For Those Who Find the Holidays Triggering
December 16, 2018By Hilary Jacobs Hendel, LCSW | Dec. 14, 2018 from the NAMI blog – My patient, Han, used to dread going home to his parent’s house for the holidays. He found it hard to relax and be himself, and his wife and children also dreaded it. His parents made hurtful remarks, criticizing everything from their more »
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Holiday Help in Bucks County
December 13, 2018We are in the midst of Holiday Season 2018, preparing for a happy and prosperous 2019. For some, this is a very difficult time of year, and we’d like to pass along some resources for you to share. NAMI Support Groups We have a NAMI Support Groups for everyone, and they’re running before and after more »
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NEW LEVITTOWN SUPPORT GROUP ADDED!
December 3, 2018We are pleased to announce the addition of a new NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group location: Levittown, PA! Our first meeting will be held on Thursday, December 27, 2018 at 3pm at the United Christian Church of Levittown. This FREE peer support group will meet regularly on the 2nd and 4th Thursdays of each month. more »
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Support NAMI on Cyber Monday
November 26, 2018Score Cyber Monday deals at smile.amazon.com/ch/20-4135679 and AmazonSmile donates to NAMI Bucks County, PA. Help to #CureStigma while you shop!
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Give to NAMI on Giving Tuesday
November 24, 2018On #GivingTuesday, give like mental health depends on it. Because it does. Your donation to NAMI Bucks County, PA funds much needed #MentalHealth support and education programs that help to build better lives for everyone affected by mental illness. Our advocacy has touched and changed thousands of lives in Bucks County. #MentalIllness can be fatal, more »
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POSTPONED – November Forum: Mike Schlossberg
November 15, 2018At NAMI, we believe safety and self care are tied for top priority. With that in mind, we are postponing our NAMI Forum scheduled for this evening. We apologize for any inconvenience, and invite you to hear Representative Schlossberg speak at the next Forum on Thursday, February 21, 2019. Thursday, November 15, 2018 at 7pm more »
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Your Donation Makes an IMPACT
November 11, 2018Thank you for your generous tax deductible donation. You are helping us provide support, education and advocacy to thousands of of people living with mental illness in Bucks County and across the state of Pennsylvania. Click here to read a letter from our Executive Director, Debbie Moritz, on how your donation is making an impact. more »
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Healthcare.gov is OPEN: How to Buy Safely
November 10, 2018On Nov. 1, HealthCare.gov started its annual enrollment period for health insurance. If you don’t have health care coverage or you just need to renew your plan, make time to review your health plan options before open enrollment ends on December 15. Some health plans may deny coverage for pre-existing conditions or don’t cover mental more »
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#Vote4MentalHealth On November 6th!
November 4, 2018Elected officials make decisions that affect how, when and where my family and I can get the mental health services and supports we need. ✓ PLEDGE TO VOTE Learn the Issues For decades, mental health advocates have shaped laws, increased funding and promoted research to address the inequities and injustices facing people with mental illness more »
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In response to suicides at Penn, a new mental health bill may soon become law
October 30, 2018By Max Cohen and Bebe Hodges 10/25/18 1:53am In light of the recent suicides at Penn, a new Pennsylvania bill aiming to improve suicide prevention services and mental health resources at Pennsylvania universities is close to being signed into law by Gov. Tom Wolf (D-Pa.). The legislation defines a new set of standards that four-year more »
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Infinite Reasons to Live Event at Doylestown Hospital
October 28, 2018NAMI joins Peyton Heart Project Ambassador, Patti Dille, and the Bucks County Suicide Prevention Taskforce to present an evening of crafting, kindness, and storytelling. We will share our stories of lived experience with mental health and surviving suicide while you tag Peyton Hearts to be left around our community to give hope to anyone who more »
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See Nick TONIGHT in This Is My Brave!
October 18, 2018This Is My Brave is a show about what it’s like to live through mental illness and come out on the other side. The emotions from having experienced mental illness first-hand are raw, excruciating, thrilling, inspiring and so much more. Join us at Gratz College in Elkins Park, PA for this live presentation of touching more »
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Ask Your PA State Senator to VOTE NO to HB 2138
October 17, 2018The Pennsylvania Senate could vote as early as today on a bill targeting individuals and families who rely on Medicaid. If it passes, people could lose coverage. House Bill 2138 calls for work requirements, lockout periods, eligibility determinations, and eligibility bans. Our partners at the Pennsylvania Health Access Network put together this graphic showing how more »
Read MoreWhy are so many Pa. prison inmates committing suicide?
October 10, 2018DAVID SWANSON / FILE PHOTOGRAPH Stephen Leonardo is no mental-health expert; he’s just an inmate who was assigned to janitorial duty on the unit of Graterford prison where the psychiatric observation cells were located. Still, even he could tell Christopher Gilchrist — a 28-year-old inmate with diagnosed serious mental illness — was on the precipice. It wasn’t hard, more »
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Thomas Dunning: The Mental Health Runner
October 4, 2018Thomas first began to struggle processing his emotions when he lost his brother to cancer. It had serious and long-lasting effects on his mental well-being, to the point where he developed auditory hallucinations. Since being diagnosed with Borderline Personality Disorder, he has been able to access the right medications, and now feels more in control of his symptoms. I’ve more »
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Vote4MentalHealth
Elected officials make decisions that affect how, when and where my family and I can get the mental health services and supports we need. ✓ PLEDGE TO VOTE Learn the Issues For decades, mental health advocates have shaped laws, increased funding and promoted research to address the inequities and injustices facing people with mental illness more »
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Volunteer & Member Appreciation Picnic
September 19, 2018Team NAMI Bucks County, PA upholds our mission of building better lives for those affected by mental illness in Bucks County through the help of our dedicated volunteers and loyal members. We would like you to know just how much we appreciate you, so if you have volunteered for us or are a current member, more »
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NAMI and Others File Lawsuit Against the Short-Term, Limited Duration Plan Final Rule
September 14, 20189/14/2018 In partnership with the Association for Community Affiliated Plans and other organizations, NAMI filed suit today to invalidate the federal short-term, limited duration (STLD) insurance plan rule issued last month by three federal agencies. The legal challenge seeks a temporary injunction against the recently issued STLD rule, which would expand the availability of plans more »
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Peer-to-Peer Class Delayed One Week
September 12, 2018ANNOUNCEMENT! Our Peer-to-Peer class, scheduled to begin tonight in Warminster, has been postponed until next week as we await the arrival of the materials you’ll need to learn more about your diagnosis and living in recovery. We apologize for any inconvenience and will see you on the first day of class, Wednesday, September 19, 2018! more »
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Suicide Prevention Awareness Month
September 10, 2018Suicidal thoughts, much like mental health conditions, can affect anyone regardless of age, gender or background. In fact, suicide is often the result of an untreated mental health condition. Suicidal thoughts, although common, should not be considered normal and often indicate more serious issues. Each year, more than 41,000 individuals die by suicide, leaving behind more »
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Register Now for Fall Classes
September 8, 2018— NAMI Peer-to-Peer and NAMI Family-to-Family are set to begin again this coming week in Bucks County. – Learn more about mental health diagnoses, caregiving, self-care, and more. Most importantly, you’ll learn that you’re not alone (1 in 5 youths and 1 in 4 adults live with mental health conditions) and that recovery is possible. more »
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Ending the Silence Preview Presentation
August 28, 2018– NAMI Bucks County, PA is holding a preview of our early intervention mental health education presentation, Ending the Silence at Penn Foundation on Monday, September 17, 2018 at 9am. – You will learn about the warning signs and symptoms of mental illness and how to help yourself and/or a friend, treatment options, positive coping more »
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John McCain’s Statement to NAMI
August 26, 2018The following is a statement provided by Senator John McCain to NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, regarding his capacity as a candidate for the U.S. Presidency in 2008. “The next President will face a great challenge due to the rising cost of health care of all types. America has the finest doctors and more »
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Kevin Love Talks to Carson Daly About Men’s Mental Health
August 22, 2018When NBA star Kevin Love wrote an essay about his struggles with anxiety and depression, it brought awareness to mental health issues that are often not openly discussed, especially among men. The article caught the attention of TODAY’s Carson Daly, who has had his own battle with anxiety and panic attacks. Watch the video from more »
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Back-to-School Fundraiser
August 19, 2018In July of this year, New York and Virginia became the first states in the country to mandate mental health education. While we are working toward that victory in Pennsylvania, we need your help in funding and expanding NAMI Signature Education Programs in Bucks County. Please consider a donation to NAMI Bucks County, PA to more »
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How Can You Treat Someone Who Doesn’t Think They’re Mentally Ill
August 18, 2018Simone Golob/Getty Images Laws are being passed that make it possible to compel people to receive treatment for health problems they don’t believe they have. by Carrie Arnold | Vice | Aug 8 2018 – On July 3, 2014, Misty Mayo boarded a Greyhound bus bound for Los Angeles. Desperate to escape her hometown of more »
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Three ways to get people the mental-health care they need
August 7, 2018– by Kate Farinholt, Jean Harris and Rhonda Thissen – Kate Farinholt is executive director of NAMI Maryland. Jean Harris is executive director of NAMI DC. Rhonda Thissen is executive director of NAMI Virginia. – Recent high-profile celebrity suicides have gotten people talking about mental-health care. Unfortunately, too many Americans from all walks of life more »
Read MoreNAMI’s New President Outlines Priorities For Serious Mental Illness
August 3, 2018July 17, 2018 | By Adrienne Kennedy On June 30, among the 15 of my board member peers, I was elected to serve as President of the NAMI Board of Directors for 2018/2019. I am honored and humbled to be provided the opportunity to represent the hundreds of thousands of families, peers and avid supporters who comprise more »
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Advocacy Alert: Insurance Coverage
August 2, 2018Another Blow to Insurance Coverage for People with Mental Illness On August 1, the Administration dealt another blow to mental health parity by allowing for an expansion of certain health insurance plans that are not required to cover people with pre-existing conditions or provide coverage for mental health services. These “short-term limited-duration” plans will now more »
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Humble Beginnings: The History of NAMI Bucks County
July 30, 2018What we know today as NAMI Bucks County, PA, began in 1983 as a small support group consisting of seven family members who met at the Bucks County Free Library in Langhorne. The group was advertised as “Families Unite for Mental Health” and continued to meet at the library for the better part of a more »
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Strength Over Silence: Stories of Courage, Culture and Community
July 28, 2018In this three-part docuseries, NAMI explores unique perspectives on mental health from the African-American and Latino communities. Through candid and courageous stories of lived experience, these mental health champions share their journeys of resiliency and recovery. Barbershop Confessions in the Big Easy Meet Lorenzo Lewis, founder of The Confess Project, and learn how he uses more »
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Minority Mental Health Matters
July 23, 2018Rohan Sharma Shares His Story for Minority Mental Health Month – “My name is Rohan Sharma, and though my journey with mental illness has been difficult at times, I am actually very grateful because it has helped me to grow in many ways. My story begins in the Fall of 2011, where I was a more »
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NAMI MAN Goes To Therapy
July 22, 2018Mental Health Superheroes Need Therapy Too! There is no shame in going to therapy. Mental Health Superheroes need therapy too. If you haven’t found what works for you, fear not! There are many kinds of therapy and support available. Don’t give up before you find what works best for you!
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Personal Stories: Andrienne’s #BestLife
July 11, 2018“You Can Live Your Best Life Despite A Mental Illness” I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder and generalized anxiety disorder about 4 years ago. When I was first diagnosed I thought that my life was over. This was because I was once a person who had a preconceived idea of what a “crazy” person looked more »
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NAMICon18 Photo Highlights
July 2, 2018It has been an extraordinary week at the 2018 NAMI National Convention for NAMI MAN and team NAMI Bucks County, PA. Here are a few highlights in pictures while we make our way back to Bucks County and prepare to continue our mission of education, advocacy and support.
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Personal Stories: Can Faith and Mental Illness Coexist?
June 27, 2018Our friend Brandon Mullins says it can, just in time for the end of #MensMentalHealthMonth. When I was a child, I remember my grandparents coming over to visit. My grandmother never said much. Her facial expressions never changed. It was always the same hardened look, her eyes fixed on something faraway, like she wasn’t fully more »
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NAMI Homefront is now ONLINE!
June 24, 2018– NAMI Homefront NAMI Homefront is a free, 6-session educational program for families, caregivers and friends of military service members and vets with mental health conditions. Based on the nationally recognized NAMI Family-to-Family program, NAMI Homefront is designed to address the unique needs of family, caregivers and friends of those who have served or are more »
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NAMI Releases New Crisis Guide
April 26, 2018Navigating a Mental Health Crisis When mental illness is present, the potential for crisis is never far from mind. Crisis episodes related to mental illness can feel incredibly overwhelming. There’s the initial shock, followed by a flood of questions—the most prominent of which is: “What can we do?” People experiencing mental illness—and the people who more »
Read More18th Bucks County Crisis Intervention Team Training Graduation
April 8, 201838 officers graduated from the 18th Bucks County Crisis Intervention Team training class (read more about the training below) on Friday, April 6, 2018 with knowledge of how to treat mental illness as a disease, not a crime. NAMI of PA, Bucks County Chapter congratulates these fine graduates, and applauds the County of Bucks and more »
Read MorePersonal Stories: Don’t Call Me Crazy
March 18, 2018Personal Stories Don’t Call Me Crazy by Robert Spencer In the light of recent events, there has been a lot of focus on mental illness and it hasn’t been positive. Studies have shown that people living with mental illness are far more likely to be the victims of violent crimes than the perpetrators, but more »
Read MorePennsylvania adopting data analytics strategy to prevent student suicides
December 11, 2018According to a 2015 report by the Department of Health and Human Services, more than 3 million adolescents ages 12-17 reported at least one major depressive episode in the past year, and more than 2 million reported severe depression that impeded their daily functioning. Of these students, 18 percent reported seriously contemplating suicide within the more »
Read MorePeople with serious mental illnesses in Pa. face long wait for treatment
Twenty-four-year-old Samantha Valley is a familiar face to staff at Dauphin County’s Case Management Unit, where she meets regularly with her caseworker. Valley’s birth mother lost custody of her, and Valley spent her preschool years in foster care. She was adopted at age seven, and when she turned 18, her adoptive parents placed her in more »
Read MoreHow To Be Supportive Of Your Partner With Mental Illness
Being in a relationship with someone you love can be beautiful. It can also be difficult, as you face the hurdles of everyday life. But if your partner struggles with mental illness, those issues can become much more intense for both of you. Understanding the needs of someone with mental illness is challenging. And you more »
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