NAMI Schenectady lunch meeting April 9, 2012

Hear ye! Hear ye!

NAMI Schenectady holds its next regular lunch meeting at noon on Monday, April 9 at Center Stage Deli, 2678 Hamburg Street, Rotterdam. Our speaker will be Dr. Heidi Van Bellingham, a senior psychiatrist at the Ellis Mental Health Clinic on Lafayette Street. Dr. Van Bellingham also serves as a doctor on staff for the Personal Recovery Oriented Services (PROS) program adjoining the mental health clinic and she is the psychiatrist assigned to the county jail. We expect Dr. Van Bellingham to tell us about her role at the clinic and how she perceives the current status of publicly assisted mental health services in Schenectady. We can also learn how we might help to make treatment of our family members more successful at the clinic. To reach Center Stage Deli, starting from the corner of State Street and Brandywine Ave., turn south on Brandywine and go three short blocks to stoplight at Duane Avenue. Turn left, east, on Duane and proceed over the bridge to first stoplight. Take left fork at the light onto Hamburg Street and travel south about two miles to the deli. It is on the right just after a U Haul truck rental place with big signs. Park in front or along side the deli building. We have tables reserved at the rear of the restaurant and begin to take our seats at 11:45. If you are new to join us you might call Roy or Mary Neville or Flora Ramonowski to ask for more details about our meetings. You do not have to be a NAMI member to attend our meetings. Other topics on the agenda are the Forensic task force and police training, housing for men living at the YMCA, the state budget just passed and bills we advocate for, and our NAMI affiliation business. See you there!

Reminder: Two relatives support groups continue to meet weekly for the families of someone with a mental illness. One is led by Kevin Moran, a psychiatric social worker at Ellis Hospital, meeting inside the hospital in classroom B-3 every Wednesday evening at 6 pm. Call Kevin on 243-4255 if you are new to the group. Park in the hospital garage and proceed through the main floor corridor to the B wing elevators. Take elevator to the third floor and see signs on the wall pointing to the classroom. The other support group is held at the CDPC Franklin Street clinic at 426 Franklin Street, Schenectady and is led by Frank Greco, a social worker at the CDPC hospital in Albany. The group meets from 5:30 to 7 pm every Monday night in a first floor room at the clinic. Call ahead on 374-3403 to check on availability for that evening. Besides these groups there is a DBSA--Depression, Bipolar Support Alliance--group intended for consumers with either of these illnesses. It meets every Thursday evening at 7 pm at Grace Lutheran Church, 1930 Hillside Avenue, Niskayuna. Celeste Trotz leads these meetings. Call her at home on 374-9753 if you are new to the group.