Meet The President
November 2019
Sherry Cusumano, RN, LCDC, MS, President of NAMI North Texas
Hello members of NAMI North Texas and Friends of NAMI!
How was your holiday season? For many of us the holidays can be challenging and stressful while for others, it is a time of joy. However the holiday season was for you, my guess is that you are relieved it is now behind us. We are off to a new year and are ready to do what we can to make it the best year ever, right? Think of it as a clean slate! We've learned and grown as a result our past decisions and are ready to move into the future with more experience under our belt! We can think of all of the New Year’s resolutions we've made in the past as we think about where we want to go in the future. So, what would you all suggest that we set as a New Year’s Resolution for NAMI North Texas this year? Remember that NAMI is a grass roots organization and our power comes from our members--that means YOU!
Many of you know how NAMI started, but it is a good time to recall who we are, where we came from, and why we exist. NAMI was founded in Madison, Wisconsin by two women whose names were Harriet Shetler and Beverly Young. Both women had sons who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and both of them were tired of the mental health system which blamed them for their sons' mental illness. They were also dissatisfied with the lack of services available for their loved ones and the treatment being offered for individuals living with mental illness. These women gained strength from their common bond and sought out others with similar concerns. This lead to the first meeting that was held to address the issues impacting those whose lives were effected by mental illness and to the formation of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1979. In 1997, the legal name was changed to the acronym, NAMI, by a vote of the membership due to concerns that the name National Alliance for the Mentally Ill did not use person-first language. In 2005, the meaning of NAMI was changed to the backronym National Alliance on Mental Illness. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Alliance_on_Mental_Illness).
So, think about that for just a minute. What started between two women then became a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979. That blossomed into NAMI which has become the nation's leading voice on mental health today. WOW! Think of the miracle that is NAMI. NAMI now has more than 500 local affiliates that work tirelessly in the community to raise awareness and decrease stigma around mental health (https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI). We do this by providing education, support, and advocacy for those who need it. You know this because you have experienced some of what NAMI has to offer, right? Let's remember who we are this year!
We are SO lucky to have Jeff Cavanaugh and Kevin Hageland (of 105.3 FM the Fan fame) as our NAMIWalks Chairs this year. They have a broad platform and are willing to use that to help us with our mission. If you follow them on the radio, Twitter, or on Facebook, then you know just how broad their reach is! Let’s take advantage of the opportunity we have to work with our great partners! They contributed many items to our silent auction at the holiday party and did a fabulous job at being our Master of Ceremonies for the event. They have set a goal for our NAMIWalks this year which is to get 2020 walkers! WOW! Do you think that is even possible? Well, look at our history. Who would have thought that two women sharing their concerns could have led to what NAMI is now?! Let's DO it!!
Also, if you are interested in participating in a public policy movement, I am requesting that you please let me know. I need to know the following:
We have a strong state organization that is very active in public policy and we would like to get you involved if it is something that interests you.
You can contact me by emailing me at Sherry.Cusumano@MedicalCityHealth.com. NAMI is NOT political and I’m not concerned about whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. Mental illness can and does happen to people in BOTH political parties! So, if you are interested in public policy and advocacy for people whose lives have been impacted by mental illness, email me with your thoughts, ideas and with answers to the above questions.
With that, it is time for me to close for now. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at one of our general membership meetings in February. Let's work on it now--2020 in 2020.
Sherry Cusumano,
President of NAMI North Texas
How was your holiday season? For many of us the holidays can be challenging and stressful while for others, it is a time of joy. However the holiday season was for you, my guess is that you are relieved it is now behind us. We are off to a new year and are ready to do what we can to make it the best year ever, right? Think of it as a clean slate! We've learned and grown as a result our past decisions and are ready to move into the future with more experience under our belt! We can think of all of the New Year’s resolutions we've made in the past as we think about where we want to go in the future. So, what would you all suggest that we set as a New Year’s Resolution for NAMI North Texas this year? Remember that NAMI is a grass roots organization and our power comes from our members--that means YOU!
Many of you know how NAMI started, but it is a good time to recall who we are, where we came from, and why we exist. NAMI was founded in Madison, Wisconsin by two women whose names were Harriet Shetler and Beverly Young. Both women had sons who had been diagnosed with schizophrenia, and both of them were tired of the mental health system which blamed them for their sons' mental illness. They were also dissatisfied with the lack of services available for their loved ones and the treatment being offered for individuals living with mental illness. These women gained strength from their common bond and sought out others with similar concerns. This lead to the first meeting that was held to address the issues impacting those whose lives were effected by mental illness and to the formation of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill in 1979. In 1997, the legal name was changed to the acronym, NAMI, by a vote of the membership due to concerns that the name National Alliance for the Mentally Ill did not use person-first language. In 2005, the meaning of NAMI was changed to the backronym National Alliance on Mental Illness. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Alliance_on_Mental_Illness).
So, think about that for just a minute. What started between two women then became a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979. That blossomed into NAMI which has become the nation's leading voice on mental health today. WOW! Think of the miracle that is NAMI. NAMI now has more than 500 local affiliates that work tirelessly in the community to raise awareness and decrease stigma around mental health (https://www.nami.org/About-NAMI). We do this by providing education, support, and advocacy for those who need it. You know this because you have experienced some of what NAMI has to offer, right? Let's remember who we are this year!
We are SO lucky to have Jeff Cavanaugh and Kevin Hageland (of 105.3 FM the Fan fame) as our NAMIWalks Chairs this year. They have a broad platform and are willing to use that to help us with our mission. If you follow them on the radio, Twitter, or on Facebook, then you know just how broad their reach is! Let’s take advantage of the opportunity we have to work with our great partners! They contributed many items to our silent auction at the holiday party and did a fabulous job at being our Master of Ceremonies for the event. They have set a goal for our NAMIWalks this year which is to get 2020 walkers! WOW! Do you think that is even possible? Well, look at our history. Who would have thought that two women sharing their concerns could have led to what NAMI is now?! Let's DO it!!
Also, if you are interested in participating in a public policy movement, I am requesting that you please let me know. I need to know the following:
- What specifically do you want to achieve?
- What kind of commitment can you make in order to help make that happen?
- Do you want to meet on a regular basis? If so, how often?
- What time would work for you?
- Would you prefer that public policy discussions be held as a part of the general membership meeting or as a separate committee?
- Would you prefer an educational format around specific topics? If so, what topics are you most concerned about?
- Are you willing to follow up and support what NAMI Texas public policy requests of you?
- What are your thoughts and ideas about local advocacy?
We have a strong state organization that is very active in public policy and we would like to get you involved if it is something that interests you.
You can contact me by emailing me at Sherry.Cusumano@MedicalCityHealth.com. NAMI is NOT political and I’m not concerned about whether you are a Democrat or a Republican. Mental illness can and does happen to people in BOTH political parties! So, if you are interested in public policy and advocacy for people whose lives have been impacted by mental illness, email me with your thoughts, ideas and with answers to the above questions.
With that, it is time for me to close for now. I look forward to seeing each and every one of you at one of our general membership meetings in February. Let's work on it now--2020 in 2020.
Sherry Cusumano,
President of NAMI North Texas