July 14, 2009 Sharing Meeting , NAMI Birmingham representatives presented information from the 2009 NAMI National Convention in San Francisco, CA with reports on advocacy, research, education, support.

August 11, 2009 “New Treatments for schizophrenia” by Robert E. McCullumsmith, M.D., Ph.D., Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Neurobiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham

September 8, 2009 Guest Speaker, James H. Meador-Woodruff, M.D., UAB Chair of Psychiatry ”What we are doing in the Department of Psychiatry at UAB” with Q & A’s

October 13, 2009 A. W. “Kady” Abbott  MA, ALC, Program Administrator, Jefferson County Mental Health Court Program, Birmingham and Bessemer Division; Topic:  Mental Health Courts

November  10, 2009 Melissa Norred, M.A., C.R.C., Medicaid Infrastructure Grant Regional Coordinator, SAIL Services, Alabama Dept. of Vocational Rehabilitation; TOPIC:  Medicaid Infrastructure Grant Presentation/Question

December 8, 2009 Christmas Sharing/Pot Luck (Food and Drinks) and Election of Affiliate Officers and Board Members

January 12, 2010 Dr. Jacqueline M. Feldman, UAB Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Director of the Public Health Psychiatry

February 9, 2010 Judge Sherri C. Friday, Probate Court Place 2, Jefferson County, discussed mental health involuntary commitment and treatment orders

March 9, 2010 7pm Rick Gish, Medical Office Specialist  and Harry Findley, III, MSW, REACT Team Leader, UAB Community Psychiatry Program, ” Patient Advocacy”

April 13, 2010 7pm Panel Discussion:   UAB’s  NEW Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner Program   Panel Members:     Teena M. McGuinness, PhD, CRNP, FAAN, Professor, Ellen McElroy, DSN, Assistant Professor, Norman Keltner, EdD, Professor, Delaine Smith, Instructor    Information about the Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner program can be found at:  http://www.psychiatricnursing.com

May 11, 2010  7pm  Gregg Tucker, ACSW, LCSW, PIP, Senior Community Service Officer, Birmingham Police Department     Title:  The Community Service Officer Unit of the Birmingham Police Department

June 8, 2010 7pm  Greg Carlson, MBA, President of the Board of Directors of NAMI AL and a seasoned advocate presented  his  personal story and  the history of the evolution of current  mental health issues and services in Alabama.  Food was brought to this meeting to celebrate Greg’s tenure as President of  NAMI AL.

July 13, 2010 7pm Member attendees of the 2010 NAMI national convention in Washington DC  discussed the highlights of the workshops and plenarie.   Following their presentations there was informal sharing  and chatting.

August 10, 2010 7pm  Robert Hermes, Executive Director of  WINGS Across Alabama, Alabama’s Consumer Organization, discussed WINGS Across Alabama and  the  quality of life for individual living with mental illness.

September 14, 2010 7pm  Vickey Pierson, Program Director of the 1920 Club, operated  by the Sharing Place,Inc., and several members of the club, gave a presentation about the member run drop-in center  in Birmingham.

October 12, 2010 7 pm “Unlisted”, a film about schizophrenia was shown with a short discussion after the showing.    Learn more about this film by accessing the link  Unlisted

November 9, 2010 7pm Nathan Crowell, LCSW, ACSW, Local Recovery Coordinator, Birmingham VA Medical Center in Birmingham spoke on current psychological treatments available  for veterans and as well as plans for expanded treatments in the future.

December 14, 2010 7pm Sharing  meeting and  annual potluck dinner;  Lisa Dunn, Area Director, Alabama Chapter American Foundation for Suicide Prevention (AFSP)  spoke about the mission of the organization.    Contact info:  email:  ldunn@afsp.org; phone numbers:   205-323-4433, 205-335-1876

February 8, 2011 7pm  William Ruff, Vice President of NAMI Birmingham, a facilitator for two NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups, and a Peer Bridger for a local mental health center program gave a  presentation  titled ” A New Way, A New Day”

March 8, 2011  7pm  Jon Brock, Director, Peer Bridger Program at Jefferson, Blount, St. Clair Mental Health Authority ” An Open Discussion about Peer Bridgers:  (1) Humanizing the experience of mental illness, treatment, and recovery; and (2) Creating a Continuum of Peer Support that works with the Continuum of Care”………The following Peer Bridgers were invited to participate in the presentation:  Daniel Williams, William Ruff, Jerome Dorsey, Ralph Hughes, Cedric McNeal, Lauren Wilson, Wade Manthey

April 12, 2011 7pm Nancy Blanton, Licensed Clinical Social Worker with the  UAB Community Psychiatry Program gave a presentation titled  “Empowerment and Transition”  which included information about the  Alabama Brain Collection www.uab.edu/alabamabraincollection and an Advance Directive for Health Care (Living Will and Health Care Proxy).

May 10, 2011 7pm  Kay Phillips, NAMI Birmingham Member and employee of the Independent Living Resource Center discussed her personal story of recovery.  A program about the services that are available at the Independent Living Resource Center  followed.   Beth Blalock, Project Director of  the Alabama Disability Advocacy Network gave a presentation on the services that are offered through AL DAN

June 14,  2011  7 pm  Cheryl McCullumsmith, MD, PhD, Director, Division of Consult-Liaison Psychiatry, Assistant Professor, Department of Psychiatryat UAB discussed psychiatric treatment available at the UAB Hospital Emergency Room;  Barbara Harris, RN, MSN, Psychiatric Administrator at UAB was introduced to the members

July 12, 2011 7 pm Planning Meeting/Open Forum with our membership  Members present will discussed plans for the direction of  NAMI Birmingham.   This session will be the foundation for a strategic plan.   Members shared highlights from the NAMI Conference (July 5-9, 2011).

August 9, 2011 7 pm  Jim Methvin, Disability Administrator with Alabama Disability Determination Service, The Medical Aspects of Social Security Disability Claims

The outline for this presentation included:  Introductions, Brief Program Description, Definition of Disability, What is a “Medically Determinable Impairment”, The Disability Determination Process, Importance of functional information in the disability determination, and a review of Social Security’s evidentiary requirements of mental impairments.  Jim Methvin can be reached by calling  205-989-2203 if you have any questions.

September 13, 2011 7 :00 pm  -  8:30 pm, “Dual Diagnosis:  Where We Are and Where We Are Going”

Discussion about co-occurring substance use and mental illness  by NAMI Birmingham President Kathy Avsar and Richard Craig, Clinical Psychologist and Executive Director of Jefferson, Blount, St. Clair Mental Health Authority (JBS)

October 11, 2011   7:00 pm – The NAMI signature program, “In Our Own Voice” empowers peers to share their experiences with others.  Brian Bennett and Nancy Richmond shared their journey with mental illness.

November  8, 2011   7 :00 pm - Nathan Cowell, MSW, Local Recovery Coordinator, Birmingham VA Hospital  spoke about local programs available at the Birmingham VA Hospital  for veterans with a mental illness diagnosis.

December 13, 2011  7:00 pm – Annual Election of the Board of Directors, Sharing Meeting  & Potluck Dinner

January 10, 2012 7:00 pm - Timothy Stone, MD, DMH Medical Director presented a program on the history of Bryce Hospital

February 14, 2012 7:00 pm - Teruko Bredmann, PhD, UAB, discussed the stigma associated with mental illness.