NAMI Gulf Coast

1. NAMI Gulf Coast Annual Report 2006

2. Table of Contents Mental Illness Facts ………….……….pg. 3 What is NAMI Gulf Coast……………….......pg. 4 NAMI Gulf Coast Mission…………………..pg. 4 NAMI Gulf Coast Vision…………………….pg. 4 Needs Statement………………………….....pg. 5 NAMI Gulf Coast Programs……………......pg. 6- 9 Our Situation…………………………………pg. 10 NAMI Gulf Coast Board of Directors……..pg. 11 Monthly Chapter Meetings……………..….pg. 12 Making Progress…………………………….pg. 13 Funding Sources…………………………….pg. 14 Financial Statement Income……………….pg. 15 Financial Statement Expenses…………….pg. 16

3. What is NAMI Gulf Coast? National Alliance on Mental Illness provides support and education for people with mental illness and their families. • Mission: NAMI Gulf Coast supports families through individual and group interaction, educates family members and professionals about serious mental illness and advocates for services for people with mental illness. • Vision: NAMI Gulf Coast’s vision is to eliminate the stigma attached to mental illness and have it be viewed by the community and the medical profession with the same empathy and support as any chronic illness.

4. Mental Illness Facts in Texas For Texas 5% - 7% Of adults have a serious mental illness $5 billion Is how much Texas state economy loses annually due to mental illness. 1 in 4 Incarcerated Texans suffer from mental illness. Nationwide 50 million Adults have a serious mental illness in any given year. 75 million Children suffer from a serious emotional disturbance. 90% Of suicides are attributable to mental illness. The suicide rate is almost twice the homicide rate. $55.4 billion Per year is the direct cost of serious mental illness. $273 billion Per year is the indirect cost of serious mental illness.

5. Needs Statement • Americans understand that Mental Health is essential to overall health: every individual, family and community will understand that mental health is an essential part of overall health. In a transformed mental health system, Americans will seek mental health care when they need it, with the same confidence that they seek treatment for other health problems. ADDRESS MENTAL HEALTH WITH THE SAME URGENCY AS PHYSICAL HEALTH. • Mental Health Care is Consumer and Family driven; consumers and families will have the necessary information and opportunity to exercise choice over the care decisions that affect them. Develop an individualized plan of care for every adult with a serious mental illness and child with a serious emotional disturbance, and involve consumers and families fully in orienting the mental health system toward recovery. • Eliminate disparities in mental health care: promote well-being for all people regardless of race, ethnicity, language, place of residence, or age and ensure equity of access, delivery of services and improvement of outcomes for all communities.

6. NAMI Gulf CoastPrograms Parent Partners: Families with children newly diagnosed with mental illness are paired with a “parent partner,” a person who has parented or is currently parenting a child or adolescent with mental illness. A parent partner is a parent from the trenches, who has experienced the mental health system and can help the novice family navigate the complicated array of services and doctors making sure that the family’s questions are heard and their needs met. Partnerships Family Education: NAMI GC has developed an education curriculum for family and friends who are trying to cope with a friend or family member who has schizophrenia, depression or bipolar disorder. This 12 hour workshop pairs a trained family member with a mental health professional as co-instructors, who teach family members about mental illness and its impact on families. The partnership benefits each instructor, and the students, with the perspective and experience of the other. Visions for Tomorrow: (VFT) program, modeled after our highly successful Partnerships program, is geared toward families who have a child and/or adolescent exhibiting signs of emotional disturbance. The program was developed by our parent organization, NAMI-Texas, and is unique in its provision of child-care stipends. This allows parents to attend who couldn’t otherwise afford to pay for child care. NAMI GC added a trained staff member to teach this course and to offer additional support and assistance to families trying to find resources and working with families to help them to become informed about the Admission Review and Dismissal (ARD) process.

7. Programs Information and Referral: NAMI GC has a toll-free information and referral line that assists with immediate family crises, and offers support and outreach to families between meetings. NAMI GC also distributes 620 newsletters monthly. Advocacy: NAMI GC is dedicated to advocacy for services at local, state, and national levels. NAMI GC educates representatives on the importance of legislation and funding to ensure quality in-patient and outpatient care for people with mental illness. NAMI GC co-sponsors a legislative forum that assembles to make concerns about mental illness known and voices heard. Newsletter: Through the publication of a monthly newsletter, NAMI Gulf Coast informs members about news on medication, treatments, legal and recovery programs. The newsletter also functions to keep members informed of upcoming classes and events at NAMI Gulf Coast. Jail Diversion Task Force The task force’s goal is to keep individuals with mental illness out of jail and provide them with treatment and support. Cuts in community-based mental health services have forced jails to become the new “residential” treatment centers for persons with mental illness. The community must be informed of this sad reality. The task force is comprised of Galveston and Brazoria county leaders, and representatives from the agencies, professions and organizations that work with persons with mental illness, including judges, sheriffs, district attorneys, psychiatrists and hospital administrators. NAMI GC’s presence on this Task Force is a crucial link to individuals with mental illness and families who find themselves involved with the criminal justice system.

8. Programs Care and Share Program: NAMI GC coordinates monthly family support groups called Care and Share, 30 per year, at various locations throughout the community. Following each support group session, there is a one-hour meeting to inform families of new treatments, resources, services, and other special interest topics. The outcome: wiser, more assertive family members. Peer Support & Consumer Education These programs offer a safe place for consumers to socialize and share a meal, while providing a great source of support to each other. Consumers meet in Galveston on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m., Alvin on Tuesdays and Fridays from 10 a.m. to 1p.m., Santa Fe on Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., and Angleton every Thursday 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. As a part of the peer support programs, a consumer facilitates interactive educational lessons on topics such as coping skills, symptoms of mental illness, and supportive services. In addition to education, consumers enjoy crafts and games. Furniture Bank As treatment takes effect and consumers prepare to get on with their lives, they often find that they don’t have the living necessities that most people take for granted. NAMI GC operates the Furniture Bank to assist those consumers who are ready for independent living. The Bank provides quality used furniture such as couches, mattresses, bed frames, end tables, etc. Financial Assistance Consumers sometimes need financial assistance for food, clothing, shelter, and hygiene items. For many consumers, NAMI GC is the last resort. Because mental illness is greatly exacerbated by the inability to meet basic needs, many consumers would be homeless or incarcerated without such assistance.

9. More Programs Payee Program NAMI GC is approved by the Social Security Administration to provide financial management service for those requesting it. NAMI GC currently serves as payee for eight consumers. Consumer Holiday Activities The holidays can often affect the stability of many people with mental illness due to isolation and loneliness. NAMI GC hosts events throughout the year to help lighten the burden of the holidays; at no cost to consumers and families. The events include a Spring Fling, Halloween carnival, Thanksgiving Dinner and Christmas Dance all of which promise a fun-filled day with friends. Event activities include a D.J., games, prizes, food, dancing, holiday trimmings and gifts. Fill-A-Sack Families donate hygiene items and novelties, such as small jewelry, make up, wallets, and playing cards. NAMI GC provides other goodies, like socks, instant soup, and packets of hot chocolate mix. These items are placed in sacks decorated by consumers, and delivered to programs that serve people with mental illness. NAMI GC also purchased headset radios for consumers at Austin State Hospital, delivered in time for Christmas. For many, this was their only holiday gift. Training for the Professional NAMI GC provides training for new employees at the Gulf Coast Center MHMR and other organizations. Employees will know where to refer families for support and education. Crisis InterventionTraining NAMI Gulf Coast provides local law enforcement with training on how to approach mental health consumers in times of crisis as a method to avoid arrest.

10. Our Situation • Our families need to know about the disease, it’s effects, and constantly changing treatment in order to help their relatives. • If our family member becomes overwhelmed, they will become sick also and their help will beineffective.

11. NAMI Gulf CoastBoard of Directors2007 Carolyn Karbowski Executive Director Galveston Chapter Northern Brazoria Chapter Vivian Renfrow, President Katherine Kerber, Vice President Louis Sanchez, Treasurer Carla Sanchez, Secretary Linda Myers, Board Member Eddie Karbowski, Board Member Gerald Mitchell, President Kaye Plitt, Vice President Joe Watkins, Treasurer Cindy Schmidt, Secretary Steve Bogdanos, Board Member Glenda Lindsey, Board Member Southern Brazoria Chapter Walter Dean, President Reatha Alexander, Vice-President Andrea Hazlitt, Treasurer Nancy Dean, Secretary Linda Rooks, Board Member Betty Keith, Board Member

12. NAMI Gulf CoastMonthly Chapter Meetings Galveston County Chapter 1601 Lake Road (St. Michael’s Episcopal Church) LaMarque, Texas 2nd Monday of each month Care and Share 6-7 pm, Meeting 7-8 pm Southern Brazoria Chapter 101 Tigner (across the street from Wal-Mart) Angleton, Texas 2nd Thursday of each month Care and Share 6-7 pm, Meeting 7-8 pm Northern Brazoria Chapter 319 E. South Street (Lighthouse) Alvin, TX 3rd Thursday of each month Care and Share 6:30-7:30 pm, Meeting 7:30 -8:30 pm

13. Making Progress • NAMI Gulf Coast added a day to the Alvin Peer Support Group, now consumers can meet also on Fridays 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. Consumers in Angleton are now able to meet in the Angleton area every Thursday 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. • NAMI Gulf Coast was able to deliver suicide blankets to Brazoria County Jail for mental health inmates. • NAMI Gulf Coast representatives had the opportunity to tour the new Galveston County Jail to view facilities for people with mental illness. • NAMI Gulf Coast offered NAMI Waco consulting on staffing their chapter. • NAMI Gulf Coast gained certification to teach Crisis Intervention Training to local law enforcement, and certification to train teachers for Visions for Tomorrow education classes. • NAMI Gulf Coast Executive Director was a finalist for “Citizen of the Year” for Brazosport Facts Newspaper. • NAMI Texas awarded NAMI Gulf Coast’s volunteer Nancy Dean “Volunteer of the Year” • NAMI Gulf Coast increased the number of hygiene/food sacks provided to consumers to 600 sacks. • In October of 2007, NAMI GC co-hosted a Legislative Forum where about 100 families expressed their thoughts and views about the current state of the Texas mental health system. • NAMI Gulf Coast provided strong representation to the Galveston County Homeless Coalition.

14. NAMI Gulf CoastFunding Sources 34.5% Corporate 49.8% Foundations 14% Individuals 1.7% Membership Special thanks to some of our supporters! *NAMI Gulf Coast Financial Information provided upon request.