Major Churches & Denominations Join With NAMI In Faithnet Conference

You can Attend, Free!

The entire conference is now available, online.

   The Roman Catholic Church came to the pulpit of one of America's largest independent evangelical churches for a major renewed effort to provide awareness and support for people with mental illness.

   On March 28th, pastor & best-selling author, Rick Warren, joined with Bishop Kevin Vann and the Roman Catholic denomination, in a renewed effort to educate churches on how to assist individuals & families who face the challenges of mental illness.

   One year ago, Rick Warren's son ended his life after a decades-long struggle with chronic depression. It's an illness that Pastor Warren has also been inflicted with. In the aftermath, Warren has committed unprecedented resources to help prevent this kind of tragedy from being repeated while the church stays silent. That silence itself, is a form of stigma which dehumanizes and devalues the worth of individuals.

NAMI &The Roman Catholic Church join with major
Evangelical Churches,to produce the largest FaithNet
workshop NAMI has ever had.

   NAMI of Orange County provided a massive panel of speakers for a detailed and extensive offering of workshops and panels. Pastor Warren and Bishop Vann provided detailed biblical foundations for the mandate of churches to care for the afflicted.  Numerous physicians and social workers provided detailed training in methods which equip faith communities to confidently and compassionately  connect sufferers and their loved ones with resources, then help rebuild family life, productive capabilities, and social inclusion.
  Host, Saddleback Church, added  massive overflow tents to accommodate over 3000 attendees. Then they provided webcasts and online resources for another 30,000 web attendees who tuned in, live. In the weeks that followed, Saddleback also provided a full library of videos and workbooks, free of charge, for the public to continue to participate in a correspondence education format.

Conference Workbook

• To learn more about the event, see www.MentalHealthAndTheChurch.com/.
• The complete library is posted to a Youtube channel, here http://goo.gl/XG5JCZ.
• The workbook is available here http://goo.gl/hP2rjU.

   NAMI encourages all faith communities to utilize resources like this, so sufferers of mental illness can find greater understanding and assistance from America's diverse faith communities. Churches play a key role in the diagnosis, treatment, and recovery of mental illness; but proper training and resources have not always been available in the faith community. This recent development has the potential to save many lives, rebuild countless families, and restore the social framework of our society.

NAMI Tulsa Monthly Meeting Topics & Guests

The next several months will feature some vital issues and insightful speakers at the monthly education meetings.

APRIL

Senator Brian Crain
Chairman of the Health
& Human Services Cmte.

In April, the Chairman of the Oklahoma Senate Health & Human Services Committee. Senator Brian Crain of central Tulsa will have a lot to discuss about the changing ways that the state delivers essential community services.

The Crain family 

As a former assistant district attorney, Senator Crain will also share his insights regarding how law enforcement and the courts deal with the mentally ill among us. Brian is a graduate of the University of Tulsa Law School and is a partner of a local law firm. He’s worked hard to help Oklahoma raise it’s grade from a “D” to a “B” in the past decade, for state services to the mentally ill. But this decade has new challenges and some growing problems which can set back Oklahoma’s hard-earned progress.

MAY

NAMI Smarts is a great part of the NAMI impact on
society and public policy regarding mental illness

The May education meeting is all about Taking Action.

NAMI Smarts will be presenting the many ways in which families are making a difference in society and public policy. We’ll hear about the most effective ways to impact the public and end stigma and discrimination of mental illness.

Oklahoma' NAMI Walk is
 the first Saturday in June

The NAMI Organizational growth and membership team will present the most effective ways to make the biggest advocacy group even bigger, and impacting on the crucial issues we face.

Visit the new NAMI Tulsa website,
NAMItulsa.org

The NAMI communications team will roll out the newest enhancements in our effort to better communicate thoroughly, timely, and efficiently. Newsletters, websites, blogs, social websites, and other tools will be presented and demonstrated.

SUMMER

Into the summer, we will address the issues of suicide prevention and the practical applications of the latest brain research.

We’ll have a class reunion of the hundreds who’ve benefited from our many NAMI classes. Teachers will be contacting the many families and peers who’ve been a part of the Family To Family, Basics, Per To Peer, and In Our Own Voice programs.

NAMIWalks   June 7th, 2014

Mark your calendar and put on your walkin' shoes! June 7th is the NAMI Oklahoma Walk, changing minds one step at a time. NAMIWalk is the foremost awareness and fundraiser event for NAMI. No matter who or where you are, you can be a part of this exciting and fun experience. Whether you are able to be present the day of the walk or you choose to support a team or walker, we need you!

Here's how to get involved;
1. Sign up as a walker. Go to http://www.namiwalks.org/oklahoma and register to walk. Look for a team that supports NAMI Tulsa such as  "Holy Walkamolies"

2. Ask everyone you know to sponsor you as a walker.
3. For businesses or those who wish to make a larger donation, offer a walk sponsorship opportunity.
3. Find out where you can place a poster, put a notice in a bulletin or newsletter
4. Ask friends to join you walking on the team- more is merrier!

5. Pack a picnic and enjoy the day!

September Meeting: Mental Health Court, with Judge Carter

Hon. Martha Rupp Cartr

    On September 12th, NAMI Tulsa's monthly meeting will focus on the difficult and traumatic issue of court intervention in mental health. The honorable Judge Martha Rupp Carter, presiding judge of the Tulsa district court for Mental Health matters; will be our special guest speaker.

Judge Carter takes her oath, as daughter, Emma &

husband, Lewis, stand with her.

    Judge Carter has experience both in family court and civil commitment/mental health. Prior to entering the judiciary, she was general counsel for the Tulsa County Health Department. 

    The meeting starts at 7pm, with light refreshments served after the presentation and other activities. This is a rare opportunity to learn from a dedicated public servant and be better prepared to help others during a time of family crisis. Invite your friends to join and come early. Seating may be limited and we expect many to be in attendence.

A New Web Communications System For NAMI Tulsa

   NAMI Tulsa is rolling out a new look and an improved way of communicating with Green Country. No longer will be be buried in delays while news gets moved from stack to stack until finally the national office approves and publishes events which may have occured weeks prior.

  www.NamiTulsa.org will have many dynamic features integrated within live calendars, blogs, and an online news publication. We'll also integrate news tickers from some of the most trusted sources of research and delivery of mental health care.

    A live calendar will continually refresh itself with each month's classes, support groups, meetings, rallies, and public policy events. These new tools will empower local directors to notify the public and members of our various groups.

    News will no longer be just a monthly event where we await the postman to inform us.   We'll be adding much more news here, as we begin the new era of communicating with the people of Green County. Our social networking will expand into circles where our message of hope and recovery has not yet been thoroughly heard.

   Your continued membership renewals are helping to make this innovation possible. Thank you for supporting the Tulsa NAMI organization.