The NAMI North Carolina Board of Directors is proud to announce that Benjamin Staples accepted the position of Executive Director and began work June 1, 2005. Ben’s personal experience with a family member with mental illness and his career in mental health and substance abuse give him the passion and knowledge to lead NAMI North Carolina. His experience includes leading the clinical psychiatry business of the Duke University Hospital and Clinics.

He has worked for Durham County Mental Health and Forsyth Stokes Mental Health as a substance abuse counselor and as a rehabilitation consultant in Washington and North Carolina. Ben has also consulted for various hospitals around the country and the N.C. Department of Mental Health, Developmental Disabilities and Substance Abuse Services. Ben attained a Masters in Rehabilitation Counseling from the UNC-CH and a Masters in Business Administration from Seattle Pacific University.

A native of North Carolina, Ben is married to Brenda Nevidjon, a clinical professor at the Duke School of Nursing. They have a son, Jay, who is 13. Ben can be contacted at our state office, 919-788-0801 x 7, toll free 1-800-451-9682 or emailed at bstaples@naminc.org.

To NAMI North Carolina Members and Friends:

We have a challenging year ahead of us, and I have confidence that each and every person reading this, consumers, family members, professionals and other supporters, will join our efforts to make sure the NAMI voice is heard as Mental Health Reform continues to impact the lives of people with brain disorders. The issues are numerous and complex. Each of us has a role in monitoring the progress of Reform, and in making sure that we are well represented as decisions are being made. NAMI’s work in local communities has never been more pressing than it is now.

Let’s consider these issues and challenges to represent opportunities for us to contribute to positive change. Let’s work together to make a difference. The goals set forth in our 2005-2006 Strategic Plan (see side bar) are ambitious but possible, with your help. Thanks to those of you who serve on your local CFAC (Consumer and Family Advisory Committee) and to those who are active in numerous other ways. It is your local advocacy efforts, and your support for our state organization, that will keep NAMI strong.

Beth Garriss Hardy, Ph.D., President, NAMI North Carolina Board of Directors

• Enhance visibility of NAMI-NC across the state
• Review and expand existing programs and build new ones
• Strengthen partnerships with affiliates to expand membership and build strategic networks
• Strengthen NAMI-NC’s advocacy efforts, including enhanced involvement in State Reform
• Ensure financial capacity to support the goals and objectives of the strategic plan

Anyone can participate in the walk and here is how you can:

Recruit businesses and organizations in your community to sponsor NAMIWalks in the Triad. Since revenues will be shared by all levels of NAMI, your own Affiliate will benefit in your community. Remember that potential sponsors will respond to the personal connection with a NAMI member. Call or e-mail NAMI-NC for a sponsor folder. See contacts below.

Become an individual or family sponsor at any level. Call or e-mail NAMI-NC for a sponsor folder.

Become an Affiliate sponsor. Our goal is 100% Affiliate sponsorship for North Carolina. Signs along the Walk route that highlight every affiliate in North Carolina will carry a powerful message!

Sign up to be a Team Captain – for your Affiliate, family, workplace, church, community group, etc. Recruit others to be Team Captains, especially people who are the natural partners for our cause. Go to the LME staff, local hospitals, service providers, doctors, counselors, churches, college and university service clubs, to name a few. Take copies of the Team Commitment form available at the link below. We need you! Call or e-mail NAMI-NC for additional Team Captain information.

Be there to walk in NAMIWalks in the Triad on October 8! It will be a festive event at beautiful Triad Park, a new park that is a joint venture for Forsyth and Guilford Counties.

Beth Hardy, NAMI North Carolina Board President, is our official NAMIWalks in the Triad General Team Chair. The person in this position leads by his/her example in terms of personal teambuilding and fundraising efforts. Beth’s goal for The Kenneth Garriss Family Team, is 25 walkers and $5000. She is passionate about this event and is walking for her brother and all of her family. As General Team Chair, she will do a letter writing and e-mail campaign to show by example the extraordinary results that a personal story can have.

Team Ideas: Affiliate Team, Family Team, Individual Team, F2F Class Team, Team to Honor or Remember an important person in your life, Business or Workplace Team, Church/Sunday School Team, Club Team, College/University Team. Check out page 8 for a Team Update!

Our Kick-Off Luncheon will be held August 18th, 11:30 -1:00 at the Magnolia Manor, 8818 W. Market St., in Greensboro, just off I-40 near the Sandy Ridge Road exit. It is the next big event for Sponsors and Team Captains. Our National Walk Team Leader, Kara Sweeney will be present. Please contact Linda Burkhart at the State Office, 919-788-0801X 6, toll free @ 1-800-451-9682,or emaillllburkhart@naminc.org for Team and Sponsor Packets.

You can register and contribute on-line too!

This year’s awards were given throughout the Spring Conference held at the North Raleigh Hilton April 1 and 2. NAMI-NC greatly appreciates the contributions of these individuals.

NAMI Moore County was successful in their bid during NAMI National's first on-line auction for Ken Duckworth, M.D., NAMI's Consulting Medical Director to visit Pinehurst. This is an open invitation for NAMI-NC members to join with us in Pinehurst on Oct. 11, 2005 when Dr. Duckworth will lecture at the Sandhills Community College, as part of the Ruth Pauley Lecture Series, at 7:30 p.m. Admission is free. The Ruth Pauley Lecture Series is sponsored by Sandhills Community College, the Moore County League of Women Voters, the American Association of University Women and the Moore County Schools. The series brings speakers to the Sandhills to give insights on the issues of our times.

As many of you may know, Dr. Duckworth is a psychiatrist who has worked with dually diagnosed individuals for 17 years. He is triple board certified in adult, child and adolescent, and forensic psychiatry and is an Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at Harvard Medical School. Duckworth has held many positions in clinic and leadership roles, most recently having served as the Massachusetts Dept. of Mental Health's Medical Director and Acting Commissioner. He was also the Chief of Psychiatry at the Massachusetts Mental Health Center for 5 years. More information will follow.

The exhibit, entitled "Nothing to Hide; Mental Illness in the Family" was created by the Family Diversity Project in Amherst, Massachusetts. The show consists of 20 photographs of families with members who have experienced mental illness. Text panels of thoughts and words from the family members about their experiences accompany each photo. The purpose of the exhibit and reason for bringing it to Orange County is to reduce stigma about mental illness. NAMI members are all too familiar with the stigma of mental illness. This show aims to not only reduce the stigma associated with mental illness, but to raise awareness about services and programs in our community that can help people who are suffering from these illnesses and the people who care about them.

Many people in North Carolina are concerned about the upcoming changes to the public mental health system as a result of health care reform. One goal of this project to help people in our community understand these changes and share information about the resources for people with mental illness and how they can still be accessed after the divestiture of services from OPC is completed.

Planned venues for the Nothing to Hide exhibit include the ArtsCenter in Carrboro, UNC-CH Student Union and the Whitted Human Services Center in Hillsborough. In addition to the exhibit itself, events to encourage positive conversation about mental illness will be held, including readings, a play, forums, and other events. For more information, check out their website at www.namiorange.org or contact Susan Spalt at 919-967-3054.

More than 2500 family members have taken the Family-to-Family Course in North Carolina. Two hundred and fifty one have been certified to teach the 12 week course. To become certified, one must be a member of NAMI, have a family member with mental illness and commit to teach the course a minimum of two times. We thank our teachers for their willingness to give of their time and provide this wonderful service to their communities. Nine 2005 inductees were honored and awarded at the Spring Conference and they are:

People taking antipsychotic, antiparkinsonian, or tricyclic antidepressant medications should avoid overheating and prolonged sun exposure. For example, phenothiazine (Thorazine) and antiparkinsonian agents (such as: Cogentin) suppress sweating. Butyrophenones (such as: Haldol) block the ability to recognize thirst and Tricyclic antidepressants (such as: Imipramine) increase heat production. These medications as well as diuretics, alcohol, cocaine, amphetamines and others, can prevent the body from maintaining a safe internal temperature. Furthermore, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, hyperthyroidism, and certain other conditions also increase risk. With an ever increasing aging population it is important to note that older people are at particularly high risk.

Attention Deficit medications such as Adderal and Ritalin can also prevent the body from maintaining a normal temperature. Children taking these medications should be encouraged to drink lots of water during the day.

Overheating can be extremely dangerous, and can lead to coma and death. Family members and advocates can help by insisting on safe temperatures in treatment facilities and housing arrangements and by checking in with consumers who are without air conditioning.

Consumers and caregivers should be educated about the special vulnerability to heat that these drugs cause. Consumers should ask their doctor or pharmacist about their medication regimen, and should plan how to stay cool if the air conditioning fails. Realize that fans do not cool the body effectively when humidity is high.

Everyone knows that movie theaters are well air conditioned, but they can be expensive. Malls and libraries are good places to spend part of the hottest hours of the day. Fast food restaurants are almost always air conditioned. A cool bath or shower can be helpful. Heat can build up in the body over several hours, and persons on medications need to completely cool down as often as possible.

NAMI-NC would also like to remind family members and caregivers to assist persons with severe schizophrenia to dress appropriately for the weather. Schizophrenia can sometimes cause persons to not feel the heat or cold in the same way as persons without the illness.

Sources: NAMI DC Newsletter, NIMH, Center for Disease Control, Swedish Medical Center

For NAMI-NC’s Fall Institutes, October 29 and November 5.

Check our website for more information on Locations and Agendas

• Join or renew your membership in NAMI. Be a part of local, state, and national efforts to educate, advocate, and support those who are affected by mental illness.
• Make a donation to the Annual Fund. Every contribution helps, regardless of size.
• Recruit a new member. Act as an ambassador for NAMI. Share the benefits you have gained.
• Contact a business or community organization for sponsorship of the NAMI North Carolina walkathon event, NAMIWalks for the Mind of America. All levels from $250 to $10,000 are important to raise awareness and raise funds.
• Be a Team Captain for NAMIWalks and NAMIRocks in the Triad. Get involved with a Team to raise money. Be there on October 8 to walk, socialize, eat, and have fun. Cheer loudly for our cause – mental illness – just as many other health-related non-profits do!
• Wear a NAMI lapel pin – Grassroots, Iris, Celebration of Courage, Silver Ribbon, or Anti-Stigma.
• Talk to your legislators. They listen to their constituents and they need to hear our stories.
• Take Family-to-Family Education Classes. They’re free! Think about becoming a trained teacher. The training is free! Call 1-800-451-9682.
• Host an affiliate meeting at your home and invite your neighbors and friends to join you.
• Keep NAMI-NC and Affiliate brochures in your car, handy for those impromptu conversations that often lead to discussions about mental illness.
• Get your e-mail address on the listserve for Affiliates in Action, an affiliate update service from NAMI North Carolina.
• Ask your local newspaper to run an article about your Affiliate or NAMI-NC statewide programs such as Family-to-Family, Young Families, Helpline, and In Our Own Voice.
• Bring the Celebration of Courage exhibit to your community. Its visual impact is incredible!
• Contact a local college or university about starting a NAMI on Campus Affiliate.
• Recruit a college or university team for NAMIWalks in the Triad. Community service is an important part of campus life.
• Get to know the Program and Office staff of NAMI-NC. Find out who they are and what they do.
• Subscribe to “Friday Facts”, NAMI’s e-news weekly update, to stay informed about national issues.
• Display the 20th Anniversary Commemorative Quilt at your local library, church, mental health center, or community event.
• Distribute Helpline cards. Ask Gloria Harrison( 1-800-451-9682) to mail some to you .
• Identify potential donors for NAMI North Carolina, to include acknowledgement opportunities for events, conferences, programming, endowments, and logo items.
• Help someone write a letter or send an e-mail to their legislator, psychiatrist, LME Director, or case manager.
• Find out what is going on in your community about supported housing, ACT Teams, psychosocial programs, and family psychoeducation. Call your LME.
• Attend the NAMI-NC Spring Conference, Fall Institutes, NAMI Convention, and Special Events for awareness and fundraising.
• Identify people in your community for service on LME Boards and CFACs.
• Keep NAMI-NC informed about change of address or e-mail.
• Does your Affiliate have a representative on the NAMI-NC Consumer Council? Email Kent Earnhardt @ kent.earnhardt@abanet.org or call NAMI-NC at 1-800-451-9682.
• Remember NAMI North Carolina in your will or estate plan.
• Contact local school and mental health agencies about bringing Linda Swann and her Young Families workshops to your area, at no charge. She presents a wealth of information about SED (Serious Emotional Disorders) in children and adolescents. Call her at 1-800-451-9682.