Highlights from Mental Health America’s Back to School Toolkit
Mental Health America’s Back-to-School Toolkit 2022 looks at the issues young people face that are having an impact on their mental health. The toolkit offers tips on how to deal with these issues and the resulting emotions. Several sections of the toolkit are available at https://namimainlinepa.org/
NAMI Main Line Upcoming Events
Our next Main Line NAMI Workshop, “Living with Mental Health Challenges: Maintaining a Positive Approach Even When Times Are Hard,” will be on Sunday, October 2, from 2-4 p.m. on Zoom. Our panelists will describe the challenges they have experienced while dealing with chronic mental illness personally or in their families. They will also discuss what has helped them to maintain a positive approach during difficult times. Our panelists will respond to your questions and comments. During the second half of this workshop, each attendee will participate in a small group discussion. Each person will be invited to describe their successes and challenges in maintaining a positive approach and consider how they can overcome their challenges. Register for this event at https://tinyurl.com/
Our next Main Line NAMI Forum, “Improving Mental Health Crisis Services: Changes & Challenges in Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery Counties,” will be on Sunday, November 13, from 2-4 p.m. on Zoom. In preparation for the recently launched 988 Suicide & Mental Health Crisis Lifeline, counties in southeastern PA have been working hard to improve mental health crisis services and resources. In this webinar, a panel of officials from Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware and Montgomery Counties will present the changes they have been making and any successes so far. They will also discuss the challenges they are facing, along with suggestions for anyone who wants to advocate with their local legislators to help improve mental health crisis services in the counties that affect them or their loved ones. There will be an opportunity for participants to ask questions of each official, as well as sharing of ideas across counties. Register for this event at https://tinyurl.com/
NAMI Main Line Support Groups
Our Bryn Mawr NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group for adults living with mental illness on meets on Tuesday evenings on Zoom. Please contact Danielle Sulpizio at (484) 880-0660 or Ed Kane at (484) 744-0860 for more information.
Our Parent Peer Support Group for parents with a middle school through young adult child meets weekly on Wednesday evenings via Zoom. If you are interested in joining this support group, please email Nancy.
Our Bryn Mawr Family Member Support Group meets the first Monday of every month at 7:00 p.m. on Zoom. Please note that the next meeting will be on September 12th due to Labor Day. If you have a family member or loved one with mental illness and are interested in this support group, please contact Diane at dmkotrl@gmail.com for more information.
Our Havertown NAMI Family Support Group will meet in-person on the third Tuesday of the month from 7 to 8:30 pm at the Llanerch Presbyterian Church, 211 Lansdowne Road, Havertown. If you are new to the group and interested in attending a meeting or have questions, please contact Nora at nora@huntjohnson.org.
Our Wellness Chat for Family-to-Family Graduates meets once a month at 7 p.m. Please contact Judy at F2FMainLine@aol.com for the upcoming meeting information.
NAMIWalks Your Way Main Line PA
NAMIWalks Your Way Main Line PA will be here before you know it, so register today! We hope you will join us at Wilson Farm Park on October 16 to walk for mental health for all. Let’s open up doors for everyone from every walk of life to have access to the mental health resources and community they deserve.
Other Upcoming Events
The PA Parent and Family Alliance is offering an IEP Bootcamp. It doesn’t matter if you’re considering asking for an IEP for your child or if you’ve been to more meetings than you can count, you will learn something new. Each morning, for 21 days beginning on September 1st, you’ll receive information and tips about one section of the IEP to help create a plan day-by-day for reviewing, evaluating, and improving your child’s IEP. With a special focus on their behavior and emotional needs, you’ll be well-prepared for every meeting. To register, go to https://tinyurl.com/yt8eskys.
NAMI’s Ask the Expert: Suicide Prevention Webinar Series will include three events in September. NAMI welcomes colleagues at AFSP and The JED Foundation, as well as contributors to NAMI’s first-ever book “You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health,” to share their work and experience in a variety of suicide prevention efforts.
- The AFSP & JED Foundation webinar will be on Thursday, September 8, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Click here to register.
- The Making Meaning of Loss webinar will be on Thursday, September 15, from 4:30 – 6:00 p.m. Click here to register.
- The Creative Approaches to Prevention webinar will take place on Thursday, September 22, from 4:00 – 5:30 p.m. Click here to register.
Mental Health America will host a webinar, “Reducing the Risk of Youth Suicide: A Discussion on Education, Prevention, and Early Intervention” on Tuesday, September 6, at 1:00 p.m. Through a panel-style discussion, speakers will review relevant information about youth suicide in the U.S., discuss the importance of early intervention and what that looks like in practice, and hear about what organizations are doing to prevent youth suicide. For more information and to register, click here.
Mental Health America will host a webiner, “Follow Me and Like My Beautiful Selfies: Social Media Use and Adolescent Mental Health” on Tuesday, September 13, at 2:00 p.m. More teenagers are using social media, and more adolescents are suffering from poor mental health. Universally, social media use became more common during the pandemic because of social distancing and COVID-caused isolation. Social media can provide platforms for bullying and exclusion, unrealistic expectations about body image and sources of popularity, and normalizing risk-taking behaviors, and can be harmful to mental health. However, if adolescents use social media in a purposeful and positive way, it can enhance their self-esteem and help create meaningful social connections. This webinar will focus on helping school and community leaders understand the association between social media use and adolescents’ mental health and explore what actionable steps are being taken across the country to help address these challenges. Click here for more information and to register.
Mental Health America will host a webinar, “Where Do I Fit In? Creating Spaces Where Youth Feel Connected” on Tuesday, September 20, at 3:00 p.m. For youth, feeling like they don’t fit in, aren’t like others, have different interests, or just haven’t found a space they feel comfortable in can be extremely challenging and have an impact on their mental health. The discussion of this panel-style webinar will be led by young leaders, who will share their experiences in finding a sense of belonging and how to create intentional and inclusive spaces for youth to feel connected and seen. For more information and to register, click here.