News

Main Line NAMI Workshop: Suggestions for Improving Communication with Your Loved One will be on Sunday, April 30, from 2-4 p.m.  This workshop can help you to improve your communication with a loved one or friend who may be dealing with the various challenges of a mental health condition such as anxiety, depression, mania, distress, delusions, hallucinations, or other symptoms.  The workshop will include several presentations, followed by opportunities to work in small groups to practice skills that can contribute to better communication, as well as opportunities to share your experiences and plan for improvement. The workshop will be facilitated [...]

Our NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group for adults living with mental illness on meets on Tuesday evenings. This group will have in-person meetings on the1st and 3rd Tuesdays and Zoom Meetings on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of every month.  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 Havertown NAMI Family Member Support Group will meet on Tuesday, March 21, at 7 p.m. at Llanerch Presbyterian Church, 211 Lansdowne Road, Havertown.  [...]

Mental Health Advocates Needed: Become Part of the National, State & Local Solutions to the Mental Health Crisis Submitted by Edie Mannion on 3/7/2023 Chair of NAMI Main Line Advocacy Committee Our mental health system is in crisis and so is the mental health (MH) of a growing number of Americans, especially our youth! Senator Fetterman’s public announcement of his voluntary treatment for major depression and campaign to raise funds for NAMI reminds us that breaking stigma, getting treatment and supporting advocacy organizations are all important for addressing personal and systemic MH crises. NAMI National and NAMI Keystone are major sources of ideas for [...]

NAMI Main Line PA is hosting a virtual forum in partnership with Anderson Elder Law: Estate Planning for Families of Individuals with Special Needs from2-4 p.m. on Sunday, March 5, 2023.  Severe mental illness is a chronic illness, which means that parents of affected individuals must name strong advocates in their estate planning documents. These important surrogate decision makers must know how to use the estate planning documents to serve as an important safety net. For those who include a special needs family member in their estate plan, it is critical to understand the different types of trusts that are available and [...]

We hope you will join us for our Forum, Estate Planning for Families of Individuals with Special Needs on Sunday, March 5, 2-4 p.m. Register at https://tinyurl.com/EstatePlanningMarch5. We invite you to explore our resources for helping children, teens and young adults who have a mental health problem. These resources include advice to help young people succeed in school or college and to help a young person with a family member with a mental health problem. Please see our Newsletter for more information about our upcoming Forum, support groups, other events of interest, and resources for coping with depression. Ingrid Waldron, President NAMI Main Line PA

Future Care and Financial Planning For Individuals with Special Needs: What Every Caregiver Needs to Know 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, February 5, 2023 In this forum, presenter Pat Bergmaier, CFP®, ChSNC®, will provide an overview of financial & estate planning for families that have dependents with special needs. He will address critical areas of concern, such as navigating and maximizing government benefits through an overview of programs such as SSI/SSDI, Waivers & Social Security. The presentation will also address important estate planning considerations such as Wills, Special Needs Trusts, and the differences between Guardianship and Powers of Attorney. Finally, it will [...]

Our Havertown NAMI Family Support Group will not be able to meet this Tuesday, January 17.  We plan to resume meeting in February.    

Beginning next week, we will send our Weekly Update messages on Thursday mornings at 10 a.m. We hope you will find that time more convenient. Please send any comments to coordinator@namimainlinepa.org. NAMI Main Line Upcoming Event NAMI Main Line PA is hosting a virtual forum in partnership with 1847Financial: Future Care and Financial Planning For Individuals with Special Needs: What Every Caregiver Needs to Know 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, January 29, 2023 In this forum, presenter Pat Bergmaier, CFP®, ChSNC®, will provide an overview of financial & estate planning for families that have dependents with special needs. He will address critical areas [...]

NAMI Main Line PA is hosting a virtual forum in partnership with 1847Financial entitled, “Future Care and Financial Planning for Individuals with Special Needs: What Every Caregiver needs to Know” from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, January 29, 2023 on Zoom.  In this forum, presenter Pat Bergmaier, CFP®, ChSNC®, will provide an overview of financial & estate planning for families that have dependents with special needs. He will address critical areas of concern, such as navigating and maximizing government benefits through an overview of programs such as SSI/SSDI, Waivers & Social Security. The presentation will also address important estate planning considerations such as [...]

We hope you will join us for our Forum series: Future Care and Financial Planning for Individuals with Special Needs: What Every Caregiver Needs to Know on Sunday, January 29, 2-4 p.m. Register at https://tinyurl.com/1847FinancialJan29. Estate Planning for Families of Individuals with Special Needs on Sunday, March 5, 2-4 p.m. Register at https://tinyurl.com/EstatePlanningMarch5. We are grateful to everyone who supported our end-of-year giving campaign which supports our free services for people with mental illness and their families and friends. If you would like to make a donation, it’s not too late. Please see our Newsletter for more information about our upcoming Forum series, support groups, and other events of interest, [...]

NAMI Main Line PA is hosting a virtual forum in partnership with 1847Financial entitled, "Future Care and Financial Planning for Individuals with Special Needs: What Every Caregiver needs to Know" from 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, January 29, 2023 on Zoom.  In this forum, presenter Pat Bergmaier, CFP®, ChSNC®, will provide an overview of financial & estate planning for families that have dependents with special needs. He will address critical areas of concern, such as navigating and maximizing government benefits through an overview of programs such as SSI/SSDI, Waivers & Social Security. The presentation will also address important estate planning considerations such [...]

As we close another year, we reflect on our efforts to provide meaningful education, support and advocacy about mental illness and its impact on individuals, their loved ones, and the wider community. In 2022, we delivered: 1 - Website that provided helpful information for more than 48,000 visits 2 - Family-to-Family educational programs, serving 24 family members and friends 5 - Community workshops, with 165 participants 8 - Presentations to community and religious groups, reaching 263 individuals 12 - Awareness events, meeting 778 table visitors 37 - Presentations to educational institutions, reaching 1,530 students and teachers 52 - Weekly bulletins, including 6 bimonthly newsletters, to 810 subscribers >120 - Responses to individual requests for information 136 - [...]

NAMI Main Line PA is hosting a virtual forum in partnership with 1847Financial: Caring For Your Loved One with Special Needs: What Every Caregiver Needs to Know 2-4 p.m. on Sunday, January 29, 2023 In this forum, presenter Pat Bergmaier, CFP®, ChSNC®, will provide an overview of financial & estate planning for families that have dependents with special needs. He will address critical areas of concern, such as navigating and maximizing government benefits through an overview of programs such as SSI/SSDI, Waivers & Social Security. The presentation will also address important estate planning considerations such as Wills, Special Needs Trusts, and [...]

The holidays can be a particularly difficult time for many, with challenges ranging from family conflict to loneliness and isolation. Though challenging, the holidays can still be a time of celebration, community and comfort when we access the right resources and practices. We have included a collection of articles below that will help you plan for a successful holiday season: Crisis Prevention & Management for the Holidays (and year round), from 2017 workshop by Dr. Ellen Berman and Amanda Falivene-Rocco, LPC, CPRP: https://bit.ly/2Tuluaj NAMI’s Ask the Expert: Navigating the Winter and Holiday Blues (with video): https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI-s-Ask-the-Expert/2021/NAMI-Ask-the-Expert-Navigating-the-Winter-Holiday-Blues Avoiding Holiday Stressors, by Jessica Maharaj: https://www.nami.org/Blogs/NAMI- Blog/December-2018/Avoiding-Holiday-Stressors-Tips-for-a-Stress-Free-Season [...]

Our next Main Line NAMI Forum, “Improving Mental Health Crisis Services: Changes & Challenges in Philadelphia, Chester, Delaware & Montgomery Counties," will be this 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 [...]