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NAMI Mississippi Pine Belt Affiliate New Officers: President: Mavis Creagh; Vice President: Jody Fortenberry; Co-Secretaries: Narjis and Mikah Uqdah; Treasurer: Joe Kinnan. PHOTOS COURTESY NAMI PINE BELT
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reetings from NAMI Vicksburg to all of our NAMI members and friends around the state. It seems that we all have been living in a time warp so far during most of 2020. The pandemic has certainly affected us all in many ways, and the need for social distancing has left us in many cases feeling lonely and sad. We must remember though that we are not alone, and we must reach out to others through texting, calling, and emailing in order to maintain that important human contact each of us needs. As of this writing, our state has more than 35,000 cases of COVID-19, and numbers are rising so there is more uncertainty as to what steps will be taken to control the rise we see. Let us remember to care for and encourage each other during this frustrating time and know that this trying season will eventually pass. May we use this time for inward reflection, growing our faith, and learning new ways to cope. NAMI Mississippi is always ready to help, and they can be be reached at stateoffice@ namims.org or 601-899-9058. Also, the Mississippi COVID-19 Hotline is available sever days a week by calling 877978-6453 between 7 a.m.–7 p.m. January of 2020 brought hopes for a bright New Year, and NAMI Vicksburg started off the year with a quarterly Affiliate Meeting on January 28th, hosting a guest presentation by Dr. Casy McNemar, coordinator of the Warren-
Yazoo Behavioral Health Enhanced Crisis Services, a grant-funded program of the Mississippi Department of Mental Health. The primary purpose of the program is to reduce adult psychiatric commitment/ readmissions in Region 15 by 10 percent through evidence-based community mental health intervention services. Dr. McNemar provided extensive information to the audience and then answered questions following the presentation. February brought with it plans for several educational programs. On February 10, 2020, Jenny Drake and Deloris McGee presented the 90-minute seminar Family & Friends to the Women’s Auxiliary of American Legion TynerFord Post #213. A follow-up manual was emailed to each participant. On February 24th and March 2nd, Sarah Johnson and Randall Williams presented the four-hour Family & Friends seminar to participants in the Merit Behavioral Health conference room. This seminar was presented in lieu of the traditional Family-to-Family class that had been advertised but lacked sufficient registrants. Participants were also invited to attend the Family Support Group meeting on March 3rd. March brought with it news of the COVID-19 outbreak and the time of remaining at home. Merit Health contacted NAMI Vicksburg to say that their meeting rooms would no longer be available for public meetings until the threat of the virus had passed. In April, May, and June, everyone still sheltered at home. Support groups were contacted by email and/or text to reassure
members that they were not alone and to ask them to share their thoughts as a means to continue active communication. The 2020 State Conference was changed to a virtual conference and rescheduled for June. Business that was to be discussed at the quarterly April 28th Affiliate Meeting was handled via email with election of new officers (President Thomas Carson; Vice President Jenny Drake; Secretary Denise Mounger; Treasurer Bill Mounger; At-large appointees to the Governance Committee: Deloris McGee, Shirley Hedrick, Nicholas J. Larkins). Jenny Drake was confirmed for a three-year appointment as the new Vicksburg Affiliate Representative to the NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors. The July Family Support Group met via conference call with Deloris McGee and Sarah Johnson, and it was great to hear the voices of our friends for the first time in months! Plans for the coming days will include extensive use of conference calls and virtual meetings. In the fall, NAMI Vicksburg will host a virtual walk to raise awareness locally of mental wellness. Originally scheduled for September 26th, the date has been changed to October 10th to coincide with the NAMI Mississippi State Walk and National Day of Hope. Watch for more info via our NAMI Vicksburg Facebook page! Hang tough, everybody! Wishing you all the very best! Submitted by NAMI Vicksburg namivicksburg@gmail.com 601-630-9470
