NAMI Mercer willcommemorateMental Illness

Awareness Week withits sixth annual Harvestof Hope wellness confer-ence on Saturday, Oct.11 from 8:30 a.m. to 3:15p.m. at the PresbyterianChurch of Lawrence -ville.

Sponsored in part by agrant from the Law rence TownshipCommunity Foundation, this educationevent is open to consumers, their fami-lies, and the general public.

Our theme this year is “RecoveryThrough Discovery.” Melody Moezziwill deliver the keynote address —“From Restraints to Recognition:Realizing Recovery through Advocacy.”Ms. Moezzi is an Iranian-Americanactivist, attorney, and award-winningauthor. Her book, Haldol andHyacinths: A Bipolar Life, is a criticallyacclaimed memoir that interweaves herexperiences with both clinical and cul-tural bipolarity.

Following the keynote address, atten-dees will have a choice of wellnessworkshops, with one session in themorning and another during the after-noon. The $10 registration fee includeslunch. Although membership in NAMIMercer is not required, we are offeringan incentive price of $35 to join ANDattend the conference.

Workshops will provide a variety ofinteractive and hands-on wellnessexperiences. Topics include memoryand the brain, an introduction toWRAP®, physical fitness, EFT tappingtherapy, international folk dancing,

chair yoga, navigating themental health system, a12-step program for recov-ery, sensory modulation,mental illness and thefamily, and art therapy.Dr. Mark Komrad, lastyear’s keynote speaker,will host two “Ask theDoctor” sessions.

In addition to the work-shops, all conference par-

ticipants will come together for twomusical experiences. After lunch, KevinToft will lead a motivating group sing-along. The conference will close with ajoyful and inspiring drumming circleconducted by Ange Chianese.

NAMI Mercer has mailed conferencebrochures to members. You can registerby completing the paper form in thebrochure or by going to www.nami -mercer .org to register online.Registration closes on Oct. 3. For moreinformation, call 609-799-8994.

NAMI Mercer CalendarFor regular support meetings, see Page 8

PUBLIC EDUCATION MEETINGS

AT THE NAMI CENTER

September 16 (Tuesday) 7:30 to 9 p.m.

Depression and TranscranialMagnetic Stimulation

Jeffrey Apter, MDMedical Director, Princeton Medical

Institute; Senior Attending Physician,University Medical Center of Princeton

at Plainsboro

October 21 (Tuesday) 7:00 to 9 p.m.

“Call Me Crazy: a Five Film”Film showing and discussion of the2013 film in five vignettes, featuringa star-studded cast and the stories ofindividuals and families dealing with

mental illness.

November 15 (Saturday) 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Holiday WRAP®: Using theWellness Recovery Action Plan to

Manage Your Holiday StressLunch provided, registration required.

November 18 (Tuesday)7:30 to 9 p.m.

Personalized Medicine: the currentpractice and future promise of

tailoring psychiatric treatment toan individual’s genetic makeup.

Speaker TBA

September 2014 Published by NAMI Mercer NJ, Inc. www.namimercer.org Vol. 32, No. 3

Our MissionNAMI Mercer is a nonprofit organization of individuals

and families working to improvethe lives of those affected by men-

tal illness through education, advocacy and mutual support.

6th Annual Harvest of HopeSaturday, Oct 11, 2014

Melody Moezzi

NAMI Mercer will host its 13th annualNight Out with NAMI on Sunday, Nov. 9, atStuart Country Day School’s Cor UnumCenter in Princeton. Dr. Richard Kogan,

pianist andphysician, willreturn to present“Sergei Rach -man inoff: TheMusic and TheMind.”See story onPage 3.

As NAMI Mercer’s 30th anniver-sary year goes by, I have remi-nisced about what was happen-

ing in 1984, the year of our affiliate’sfounding:

❒ Footloose, Ghostbusters andBeverly Hills Cops were the topmovies.

❒ There were two OlympicGames—the Winter Games inSarajevo, Yugoslavia and theSummer Games in Los Angeles.

❒ Mary Lou Retton was on theWheaties box.

❒ Big hair styles with lots of curlsand layers topped most women’sheads.

❒ Ronald Reagan was in his thirdyear as president, and the newFederalism was shifting social poli-cy from the federal domain to theprivate sector and the states.

The comprehensive Mental HealthServices Act, enacted in 1980 duringthe Carter administration, had estab-lished a partnership between the fed-eral and local government in fundingimproved mental health services andpreventive care. In 1982, however, thisact was repealed and replaced withfederal block grants, which fundedonly 11 percent of costs, leaving thebalance for states and local communi-ties.

Into this climate, NAMI Mercerwas born, with passionate familiesworking to advocate for a new systemof care for their loved ones and for allwho struggled against mental illness.

PassionSo much of the passion and the com-

mitment continue today. I hear thispassion in our Helpline callers, whoare so eager and often desperate toobtain the information and supportthey need. There continue to be road-blocks all along the way to getting theappropriate diagnosis and treatmentrequired to lead a life in recovery. Ihear the passion and commitmentfrom our Helpline volunteers, who

answer calls each weekday, and fromour Family-to-Family and Basicsteachers, who donate their time weekafter week.

And, I hear this passion in the pub-lic policy arena, as we struggle onlocal, state, and national levels toensure adequate services for all wholive with mental illness and to advo-cate for research to find a cure for seri-ous brain disorders. Surrounded byfast-paced advances in science andtechnology, NAMI advocates thatbrain science catch up and providemore options for recovery and evencures!

ChallengesMany similar challenges are with

us today as well. Today’s shiftinghealthcare climate brings many oppor-tunities and threats to the mentalhealth treatment system. While morepeople will have health insurance,there is a shortage of psychiatrists andother mental health professionals whoparticipate in insurance plans due tothe low reimbursement rates. Theextremely low Medicaid rates for doc-tors in New Jersey keep the poor with-out access to adequate medical andmental health care. The complexity ofthe system with private plans andpublic plans continues to increase,which is a real impediment for fami-lies and individuals trying to get care.

Facing these challenges, NAMIMercer continues to provide one-on-one assistance as well as to broaden itssystems advocacy efforts. It is clearthat improving mental health carerequires local, state and nationalefforts.

StigmaStigma was then, and stigma is

now! The continuing prevalence ofstigma surrounding mental illnessimpacts us all. The lack of accurateinformation about the nature of men-tal illnesses, effective treatments, andthe possibility for recovery continues toaffect people of all ages and cultures inour society. The existence of stigmaprevents early intervention, which can

negatively affecttreatment out-comes.

Today’sinstantaneouscommunicationsenable millionsto hear aboutevents aroundthe county andthe world withina few seconds.Unfortunately,learning of anevent withoutcontext or analysis can result in misin-terpretation and the reinforcement ofstigma. We have seen this over andover again with regard to mental ill-ness being associated with violence.

Fighting stigma is an opportunitynow as it was in 1984.

NAMI advocates need to be readyto respond with accurate informationabout mental illness and violence. Aperson with mental illness is not morelikely to commit an act of violence;rather, people with mental illness aremuch more likely to be victims thanperpetrators. The emphasis should beon increasing access to treatment forall who require it and limiting accessto guns.

While these are complex and divi-sive issues, NAMI advocates have theresponsibility to speak out about theirown experiences of illness and recov-ery to correct misconceptions.

With these (and many other) chal-lenges come vast opportunities for usas members of NAMI to reduce stig-ma. Your voice is needed as much in2014 as it was in 1984.

Join with 430 other households tomake a difference today. Let us build afuture without stigma!

Sally OsmerExecutive Director

Executive Director’s Message

Sally Osmer

That Was Then; This Is Now

Page 2

As I sit down to compose thismessage, I reflect on my firstcolumn for the Messenger as

president of the NAMI Mercer Boardof Directors. With two years behindme and no more than two more ahead,I’ve reached the mid-point of my termin office, a time to consider whatimpact I’ve had and what opportuni-ties remain for leadership.

This 30th anniversary year has beena time for contemplation. We’ve talkeda great deal about our history ofaccomplishments during the threedecades since our affiliate was estab-lished. We’ve celebrated and will con-tinue to recognize the visionary leader-ship that has brought us to this mile-stone of achievement. But what aboutour future?

Some of you may know that I enjoyreading about social change. I’d like torecommend a book by Malcolm Glad -well, called The Tipping Point, whichdescribes an interesting phenomenon.The author gives several examples of aseemingly insignificant idea thatspreads like wildfire. The circum-stances that enable this transforma-tion are fascinating to me.

According to Gladwell, the tippingpoint is the critical moment in anevolving situation that leads to a new

development. It is often considered tobe a turning point. Other definitionssuggest that the tipping point is a timewhen important things start happen-ing or when a series of small changesor incidents becomes significantenough to cause a larger, more impor-tant change. Often, we cannot identifythe importance of the small changes orincidents that ultimately lead to themore significant outcome.

What is clear, however, is thatchange must be a part of the process.Sometimes, we hear the phrase “if itain’t broke, don’t fix it!”

While I agree with the sentimentthat we should honor the tried andtrue approach, I believe that we shouldalso be looking for new and innovativeways to serve our mission. We need todevelop new programs that take usinto communities that are not present-ly engaged in our mission.

We should seek fresh and creativeways to spread our anti-stigma mes-sage.

Promoting change requires that weeach find the courage and the meansto share our own personal story. Weneed to sow the seeds that will inspireothers to come to NAMI Mercer andadd their contribution to our 400 plusmember households and nearly 250

volunteers. And, as an

organization fund-ed solely by thegenerosity of pri-vate and corpo-rate donors, wemust maximizethese financialresources toachieve the great-est impact possi-ble, year afteryear.

We do intend to be here year afteryear until we reach our destination—aworld where people affected by mentalillness will be able to reach their fullpotential in a compassionate society.Until we achieve this vision, I am com-mitted to NAMI Mercer’s continuedgrowth and vitality for many years tocome.

Please join me in this quest. Younever know when even a small changeor event will lead to an important nextstep for NAMI Mercer.

Karen MarquisPresident

President’s Message

Karen Marquis

We’re at the Tipping Point!

Page 3

NAMI Mercer will host its 13th annual Night Outwith NAMI on Sunday, November 9 at StuartCountry Day School’s Cor Unum Center in

Princeton. This year’s benefit event is the exciting con-clusion of our 30th anniversary celebration and will fea-ture the return of Dr. Richard Kogan.

Dr. Kogan, a psychiatrist and concert pianist, isknown for his fascinating “Music and the Mind”lecture/recitals. On Nov. 9, he will perform the music ofRussian composer Sergei Rachmaninoff and examine theinfluence of psychiatric disorders on Rachmaninoff’s cre-ative output.

Additionally, this year’s Night Out with NAMI hon-ors Pat and Bob Demers as the 2014 Pillar Awardrecipients. The Pillar Award recognizes individuals whohave made an extraordinary, long-term contribution to

the mission of NAMI Mercer and the people it serves.Guests are invited to arrive at 2:00 p.m. to take part

in the silent auction. The benefit concert begins at 3:00p.m., followed by a cocktail reception, sit-down dinner,and live auction.

Tickets for the concert only are $50 per person; tick-ets for the concert, cocktails and dinner are $150 per per-son. Supporters who join Patron Society 2015 before theevent will receive complimentary tickets, the number oftickets determined by donation level. Night Out withNAMI sponsorships also are available.

For more information about Night Out with NAMI,go to namimercer.org or contact Christine Bakter,Director of Development, at (609) 799-8994 orcbakter@namimercer.org.

Dr. Richard Kogan Returns to Night Out with NAMI

Page 4

by Joyce Campbell

NAMI Mercer celebratedNational Minority MentalHealth Awareness Month on

July 17 by partnering with theTrenton Housing Authority andCatholic Charities (Diocese of Trenton)to hold a Mental Health AwarenessFair at the Donnelly HomesCommunity Center in Trenton.

The message, “Seek treatmentbecause recovery is possible,” wasechoed throughout the three-hourawareness fair. More than a dozenorganizations were present to provideparticipants with information onhealth and mental health servicesavailable in the Trenton/MercerCounty area. Kimme Carlos, a dedicat-ed NAMI volunteer, emceed the briefprogram and provided insight from herpersonal experience.

There followed a ten-minute videoproduced by NAMI NJ, “DocumentingOur Presence: Multicultural Experi -ences of Mental Illness.”

A vibrant panel of consumers

responded toquestions abouttheir personalexperience withstigma, the barri-ers in findingtreatment, andhow treatmenthelped them torecover. The audi-ence wasengaged, askingquestions andapplauding panelmembers for their courage in sharingtheir stories.

Amini Sabubu from The SerenityGarden also shared her experience increating “a garden for and by the com-munity that has experienced paincaused by violence.” The garden islocated at the intersection of BellevueAve. and Prospect St. in Trenton. Ms.Sabubu urged the community to visitand become involved in the garden, aplace of beauty, peace, and healing.

More than 100 residents of DonnellyHomes, adults and children, attended

the event and learned about the seri-ous nature of mental illness and howto get help. While this was the mainmessage, the atmosphere was full offun as children and adults had theirfaces painted, won raffle prizes, andenjoyed great snacks and a barbecuedhot dog dinner.

In 2008, the US House of Represen -tatives established Minority MentalHealth Awareness Month “to enhancepublic awareness of mental illness andmental illness among minorities.” Thisact was in honor of Bebe MooreCampbell, author, advocate, and co-founder of NAMI Urban Los Angeles.

NAMI Mercer, the Trenton HousingAuthority, and Catholic Charities wishto thank the organizations that partici-pated in the July 17 event and thosewho shared their journeys towardsrecovery.__________________________________Joyce Campbell is a NAMI MercerBoard member and Associate ExecutiveDirector for External Affairs, CatholicCharities (Diocese of Trenton).

Partnering with the Community to Share a Message

NAMI Mercer Resumes Book Club Meetings

The NAMI Mercer Book Club isactive again and welcomes allNAMI members to its next

meeting on Wednesday, Sept. 17 from10:30 am to noon in the NAMI Mercerconference room. We will discuss MyAge of Anxiety: Fear, Hope, Dread, andthe Search for Peace of Mind by ScottStossel.

Stossel is the editor of The Atlanticmagazine and a prolific writer and edi-tor who has lived with anxiety sincehis childhood. According to Amazon,the memoir is “a riveting, revelatory,and moving account of the author’sstruggles with anxiety, and of the his-tory of efforts by scientists, philoso-phers and writers to understand thecondition.”

In recognition of Minority MentalHealth Awareness Month, NAMIMercer held a book discussion on July16 on Haldol and Hyacinths: ABipolar Life by Melody Moezzi. Ms.Moezzi, an Iranian-American, provides

a cultural perspective for her personalexperience with mental illness.

Please read some or all of Stossel’sbook and join us on Sept. 17 for anopen, informal discussion with NAMIMercer friends.

My Age of AnxietyThe excerpt that follows is from aninterview with NPR’s Terry Gross.

The Atlantic editor Scott Stossel hascountless phobias and anxieties —some you’ve heard of, others you prob-ably haven’t.

“There's a vast encyclopedia of fearsand phobias,” he tells Fresh Air'sTerry Gross, “and pretty much anyobject, experience, situation you canthink of, there is someone who has aphobia of it.”

Stossel’s own fears include turopho-bia, a fear of cheese; asthenophobia, afear of fainting; and claustrophobia.His new book, My Age of Anxiety: Fear,Hope, Dread, and the Search for Peace

of Mind, is both amemoir and a his-tory of how medi-cine, philosophyand the pharma-ceutical industryhave dealt withanxiety.

Stossel says hewrote the book tohelp him under-stand and find relief from — orredemption in — anxious suffering.He’s a very high-functioning anxiousperson and in fact, before this book,most of his colleagues were unaware ofhis problems.

“The fear of vomiting, which for meis one of the most original and mostacute of my fears, is actually fairlycommon. Emetophobia, it's called, andby some estimates, it's the fifth mostcommon specific phobia . . . There arethese online communities where thesepeople seek each other out.”

Scott Stossel

Kimme Carlos

Page 5

NAMI Walk at ETS, Princeton, May 17

Above: the EB III Top Family Team. Led by Linda Becker,the team raised more than $9,000. Left: dancing at the Walk led by DJ Sully of Ambient DJService. Far left: Captain Jill Byoris of Team End the Stigma ridinghigh.

Above left: Harris Adams and Ruth Ann Mekitarian.Above center: Pat Demers and Maggie Hill. Above: Alex andMartha-Lisa Flinsch, Amy O’Donnell, Robert Hindes and KarenMarquis. Far left: Sally Osmer, Tom Nesi and Pam McGrew. Left: Christine Bakter and Danita Saunders-Davis.

Patron Reception, June 7, Nassau Club

NAMI Picnic, July 26, at John Lasley’sHome in Princeton

Above: Carol Rickard and Akavar Dylutra. Above center: James and CarylChambers with Pat Cannon. Above right: Libby Bartholomew and NoraStoner with friends. Right: Anastasia Lambros, Akavar Dylutra, Gail Cipasand Lynne Foley.

by Akavar Dylutra

WRAP® (Wellness RecoveryAction Plan®) is a wellnessand recovery tool developed

by Mary Ellen Copeland and admin-istered by the Copeland Center forWellness and Recovery (http://cope -land center.com/resour ces/way-wrap-works). For many years, NAMIMercer has offered WRAP® work-shops as an integral part of our sup-port and education for individualsrecovering from behavioral healthchallenges.

Mary Ellen Copeland developedWRAP® in 1997 following extensivediscussions with several dozen peoplein Northern Vermont who were con-sidered to have serious mental healthchallenges. Many had been confinedin state hospitals during their illness.These discussions focused on theirpersonal, practical strategies to helpthem manage their illness.

The next step was to send surveysto about 125 similar individuals whowere geographically dispersed. Thesesurveys included what are now thefive key concepts of WRAP®––Hope,Personal Responsibility, Education,Self-Advocacy, and Support. Respon -dents also were asked to include their“tricks” for feeling better.

Over the next few years, WRAP®was developed to help individualscombine the five key concepts withtheir own strategies to stay well, thuscreating a cohesive plan. This person-alized “Wellness Recovery ActionPlan®” is what an individual devel-ops during a WRAP® workshop.

In 2010, SAMHSA (SubstanceAbuse and Mental Health ServicesAdministration) recognized WRAP®as an evidence-based practice. Thismeans that WRAP® was analyzedthrough a rigorous study and wasshown to have significant and posi-tive effects on individuals who partici-pated in peer-led WRAP® groups.

WRAP® is presented in a variety ofways in many different venues. Notall of the methods of presentationqualify to be evidence-based practices.

Here are a few of the criteriarequired to qualify. NAMI Mercer’s

course has been qualified as

evidence-based.1) It is volun-

tary. Some pro-grams makeattendingWRAP® condi-tional on beingreleased or offerother incentives.Individuals mustattend WRAP®of their own freewill and developtheir own person-al plan from that freedom.

2) WRAP® is administered by twoproperly trained facilitators. Someprograms present WRAP® in peersupport session format and assign apeer support specialist to lead thegroup. Certified WRAP® facilitatorsare trained in the nuances andimportance of all aspects of WRAP®.

3) WRAP® facilitators are recerti-fied every two years. WRAP® is con-stantly evolving. Facilitators need tobe certified every two years to main-tain their knowledge and understand-ing.

4) WRAP® participants receiveapprpriate mentoring. Facilities thatoffer WRAP® are encouraged to offerongoing support groups for those whohave participated in WRAP® work-shops. This encourages the individu-als to share their successes and chal-lenges as they implement WRAP® intheir recovery.

5) Other considerations: Otheradministrative requirements to quali-fy as an evidence-based practiceinclude group size (12-15), sessionlength (2.5 hours), and meeting fre-quency (weekly for eight consecutiveweeks).

Taken together, all of these itemsplay a part in successfully presentingWRAP® as an evidence-based prac-tice.

Our next workshop series isplanned to start on Wednesday,October 1 and will continue for eightconsecutive weeks. We will meet from6:00 to 8:30 p.m. Please call theNAMI Mercer office at 609-799-8994if you are interested in registering fora WRAP® workshop.

WRAP® as an Evidence-Based Practice

By Anastasia Lambros

Ilive my life try-ing to under-stand this whole

idea of being inrecovery. At the pres-ent moment, itmeans to me that Iam in a state ofempowerment, get-ting support fromothers, advocatingfor myself, feeling hopeful, and under-standing how my illness affects me. Ilearned this from really trying to com-prehend WRAP® concepts.

In the past, I took the WRAP® coursefive times. From the beginning, I real-ized that there is something very differ-ent about the program, and I wanted toshare this whole mindset with others.This past April, I had the opportunity toenroll in WRAP® facilitator training.

It was a refreshing approach, and Ifinally understand the differencebetween teaching and facilitating.

I practiced the facilitator role for thenext week by presenting my own expe-riences and requesting input from oth-ers who were taking the same class.

The facilitators who trained me usedthe same format as the WRAP® courseto teach us more about ourselves andprepare us to become facilitators.

During some challenging days, Iapplied WRAP® to my life and found itvery effective. I admit it––the facilita-tors were right. The more I usedWRAP®, the more useful it became. Ifinally came to understand thatWRAP® is a lifestyle.

With this in mind, I regularly rely onWRAP® to help me get through theday.

After 40 long hours of analysis andself-learning, we made it! We were agroup of new, certified facilitators. Forthe first time in my life, I felt trulyempowered. I realized that I had neverbeen a supporter for myself, self-advo-cating for the things essential to myrecovery. The truth came out; if I didnot advocate for myself, then who else

Becoming a WRAP® FacilitatorMy 40-Hour Journey,

April 14-18, 2014

Akavar Dylutra AnastasiaLambros

Continued on Page 7Page 6

NAMI MercerBOARD OF DIRECTORSKaren L. Marquis, Ph.D.

PresidentJoan Brame, Ph.D.

Vice PresidentMadeline Monheit, M.S.

SecretaryLaurie Russell

Treasurer

Lauren Agoratus, M.A.Liliana Attar

Joyce CampbellAkavar Dylutra

William P. Hayes, M.D.Hon. Joseph E. Irenas

Lori JacobiSarah Kleinman

Jeremy MannJohn E. Marsland, Jr.

Ivy Minely, Esq.Tom Pyle, M.A.

Zia Rahman, Ph.D.Jason Redd, Esq.

Carol Rickard

EXECUTIVE DIRECTORSally T. Osmer, L.C.S.W.

DIRECTOR of OPERATIONSDanita L. Saunders-Davis

DIRECTOR of DEVELOPMENT Christine Bakter

EDITORSMadeline MonheitElisabeth Hagen

THE NAMI CENTERof Mercer County

Lawrence Commons, 3371 Brunswick Pike, Suite 124

Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

(609) 799-8994home@namimercer.orgwww.namimercer.org

Page 7

would really know what I needed?So, miracles do happen. At least

that was how I felt at the close of thetraining. Looking back, I do see a

change in my approach to life and myrecovery in a more positive way andthat there is hope for all of us––evenafter taking the WRAP® course fivetimes.

Back row, l to r: Jeremy Mann, Bill Hayes, Liliana Attar, Lori Jacobi, Carol Rickard,Akavar Dylutra, Zia Rahman. Front row: Karen Marquis, Joan Brame, Maddy Monheit,Joe Irenas, Sarah Kleinman, Ivy Minely, Laurie Russell. Not shown: Lauren Agoratus,Joyce Campbell, Tom Pyle, John Marsland, Jason Redd.

WRAP® continued from Page 6

NAMI Mercer’s New Board of Directors, 2014/15

Two New Members Join NAMI Mercer’s Board

Carol Rickard’s expertise is instress management and coping

skills. She has written more than adozen publications on these topics. In2008, she founded WellYOUniver sity,LLC, a health education company. Forthe past 12 years, Carol was a socialworker for Capital Health Systems inTrenton. She now works full time onWellYOU niversity. She writes, “Ihave watched NAMI Mercer growover the years to become such anintegral part of the lives of individu-

als and families living withmental illness.It is a privilegeto become a part of the hopeand help NAMI Mercer pro-vides.”

Lori Jacobi is AssociateDirector, Clinical Manage mentat Otsuka Pharmaceut icalDevelopment & Com mer cial -ization. She has been workingin the research of psychiatricmedications for 22 years. Priorto that, she was a mentalhealth counselor on the inpa-tient psychiatric unit at Capital

Health Regional Medical Center inTrenton.

Throughout her life, she has workedwith patients with developmental dis-abilities and mental illness and hasbeen a passionate advocate for educa-tion on mental illness and stompingout the stigma.

Lori has always wanted to getinvolved with NAMI and plans to be atrainer for the Family-to-Familycourse.

L to r: Carol Rickard and Lori Jacobi.

The NAMI Center ofMercer County

Lawrence Commons3371 Brunswick Pike

Suite 124Lawrenceville, NJ 08648

NON-PROFIT U.S.POSTAGE

PAIDPERMIT #257TRENTON, NJ

ADDRESS SERVICE REQUESTEDADDRESS LABEL GOES HERE

NAMI Mercer GroupsSupport Groups:NAMI Connection Support Group: Recovery support group program forpeople living with mental illness. Second and fourth Tuesdays, 7:00 to 8:30p.m. This group is open to anyone with a mental illness, no registrationrequired. NAMI Center. Call us for more information.

IFSS/NAMI: Support for families of adults with mental illness. Mondays,5:15 to 6:45 p.m., at Lawrence Rd. Presbyterian Church. Tuesdays, 5:15 to6:45 p.m. at NAMI Mercer, and Thursdays, 11:30 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. atKingsbury Towers, 1 Kingsbury Sq., Trenton.

Education Classes:WRAP®: An eight-session Wellness and Recovery Action Plan program forpeople living with mental illness. New classes start Wednesday October 1,6:00 to 8:30 p.m. at the NAMI Mercer Center. Call NAMI Mercer about thenext session.

FAMILY-TO-FAMILY: A Family-to-Family class starts September 11 andruns for 12 consecutive Thursdays from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m. This class is forfamily members of adults who have mental illness. Contact NAMI Mercer tojoin the next session.

NAMI Basics, a six-week class for parents or caregivers of children and adolescents with behavioral or emotional challenges. The fall semester willbe co-sponsored by the Mercer Family Support organization: Sept. 17 to Oct.22 from 10:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.All NAMI Mercer support groups and classes are free, but registration is requiredfor classes. Contact us by phone or email to inquire about the classes.

SAVE THE DATES!Harvest of Hope Wellness

Conference, Oct. 11

Night Out with NAMI, Nov. 9Dr. Richard Kogan presents Sergei

Rachmaninoff: The Mind and the Music