NAMI Eastside has hosted free monthly forums at Evergreen Hospital on the third Tuesday of each month since 2006. It will begin a forum series in the Disability Services Center at Cascadia Community College, 18345 Campus Way in Bothell, at 11 a.m. Wednesday, Oct. 21 with a panel discussion led by mental health professionals. The topic will be “Coping with Stress and Anxiety in College.”
At 7:30 p.m. Wednesday, Nov. 4, the NAMI Eastside Forum topic will be “The ADHD/Asperger’s/Autism Connection” in room N201 of Bellevue College, 3000 Landerholm Circle SE in Bellevue.
This forum will address ways that professors and students can reach maximum benefit from the education environment — namely how professors can teach an autistic student, and how a student with ADHD can succeed in college.
Cristine Annice, education coordinator for NAMI Eastside, explained that one of the organization’s missions is to raise awareness that mental illness is “a treatable medical condition like any other physical illness.”
“It affects one in five people, and most illnesses are easily treatable with medication and outpatient therapy,” said Annice. “They go on to live healthy, successful, productive lives, making valuable contributions to society. Unfortunately, the term ‘mental illness’ carries a nasty stigma which often prevents people from getting help. A goal of NAMI Eastside is stigma elimination through education.”
An additional goal includes the introduction of a Mental Health Court or Treatment Court on the Eastside.
“For most offenders to commit a crime, intent has to be proven,” Annice stated.
“A person with moderate to severe mental illness is not capable of intent,” she noted. “Conventional correctional facilities are not the best places for persons with mental illness, because many of them lose their medical benefits and treatment regimens while they are serving time. This makes their illness worse, and once they are released, they must endure the lengthy, bureaucratic waiting period of the state health care system.”
Annice further commented, “King County Superior Court recently adopted the MIDD (Mental Illness and Disability) Menu of Treatment Services for offenders with mental illness. It is funded through the recent sales tax increase, and is aimed at treating offenders who suffer from mental illness with a more intensive and thorough treatment plan. The process is medical intervention, successful correction. Our November forum is going to cover the MIDD menu in more detail, specifically how it relates to juvenile offenders.”
Given the recent economic conditions, NAMI Eastside has seen an increase in consumers requesting information and referrals to practitioners for anxiety and depression.
“We have tons and tons of resources,” said Barb Thompson, office director at NAMI Eastside. “Anything from books and educational films, to referrals to doctors or attorneys, or if someone just needs to talk.”
The NAMI Eastside office is located at the Family Resource Center, 16315 NE 87th St., Suite B-4 in downtown Redmond. For information, call (425) 885-6264, e-mail info@nami-eastside.org or visit www.nami-eastside.org.
