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Free Bowling Night
Monday, August 23rd
We are hosting a free bowling night on Monday, August 23rd at Diablo Bowl (1500 Monument Blvd., Concord.)
Included are 2 lines of bowling, shoe rental, pizza and a drink. There will also be in-house prizes for the 2 best bowling scores. There is no cost to this but you must sign up by e-mailing Steve Gallion at sgallion@dnix.net or call him at (925) 691-5673 to get on the list.
The bowling spots will be limited according to the dollars we raised at the July fundraisers at Johnny Rockets and Red Robin Restaurants at the Sun Valley Mall. Therefore, please reserve your spot early!
No drop-ins please.
Want to Volunteer?
There are various ways you can help NAMI Contra Costa.
Please download our
Volunteering page.
NAMI of Contra Costa County
NAMI Contra Costa Office Opens
Tuesday, July 27, 2010.
Hours:
Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, 10:00 AM - 3:00 PM
Location:
Crestwood Healing Center, 550 Patterson Blvd., Pleasant Hill 94523.
Park in the back parking lot. Enter double doors
and follow the NAMI-CC sign.
Phone number: 925-942-0767
E-mail: namicc@att.net
General Meeting Featured Guests and Topics
The meeting doors open at 6:30 p.m. for library materials checkout and there
will be manned information tables to talk about the various programs
that may be able to help you (Family to Family, Peer to Peer, Clubhouse,
and NAMI Walk Bay Area).
Steve Gallion is also having an ongoing fund-raiser selling chocolates and candies. He will be selling them at the General Meeting as well as other meetings. Funds go towards the recreational fund.
Did you miss Dr. Harvey's insightful presentation on sleep at the June General Meeting?
If so, you can view her informational slideshow filled with hints, tips and facts about sleep.
Click here for Dr. Harvey's Presentation.
Meetings are held at the
John Muir Medical Center-Concord Campus.
(Formerly Mt. Diablo Medical Center)
2540 East St., Concord 925-682-8200
Doors open at 6:30, meeting starts at 7:00
E-mail your questions to:
xnamicc@aol.com
You will be assured of an answer
when the meeting starts.
There is no cost to members
or the public.
For information on
programs,
please call 925.683.8487.
Please click on the month to view that months featured guest(s) and topic(s). Since we plan our meetings months in advance, changes may occur at the last moment. Please check back frequently for last minute changes.
August
Thursday, August 19, 2010
Peggy Kennedy, Author
Writing Your Way Out of Darkness
Author and local NAMI member Peggy Kennedy will read a short passage from her memoir Approaching Neverland. She will also talk about her family’s experience with mental illness, and, most importantly, share strategies for writing as a therapeutic pathway to healing. Also, there will be a brief presentation of research in therapeutic writing; hand-outs on writing strategies; an opportunity to sign up to participate in a writing support group; book selling and signing of Approaching Neverland before and after the presentation.
September
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D.
The Triple Bind: Pressures on Adolescent Girls
Stephen Hinshaw, Ph.D., is a professor and chair of the Department of Psychology at UC Berkeley. He has done research on adolescent psychopathology, ADHD, and the stigma of mental illness. Mr. Hinshaw will discuss the unsettling issues of the “triple bind” and how it is putting adolescent girls at risk for depression, eating disorders, aggression, and suicide. He is the author of My Father’s Life with Bipolar Disorder, Triple Bind: Saving Our Teenage Girls from Today’s Pressures, Mark of Shame: Stigma of Mental Illness and an Agenda for Change.
October
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Research, Treatment and Your Questions about Bipolar Illness
Research, Treatment and Your Questions about bipolar Illness Dr. Po W. Wang is a researcher and psychiatrist at Stanford’s Bipolar clinic. He will describe the work of the clinic and bring his vast knowledge and experience to address our questions and interests on bipolar illness.
November
Thursday, November 18, 2010
What you need to know
about
Social Security and Mental Illness
Kelly Dunn and Associates from the Hawkins Center of Rubicon Programs will provide an overview on Social Security as it relates to individuals with serious mental illness.
Donate Your Vehicle to NAMI-CC
Currently, NAMI-CC is contracting with Car Donation Services, Inc,
a local company that has managed vehicle donations for over 15 years!
They use a variety of selling techniques so vehicles, on average, sell
for more, which means more money for us and a larger tax deduction for
you!
To donate your vehicle, please mention NAMI-CC when you call 1-888-686-4483
or donate on line at Car Donation Services. They make it fast and easy and provide you with
professional and courteous service throughout the process.
Once your vehicle is accepted, they will mail your donation receipt,
which includes the necessary tax information and reporting requirements
and the required DMV forms. Vehicles will be picked up within 5 working
days and they can handle rush donations, if necessary.
Thank you for your generous support!
Please click on each header for more information.
Family to Family
New Family to Family Classes starting in September.
Family 2 Family downloads:
F2F Calendar
F2F in Lafayette
F2F for Veterans
F2F in Richmond
F2F Class in Spanish
Contact Thomas Cloney at 510.705.2608 or Famtofamcc@gmail. com
Tuesday Support Group
The First Tuesday Support Group is now in its 10th year of helping
people. It is a very effective resource that can organize you and send
you in the direction you need to help your loved one.
E-mail your questions to:
xnamicc@aol.com
You will be assured of an answer when the group meets.
Location:
Hillcrest Congregational Church
404 Gregory Lane
Pleasant Hill
Time: 7:30 pm to 9:00 pm
For more information please contact:
Dave Kahler at xnamicc@aol.com or
925-676-5771
Join NAMI-CC Today
If your family has a problem with mental illness,
JOIN NAMI-CC TODAY!
You will get information, education and support
.Now!
NAMI-CC is effective and immediate. Download the application form, send
it by e-mail or snail-mail, and you will have put a process in motion
that will change the life of you and your loved one
...forever!
New Hope Support Group
The New
Hope Support Group meets on the second Monday of the month at 7pm.
New Hope is a support group for parents of children diagnosed with neurobehavioral problems (mental health diagnoses including depression, anxiety, bipolar, OCD and more). We provide ongoing education and support at monthly meetings held at the Lafayette Orinda Presbyterian Church at 49 Knox Drive in Lafayette from 7-9pm.
For more information, contact
Joani deVries 925-962-9952
or Annette Seelig 510-733-0577.
Membership in the support group is free and open to the community.
Dual Recovery Anonymous
Dual Recovery Anonymous is a 12 Step self-help program that is based on the principals of the Twelve Steps and the experiences of men and women in recovery with a dual diagnosis. The DRA program helps us recover from both our chemical dependency and our emotional or psychiatric illness by focusing on relapse prevention and actively improving the quality of our lives. In a community of mutual support, we learn to avoid the risks that lead back to alcohol and drug use as well as reducing the symptoms of our emotional or psychiatric illness.
Tuesdays 5:45 pm to 6:45 pm
John Muir Center for Recovery Classroom B
2730 Grant Street, Concord
Contact: Zula 925.212.2241
Life Beyond Mental
Illness:
My Own
Story of Recovery
By Tamara Hunter, Putnam Clubhouse Program Director
While driving down the
road one afternoon 16 years ago
in Tukwila, Washington with
my good friend Pat, I suddenly
felt sick to my stomach. Without
warning, my arms felt tingly,
my head felt hot and
sweaty, and my heart began to
beat rapidly. I asked Pat to take
me to the nearest hospital emergency
room. Following an hour
or so of testing, the doctor in
the ER said, “Tamara, you’ve
just suffered a panic attack!”
Needless to say I was quite surprised
since I had never experienced
one before. The doctor
prescribed valium and sent me
home to rest.
A few days later, I experienced
another episode and
again drove to the ER for treatment.
This time the attack was
more severe and I ended up in
restraints with a shot of a medication
that didn’t agree with
me. It took hours to calm me
down. The following three days
I will never forget: I was at
home, in bed, and unable to
function. The ER
doctor had given my
then-husband the
name of a psychiatrist
and told him to
make an appointment
for me, which he did. By the time I
had my appointment with Dr.
Sands, I could hardly walk into his
office and just layed down on the
carpet while waiting to see him. Dr
Sands admitted me to the hospital
where I spent the next two weeks
in the psychiatric ward suffering
from severe panic attacks. During
my stay, I was diagnosed with Major
PTSD, Anxiety Disorder, and
Major Depressive Disorder.
Download this month's
newsletter to read this special article.