Did you know that May is Mental Health Awareness Month? NAMI Butler County PA offers free education and support for families. Please follow this link to learn more from NAMI Butler board member, Rich Wozniak. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq-JocrE6PYD2vjqScZgM4Q
Please Support NAMI Butler
in its Biggest Fundraiser of the Year!
Our 2nd annual Golf Scramble on May 21 is being held at the Bonniebrook Golf Course; it offers an 18-hole, 4-person scramble for individuals of ALL skill levels. There will be Skill prizes, and winning teams are chosen by a Blind Draw. Tickets include a continental breakfast, hot dog at the turn, and a boxed dinner.
This year we’re also offering a “Stop the Stigma Walk” package. Participants will meet at noon at the Clubhouse and walk the Butler-Freeport Rail Trail. The Walk package includes a hot dog, chips, drink, and five raffle tickets. You can also buy tickets for a 50/50 raffle and a chance to win one of the many beautiful gift baskets being given away.
Please join us May 21 and support NAMI Butler’s effort to help those affected by mental illness. We hope to see you at the Scramble!
Community Outreach
NAMI Butler continued its efforts to reduce stigma and build better lives for those affected by mental illness by participating in Butler County community events in April.
Board members Joyce Saunders (above) and Rich Wozniak staffed an information table at Butler County Community College’s Destigmatizing Mental Health fair. The event was planned to address student burnout and self-care. The afternoon’s activities included a 30-minute panel discussion followed by brief presentations from area social service agencies, including NAMI Butler County. A resource fair and reception followed where students and vendors had the opportunity to mingle and ask questions.
Joyce and board member Linda Schmitmeyer also spoke to First Responders as part of a 40-hour Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training to help them more effectively respond to people experiencing a mental health crisis. Joyce and Linda shared personal stories about the challenges they faced while dealing with their loved one’s mental health condition. Also sharing their perspective during the week-long training were NAMI Butler family members David Saunders and Steve Schmitmeyer, who talked about their experiences with law enforcement while having a mental health crisis.
NAMI Butler Support Groups
NAMI Butler offers four monthly Family Support Groups. The support groups are for individuals supporting someone who has a mental health condition. They are as follows:
• Butler—Trinity Lutheran Church, 120 Sunset Dr., second Thursday of every month, 6:30 p.m.
• Evans City—St. John's United Church of Christ, 501 E. Main St., third Monday of every month, 5:30 p.m.
• Zelienople—Passavant Retirement Center, 105 Burgess Dr., second Tuesday of every month, 5:30 p.m.
• Online via Zoom—first Thursday of every month, 7 p.m. To receive a link for the online meeting, register for a link at https://namibutler.org.
In-person meetings do not require registration. For more information, email info@namibutler.org or call 724-431-0069.
Free Fall Educational Program to begin Sept. 28
NAMI Butler’s next Family-to-Family course has been set for Wednesdays, Sept. 28 through Nov. 16, at the Holly Pointe Building in Butler. Taught by trained family members with lived experience, the educational program is for family members, significant others, and friends of people who have a mental health condition. Class size is limited, so interested individuals are encouraged to register early. Registration begins August 1 at https://namibutler.org. For more information, call 724-431-0069 or email info@namibutler.org.
NAMI Butler County offers the free Family-to-Family program twice yearly. On April 27, fifteen participants received Certificates of Graduation for successfully completing the eight-week course.
