FRESH START

Newsletter Date
FRESH Volume
START
1 Issue 1
JUNE 2015
Welcome to our family of National
Alliance for Mental Illness - NAMI
Cobb!
Next Educational Meeting:
June 18, 2015
Guest Speaker
Our group works to be a wealth of information
to you the consumer, the family member, the
friends and relatives of those dealing with day
to day issues of living with a Mental Illness.
Sheri McGuinness
NAMI Cobb Leadership Team
President/CEO at SPAN-GA
President -- Neill Blake
770-427-5353
nhblake@earthlink.net
1st Vice-President/Website Chair –
Tim Link
link.tim@comcast.net
2nd Vice-President/Communication Chair
Greg Ausham gregausham@yahoo.com
Secretary - Ashley Burton
ashleyburtonnami@gmail.com
Treasurer and Parliamentarian–
Paul Wiser
wim1paul@comcast.net
Member At Large/Newsletter Editor/CIT –
John Avery javeryjr56@gmail.com
Member At Large/Education Chair:
Pam Burton
pamburtonnami@bellsouth.net
Member at Large/Hospitality Chair:
Nancy Spetnagel
nspetnagel@gmail.com
Member At Large/Advocacy Chair:
Sylvia Oliphant Sao66@yahoo.com
Membership Chair: Robert Gray
rjgray49@gmail.com
Fundraising Chair: Reina Pantaleon
reina.pantaleon@gmail.com
NAMI COBB
Sheri McGuinness, SPAN-GA's President/CEO is the author of
the Understanding Suicide section of the week long CIT
program.
SPAN-GA has partnered with NAMI-GA to train Law
Enforcement, EMS, Pardon and Parole, and others in Suicide
Prevention, Intervention and Aftercare as well as Self-Care for
Law Enforcement.
Suicide Prevention Action Network – Georgia, is a 501C(3)
organization created in 2003 to reduce completed and attempted
suicide in Georgia. Its focus is on creating public awareness and
public/political will to provide resources to implement the
Georgia State Suicide Prevention Plan.
_____________________________________________________
We meet in the Parish Hall at St. James Episcopal Church, 161 Church
Street in Marietta. The doors open at 7:00 p.m. for registration,
refreshments and fellowship. The meeting and program begin at 7:30
p.m. and conclude by 9:00 PM
There are a limited number of parking spots in the church courtyard adjoining
the Parish Hall; additional parking is available on the streets in front of and
along the side of the church as well as in a parking lot across the railroad
tracks adjacent to the church. We extend a warm welcome for all in the
community to join us. We hope to see you there
INSIDE THIS ISSUE
1
NAMI Cobb Education Meeting/Guest Speaker
2
President’s Message
3/4
Education Series Speaker – Sheri McGuiness / SPAN-GA
5
Gov. Deal Signs Bill on Suicide Prevention
6
NAMI Northside Mental Health Fair
7/8
NAMI Cobb Activities/Cobb County CIT Class/NAMIWalk
9
Shrinkage in Brain Structure Linked to Severe PTSD
10/11
12
Should Police Accommodate People with Mental Illness
Meeting and Membership Information
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President’s Letter
In spite of audio and thermostat glitches, the NAMI Cobb monthly Education Meeting for May was terrific, thanks to
Sam Rapier’s presentation. Sam spoke about his journey to recovery with a diagnosis of schizophrenia as well as
the Georgia mental Health Consumer Network (GMHCN) Certified Peer Specialist program. He used humor to
describe the voices that are constantly with him and how he has learned to not just cope, but to thrive. If you were
not present, you missed an inspiring program!
NAMI Cobb partnered with the Cobb County Sheriff’s Office to sponsor another Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)
training during the week of June 1-5, 2015. This class was filled to capacity and was largely composed of law
enforcement and first responders who had requested this training to better equip them when responding to a
mental health crisis. Many of these CIT Officers joined NAMI Cobb. You will get to meet some of them soon because
they are planning to form a team and participate with us in the upcoming NAMI Walk.
For those new to NAMI, the NAMI Walk is our largest fundraiser and mental health awareness event of the year.
This year the Atlanta NAMI Walk will be held on Saturday, September 26, 2015, at Grant Park in Atlanta.
We have a new Facebook page called NAMI Cobb Georgia. Please “like” our Facebook page and stay up to date on
the NAMI Walk and other NAMI Cobb events!
Both NAMI Cobb and the Cobb Sheriff’s Office have made CIT training a priority. We have particularly enjoyed
partnering with Lt. Rebekah Westenberger to help make this mental health training a big success. Thanks to Pam
Burton’s amazing homecooked lunch of lasagna, garlic bread and salad and the generosity of Nancy Spetnagel
(Dunkin Donuts and coffee), John Avery (Firehouse subs lunch), Reina Pantaleon (for pursuing food donations
from restaurants), Panera Bread Company (breakfast pastries and bread), my Gooey Bars and other snacks, NAMI
Cobb maintained our reputation for providing hospitality to the officers who attended the June CIT training. You
guys rock!!
CIT training at the North Central Georgia Law Enforcement Academy
Neill Blake and Lt. Rebekah Westenberger
Please email me if you are willing to help provide food (especially home-cooked!) for next CIT training event for
July or the last one of 2015 in November. The CIT class usually includes 20 officers and 3-4 trainers.
You’ll want to attend NAMI Northside’s annual Mental Health Fair next Saturday, June 13, 2015 from 10 AM – 2 PM
at Peachtree Presbyterian Church on Roswell Road in Atlanta. The event includes some terrific panel speakers and
exhibitors. The event is free but registration is required – see the flyer in this newsletter.
Neill Blake, President NAMI Cobb
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Education Speaker Series Presents:
Sheri McGuinness will be our guest speaker at our June Educational session. In 1999, Sherri lost her husband, Joe,
to suicide after 23 years of marriage. The journey that followed led her to the Suicide Prevention Action Network,
GA (SPAN-GA) as a volunteer. She was asked to take leadership of SPAN-GA in 2005 and became President and CEO,
a position she holds today. In this role, Sheri has lead SPAN-GA in delivering the voice of grassroots constituents,
support survivors and the suicide prevention community, educating and creating awareness throughout the state of
Georgia.
Sherri also works with Georgia’s Suicide Prevention Program. Projects have included coordination for the Georgia
Rural Project, a project designed to create alternative services to children at risk in rural communities, and working
with researchers to bring forth recommendations for the Garrett Lee Smith Proposal that was awarded to Georgia
in October 2008. As a result, the state of Georgia received $1.5M in federal grant funds for youth suicide prevention.
She is currently involved with the GSPIN Website and Broadcast Network project created to connect survivor
families and the suicide prevention community for prevention, intervention and aftercare services.
Sherri is passionate about the work she does across the state to raise awareness, educate the public on suicide
prevention and advocate on behalf of people at risk for suicide as well as survivors. Please join us on June 18th as
Sherri shares an extraordinary story of recovery and offers hope to those who have experienced the loss of a loved
one or have loved ones at risk of suicide.
This event is a FREE community service; all are welcome!
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Doors open at 7:00 pm; the meeting will be from 7:30-9:00 p.m.
St James Episcopal Church Parish Hall
161 Church St Marietta 30060
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SPAN-GA is a grassroots suicide prevention organization that is led by survivors of a suicide loss and those with a heart for this
cause. Our leadership team all have experienced the loss of a loved one, and brings a great deal of passion to the work. Our board is a
working board, which means that all of our team is in the field with us volunteering for conferences, trainings, activities, and serving
on the Care Team for Camp SOS and other events.
SPAN-GA Mission
Suicide Prevention Action Network, Georgia (SPAN-GA) is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization dedicated to preventing suicide through
public education, awareness, community action, and local grassroots advocacy. Our organization was created to raise awareness, build
political will and promote the call for action with regard to creating, advancing, implementing and evaluating a state strategy to
address suicide in Georgia.
Our work is guided by our underlying priorities: advancing public policy, organizing communities, supporting and engaging survivors,
and breaking stigma.
SPAN-GA – Our Body of Work
SPAN-GA's goals rest in the belief that to really impact the crisis of suicide requires multiple strategies, happening simultaneously,
and sustained. So we create our annual action plan around that belief. Our work covers suicide prevention, intervention and
postvention; but a great deal of our focus is on supporting survivors of a suicide loss. Our 5 year plan for 2015 - 2020 includes
continuing to build resources for survivor families, children and teens; and increasing community education and stigma
reduction. Below are some of the many strategies that SPAN-GA uses to reach our goals and move forward the implementation of the
Georgia State Suicide Prevention Plan.
SPAN-GA History
Jerry and Elsie Weyrauch founded SPANUSA in Georgia in 1996 after the loss of their 38 year old physician daughter Terri Ann by
suicide. Their work took on a national focus from the beginning, drawing interest from leaders across the nation. In 1998, the
members of SPANUSA brought stakeholders together to the Reno Conference to begin a dialogue on the crisis of suicide in our
nation.
Out of this conference, then Surgeon General Dr. David Satcher wrote the Call to Action for Suicide Prevention, declaring suicide a
public health crisis in America.
A National Strategy for Suicide Prevention was published in 2001; during that same period of time SPAN led the effort to write our
Georgia Suicide Prevention Plan. It was a natural progression for SPANUSA to move to Washington DC, and at that time, 2002,
SPAN-GA was formed to focus on the needs of our state. In the early years, SPAN-GA was given funding through a line item each
year to implement suicide prevention activities throughout the state.
Since then, we have advocated for an official Office of Suicide Prevention, and legislature brought the Suicide Prevention Program
into existence in 2006. From that time, SPAN-GA and many other agencies and organizations have been working together with the
Suicide Prevention Program to execute the activities and coordinated efforts for suicide prevention, intervention and aftercare
throughout Georgia. Under the leadership of the Division of Public Health 2006 – 2009 and then the Department of Behavioral Health
and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD) from 2009 - 2015, and now under the Office of Behavioral Prevention where the Suicide
Prevention Program has found a perfect fit, we have made great strides toward impacting a very complicated crisis, but we still have
much work to do.
Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world: indeed, it's the only thing that ever has!
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Gov. Deal Signs Bill on Suicide Prevention
With Gov. Nathan Deal is, from the right, Frank Berry, commissioner of DBHD- Dept. of Behavioral Health and Developmental
Disablities, Sally Vander Straeten, suicide prevention coordinator, Sherry Unwala, board member of SPAN-Ga, Carol Dooley, board
member of SPAN-Ga, Sheri McGuinness, President of SPAN-Ga, behind the Governor on the right, is Senator Renee Unterman, to the
left of the Governor is Representative Katie Dempsey, Clark Flatt, president of the Jason Flatt Foundation, Michelle Ray, senior
VP/CEO of the Jason Flatt Foundation and in the back row is Jamie Woodard of the Trevor Project.
ATLANTA — May 5 was a victory for suicide prevention in Georgia after Governor Nathan Deal signed the
House Bill 198 into law. It’s the Jason Flatt Act of Georgia.
The following goes into effect as of July 1: the Department of Education must require all teachers, counselors
and other certified school personnel to receive annual training in suicide awareness and prevention; they must
work with the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities and the Suicide Prevention
Program to develop a list of approved training materials; every local school system must adopt a policy on
student suicide prevention, intervention and post-vention, developed by school and community stakeholders
and mental health professionals and the Department of Education must establish a model suicide prevention
policy for use by local school systems.
This would not have been possible without Clark Flatt, who in memory of his son, Jason, founded the Jason
Foundation and has worked with Jamie Woodard of the Trevor Project to write this bill. They have worked to
bring this law into effect in 15 states.
Representative Katie Dempsey and Senator Renee Unterman sponsored this bill in the House of
Representatives and the Senate, respectively.
Sheri McGuinness, Sherry Unwala and Carol Dooley represented Suicide Prevention Action Network of
Georgia (SPAN-GA.). For more information, visit www.span-ga.org.
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Speakers
Vilda S. Brannen, M.S., NCC, LPC, CPCS
National Certified Counselor
Licensed Professional Counselor/Certified Professional Clinical Supervisor
Vilda is a Licensed Professional Counselor specializing in the management and treatment of bipolar
disorder alongside some of Atlanta’s most respected psychiatrists.
Roland Behm
Roland is the co-chair of the Metro Atlanta Chapter of the American Foundation for Suicide
Prevention.
Donald Wade Lee, CPS
Wade received his Georgia Peer Specialist certification in 2011.
Shelley Danser, CTRS
Shelley is a Certified Recreational Therapist and the Coordinator of Adjunctive Therapies at Skyland
Trail.
There is no charge to attend but registration is necessary
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NAMI Cobb Activities
NAMI Connections Weekly Support Group
Our NAMI Connections Support Group for persons with a mental health diagnosis continues to
meet every Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 231 at First Presbyterian Church located at 189 Church Street in
Marietta. We have a good core group of people who are committed to living in wellness - please come join this drop-in
group any Monday or every Monday! Contact Ashley Burton at 404-936-3887 for more information.
Family Care & Share Weekly Support Group
Our Family Care and Share Support Group is a drop-in group for family members and caregivers for someone with a
mental health diagnosis. The group meets every Monday from 7:00-8:30 p.m. in Room 232 at First Presbyterian Church,
189 Church St in Marietta. If your family member is in crisis, come any or every Monday to receive support from others.
And if your family member is doing well, please come to give your support and share your experiences with others!
Contact Greg Ausham at 330-801-0328, Susie Allen at 770-565-4335 or Sylvia Oliphant 678-471-5907 for more
information.
*************************************************************************************************
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Register ONLINE:
https://securewalks.nami.org/registrant/TeamFundraisingPage.aspx?TeamID=620471#&panel1-1
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John Krystal, M.D.
May 15, 2015
Among the symptoms experienced by people who develop post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) are symptoms of
“anxious arousal”––feeling tense or easily startled much of the time. New research published in the April issue of the
journal JAMA Psychiatry links these symptoms to a reduction in the size of the amygdala, a structure deep in the brain
that is associated with fear processing and emotion.
Understanding the relationship between structural changes in the brain and PTSD could help researchers develop better
approaches for preventing and treating the disorder. Previous studies have shown that another brain structure, the
hippocampus, is smaller in people with PTSD than in those without the disorder. But despite the amygdala's role in fear
processing and its suspected involvement in PTSD, no clear relationship has been established between the size of the
amygdala and the disorder. Studies comparing the size of the amygdala in people with PTSD to its size in unaffected
individuals have yielded conflicting results.
A team of scientists led by Robert H. Pietrzak, Ph.D., of the Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (NCPTSD) in Connecticut, decided to consider the amygdala's relationship to PTSD in a
more nuanced way. Because not all people with PTSD have the same symptoms or experience their symptoms with the
same severity, the scientists wanted to evaluate whether amygdala size correlates to certain clusters of symptoms, rather
than the overall disorder.
The team included Foundation Scientific Council member and three-time NARSAD grantee John Krystal, M.D., at the
Yale University School of Medicine (2000, 2006 Distinguished Investigator); Alexander Neumeister,
M.D. (2007 Independent Investigator) at the NYU School of Medicine; and Chadi Abdallah, M.D. (2012, 2014 Young
Investigator), also at Yale. Drs. Krystal and Chadi are also affiliated with NCPTSD.
The researchers used magnetic resonance imaging to assess the size of the hippocampus and the amygdala in 48 combat
veterans who served in Iraq or Afghanistan. Twenty-three of the veterans in the study had been diagnosed with PTSD.
There are two of each of these structures in the brain––one on the right side, one on the left––and each was measured
individually.
For each patient, the team correlated the size of the amygdala and hippocampus to the severity of each of five categories
of symptoms: anxious arousal; dysphoric arousal (sleep difficulties); re-experiencing (through dreams, flashbacks, or
frightening thoughts); avoidance (of reminders of the traumatic event); and emotional numbness.
The researchers found one significant correlation: in veterans with the most severe anxious arousal symptoms, the right
amygdala was smaller than it was in other study participants. They also found that the right amygdala was smallest in
veterans who had been exposed to the most severe combat. The scientists say their findings suggest that combat exposure
may contribute to shrinking of the amygdala, which is in turn associated with increased anxious arousal.
https://bbrfoundation.org/brain-matters-discoveries/shrinkage-in-brain-structure-linked-to-severe-ptsdsymptoms-combat?utm_source=eNews+List&utm_campaign=2ec34e583ceNews_5_27_2015_A_B_Test&utm_medium=email&utm_term=0_fb7d503c0e-2ec34e583c-159677757
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Should Police Accommodate People with Mental Illness
in Crisis? The Supreme Court Weighs In—Kind Of
By Ron Honberg | May. 19, 2015
The U.S. Supreme Court issued a decision on May 18, focused on an issue that has become all too
familiar for people living with mental illness and their families. The case, City and County Of San
Francisco v. Sheehan, addressed whether police officers have a legal obligation to use crisis deescalation methods when responding to people they know to be experiencing symptoms of a serious
mental illness.
Two San Francisco police officers were called to respond to a woman with mental illness who was in
crisis. When they entered her bedroom, she threatened them with a bread knife and told them to
leave. They retreated, called for backup, but reentered the bedroom before backup assistance arrived
with the intent to subdue the woman with pepper spray. The woman charged at them with the knife
and the officers shot her multiple times. Fortunately she survived.
The woman subsequently sued San Francisco and the two officers in federal court, asserting that
they failed to take her known mental illness into account by responding in a manner that escalated
the situation. The case reached the Supreme Court which reviewed two questions. First, does the
Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) require law enforcement officers to provide accommodations to
an individual with a known mental illness who is armed and potentially violent? Second, were the
officers in this case entitled to qualified immunity from liability for the injuries suffered by the woman
they were responding to?
The Court ruled in favor of the City and Officers on the issue of qualified immunity, holding that they
did not violate a “clearly established statutory or constitutional right” when they opened the woman’s
door the second time. But, the Court dismissed the ADA question, because San Francisco, after
raising this issue in its petition to the Supreme Court, did not argue it either in its brief or in oral
arguments before the Court.
By not addressing this issue, the Supreme Court essentially left open the question of whether the
ADA applies to police interactions with people in crisis who live with mental illness or other mental
disabilities. Based on the facts in this case, it’s questionable whether the Court would have ruled that
the ADA requires accommodation in this kind of situation. So, in a way, no ruling is better than one
that
absolves
counties and police of any responsibility. It may be that the issue never need
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decided—if reform of the mental health system as a whole cab be achieved,
Why This Case Matters
Police commonly respond to people with mental illness in crisis throughout the United States. Except
for mental illness, a call to 911 for assistance with a medical emergency will lead to the arrival of
Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) trained to respond. However, if a 911 call concerns a mental
health emergency, the police are usually the first sent to respond.
A number of communities have responded admirably by implementing Crisis Intervention Team (CIT)
programs and training officers on methods for de-escalating crises situations. However, police are still
too often thrust into situations involving psychiatric emergencies without necessary training or options
for working collaboratively with the mental health system. The consequences can be calamitous,
including deaths or serious injuries.
For example, an investigation by the Portland (Maine) Press Herald in 2012 concluded that “at least
half of the estimated 375 to 500 people shot and killed by police each year in this country have
mental health problems.” In recent years, these problems appear to have worsened as mental health
resources have diminished and police assumed even greater responsibility for responding to crises
situations. Investigations and lawsuits initiated by the U.S. Department of Justice have revealed
disturbingly high numbers of law enforcement-initiated deaths of individuals with serious mental
illness in cities such as New Orleans, Albuquerque, Portland (Oregon) and elsewhere.
Ultimately, the Supreme Court’s decision left unanswered the question of whether communities and
counties are legally responsible for training police officers and other first responders on how to
effectively and compassionately respond to people experiencing psychiatric crises. The fact of the
matter, however, is that the challenge lies with communities to provide mental health services
designed both to prevent crises and ensure that people who do experience crises are responded to
compassionately and effectively.
Certainly, all communities in the U.S. should implement CIT programs and provide training on crisis
de-escalation to their police officers. However, even the best trained officers can only accomplish so
much without the support and partnership of the mental health system. If this week’s decision teaches
us nothing else, it is that we cannot rely on the courts to determine responsibility for fixing America’s
mental health crisis. That responsibility lies with legislators, county leaders, elected officials and
others with authority to invest in evidence-based mental health services.
- See more at: http://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-Blog/May-2015/Should-Police-AccommodatePeople-with-MentalIllne?utm_source=naminow&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=may2015#sthash.I2bY5zwA.
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NAMI ADVOCATES
Hard At Work
NAMI Advocates are ordinary people hoping to make extraordinary changes through advocacy in the lives of
those who live with mental illness and their families. We are challenged to be a voice for those who can't
speak for themselves. With passion, we have won half the battle. The work at hand is instrumental and it
allows those who suffer to continue treatment, have affordable housing and a loving community that
encourages support. The photos above reflect some of the work we were able to do. Advocates attend
mental health conferences, attend training seminars and network with other advocates. We keep up with
the trends that are affecting change. Advocacy means hosting a class on your anniversary, driving, riding
the bus or flying in the middle of the night, posting your phone number on the website for people in need of
information or education and it means saying yes when you have no lived experience but a desire to help.
Anyone can advocate, all you need is passion. This is what NAMI Advocates do.
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The Atlanta VA Medical Center is pleased to continue the
community partnership with NAMI and to work together to serve
family members and close supports of veterans who live with
mental illnesses such as PTSD, Major Depression, Bipolar
Disorder, and Schizophrenia.
The NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program is a free 12-week
course for family members and other close supports over 18
years of age. It is led by a trained family member with shared
experiences.
The course was designated as an evidenced-based practice in 2013 by SAMHSA.
Examples of course topics include education about mental illness, communication,
problem-solving, resources, collaboration with treatment providers, and self-care.
Testimonials from past participants speak to how the course provides support,
understanding, and hope while working towards improved knowledge and family
relationships.
Next Course Starts on Tuesday, August 11 6-8:30pm
For more information or to sign-up, the interested family member or support
person should contact:
Dr. Erin Elliott, Psychologist, 404-321-6111, ext. 6011
Group Location:
GB 151, Mental Health Clinic, Ground Floor Atlanta VAMC
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Thank you so much for your interest in joining NAMI Cobb Affiliate! Please complete the form below, and mail this with your check made out to
NAMI Cobb. (If you wish to pay by credit card, go to www. nami.org and click on “Become a Member”. You will start receiving our monthly
electronic newsletter within the month. You are also invited to attend our monthly education and support meetings at St. James Episcopal Church in
Marietta, 161 Church St. NE, on the third Thursday of each month at 7:30pm (there is a time to look at resources and brochures at 7pm). You are not
alone. Come join us.
Yes, I would like to join NAMI Cobb of Georgia!
Monthly NAMI Cobb General Meeting
Date:____________________

New

Renewal

$3 Financial Hardship Membership
June 18, 2015
(Please note there has been a slight increase in membership fees nationally).
___________Donation (I would like to give an additional donation
to support NAMI-Cobb programming and outreach)
St. James Episcopal Church
161 Church St, Marietta
7:00 PM Networking/Social
7:30 PM Program
Name(s):______________________________________
Address:______________________________________
_______________________________________
Phone: _______________________________________
Email: _______________________________________

**Please mail this form along with your check to:
I am interested in volunteering. My skill is ________________________.
NAMI Cobb, P.O. Box 999
Kennesaw, GA 30156
Thank you for your membership!
June 2015
NAMI Cobb
P.O. Box 999
Kennesaw, GA 30156
NEW LOCATION AND MEETING
DAY
TO:
Family Care and Share Support Group
For families of those with a mental illness
1st Presbyterian Church
189 Church St
Marietta, GA
MONDAYS
Time: 7-8:30 PM
Susie Allen 770-565-4335
Greg Ausham 330-801-0328
Sylvia Oliphant 678-471-5907