Mrs. Ty Highsmith  

      Mr. and Mrs. Champ Jones,  Jr.

      Mr. and Mrs. Robert Kelly  

      Mr. Ralph Kennedy          

      Mr. and Mrs. John Lesesne  

      Mr. and Mrs. Stanley Link  

      Mr. Charles Mays           

      Hal McKinnon, Jr., DDS, PA 

      Mr. and Mrs. Robert Messer 

      Mr. and Mrs. John Mundy    

      Mr. and Mrs. Larry Oates   

      Ms. Patti Patridge, MA, LPC

      Piedmont Ear, Nose & Throat , Assn.

      Ms. Margaret Anne Reid     

      Mr. and Mrs. Leland        

      Ms. Shirley Ring           

      Ms. Jane Rivers            

      Mr. and Mrs. Lester Russell

      Mr. and Mrs. James Sanderford, Jr.       

      Ronald Shealy, M.D.        

      Mr. and Mrs. Frank Sherrill, Jr.        

      Mr. and Mrs. Jeffrey Sparks

      Mr. and Mrs. J.T. Thompson 

      Mr. and Mrs. John Van Zandt, III     

      Ms. Emily Verheyen         

      WSSU, Accel Nursing Class of ‘05 

      Mr. and Mrs. Gerald Watson 

      Ms. Louise Whealton        

      Ronnie Lee Willard         

      Ms. Shannon Wilson         

      Mr. and Mrs. Daniel Zaccaro
Brown, Ethel
      Mrs. Eileen F. Silber   
Bullard, Elsie N.
      Mr. and  Mrs. Hiram Council
Cannady, Rose
      Mr. Ellis R. Cannady    
Condron, William

      Ms. Mary Flynn             

      Ms. Barbara Pawloski       

      Mr. and Mrs. Ralph Potter  

      Mr. and Mrs. Ron Rosner    

      Mr. and Mrs. Gregory Thoutte      

      Ms. Frances Wilson    
Craven, Anne G. T.
      Mrs. Jack Benning  
Dalton, Mattie
      Mr. and Mrs. Isaac McNatt  
Farley, Bob
      Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cleary  
Frady, Alice W.
      Mr. Kelly McCoy  
Greene, Jim
      Mr. and Mrs. Tom Bryson 
Lathum, Judge James L.
      Mrs. Jack Benning   
Mangum, Shaw
      Ms. Victoria Armes 
McClinton, Kimberly
      Mr. and Mrs. Robert Carr
McKeithan, Helen
      Dr. and Mrs. James Osborne 
Parsons, David
      Ms. Martha G. Parsons   
Seay, Joshua
      Mr. and Mrs. Tim Brown     

      Mr. and Mrs. Wayne Caldwell

      Ms. Ellen Davis            

      Ms. Jacquelyn Epperson     

      Ms. Nancy Espersen         

      Ms. Betsy Fenhagen         

      Ms. Kaye Gibbons           

      Ms. Ina Gross              

      Ms. Virginia Holman        

      Ms. Annette L. Kahn, LCSW      

      Ms. Carol Lucas             

      Mr. and Mrs. Christopher  Martens  

      Ms. Natalie Mason-Fry      

      Ms. Barbara Mead           

      Mrs. Nancy Olson           

      Ms. Martha G. Parsons      

      Elizabeth Raft, M.D.       

      Ms. Brenda Rosen            

      Ms. Nancy Margaret Saleeby 

      Ms. Edith Scannell         

      Ms. Gita Schonfeld         

      Ms. Lee Smith              

      Ms. Naomi Weaver           

      Mrs. Julie Williams    
Silber, Dr. David
      Mr. and Mrs. Frank Cleary 
Smith, Bradley E.
      Ms. Geraldine Hatfield    
Waddill, Lucille
      Ms. Nancy Cook             

      Mrs. Avis Hall 
Williams, Don, Rev.

      NAMI Western Carolina       

      Mr. and Mrs. John Rowe   

Honorary Gifts

Annecelli, Mary
     Dr. and Mrs. Paul Nifong  
Bick, Louise
     Ms. Julia Bick
Bonfiglio, Mark and Kare
      Mr. and Mrs. Ron Wright 
Bowers, Robert Jr.
      Ms. Gladys Lee 
Foy family, Richard C.
      Mr. and Mrs. Lee Airs 
Foy, Ellen, Dick, and Robin
      Mr. and Mrs. S. A. Hennis, Jr.
Foy, Robin and Pam
      Mr. and Mrs. Lee Airs
Garriss, Kenneth
      Ms. Jane Watts  
Hardy, Beth, PhD
      Mr. and Mrs. Hilton Peel   
Heflin, Joseph
      Ms. Ellen Ramsey  
Hennis, Mr. and Mrs. S.
      Mr. and Mrs. Lee Airs
Knight, Melanie
      Bailey Endowment, Inc.
Michie, Anne
      Ms. Carol B. Chianese 
Moss, Dr. Johnathan
      Mr. James Hackney 
NAMI-Coastal Division
      Lynda Weston, M.D.  
NAMI North Board of Directors
      Mr. and Mrs. Kenneth Farrington  
Riebel, John family
      Mrs. Eileen Stirling    
Rowe, John and Florence
      Dr. and Mrs. Miles Elmore 
Sizemore, Roxanne
      Ms. Cynthia Cooke                                    

Development: NAMI Walks

 NAMI Walks, an annual 5K walk, is a fundraiser held nationwide to raise both money and public awareness about mental illness. The funds raised benefit local communities, with proceeds being divided between state and local affiliates.

 In North Carolina, NAMI North Carolina and NAMI Charlotte (host-affiliate) co-sponsored the event, with Board member Bill Wesse serving as the chair.  In addition to the funds raised by the walkers, donations were made by corporate sponsors including Astra Zeneca, Microsoft, Cooper Riis, Person-Carteret Partnership of Charlotte, Inner Vision, Carmel Family Pharmacy, and Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance Mecklenburg (DBSA).

 NAMI Walks took place locally on May 15 at Independence Park in Charlotte.  Held on a breezy, sunny day, the walk began with a festive balloon and banjo send-off and ended with entertainment and refreshments donated by local vendors.  Participation was excellent, according to Carolyn Robinson, secretary of NAMI Charlotte, with walkers and supporters coming from nearby counties and NAMI-NC. “We were grateful for the wonderful turn out for our first walk,” said Robinson.  “We did not know how many to expect,” she continued, “so we were pleasantly surprised.”

 Thank you to everyone involved in the event for their support and desire to make a positive difference for people who suffer from mental illness. NAMI North Carolina is a grass-roots organization providing Advocacy Education Support

 By Kalani MacGregor, MPH, Editor, Clippings