Meet The President
November 2019
Sherry Cusumano, RN, LCDC, MS, President of NAMI North Texas
Hello NAMI North Texas and Friends of NAMI,
I’m so excited about our upcoming annual holiday and awards dinner! It will be a fun evening where we will also take the time to honor individuals who have made a difference in the community. It is the only event besides NAMIWalks where professional providers, peers, family members, and public servants all come together to celebrate another successful year.
The board is feverishly working on getting our theme baskets ready for the raffle, while Jeff Cavanaugh and Kevin Hageland from The Fan (105.3 FM—Dallas Cowboys Radio Network) are working to get wonderful sports memorabilia for us to auction off!
You can bid on a football signed by Dak Prescott! Maybe you’ll find something from Dirk Nowitzki—who knows? What great holiday gifts for someone you care about or for you—all while raising money for NAMI North Texas! Whether you want to participate in the holiday themed basket raffle or try your luck bidding on some amazing sports memorabilia, we’ll have just the thing for you! Just think, you can participate in the festivities while you enjoy a wonderful dinner at NO CHARGE! So come on—be there or be square!
We had a terrific membership meeting in November at Lifepoint Church after the support groups! Our educational event “Ask a Cop” was a success, many of you asked questions that our expert speakers were able to provide answers for. We even had a surprise visit by Alyse Ferguson (one of our award winners this year) who contributed to the discussion.
Remember, the mobile crisis line is always available if you are in a crisis, need help or, if you’re loved one needs immediate assistance. Our message is clear, mental health conditions are healthcare issues, we always want to reach out to the healthcare system for support rather than the criminal justice system. If, however, the situation is dangerous, then it may be necessary to call on law enforcement. That is the last resort and not the first line of defense, right? The first line of defense is connecting with your healthcare provider, medication as ordered, support groups, and the same things that promote health from other ailments (exercise, adequate sleep, good nutrition, a positive social support system, etc.).
I have more good news for you! As of February, 2020, we will have more general membership meetings for you to attend. We will have a meeting on the first Thursday of February, March, April, May, September, October, and November at Park Central Baptist Church and another meeting on the second Thursday of those same months. Of course we will continue to have the holiday and awards party in December, the NAMIWalks in May, and support groups will continue to be provided as well. As usual, you will be able to find out who the speaker will be at each of the meetings by consulting the website and reading the newsletter. We look forward to seeing you MORE next year!
Lastly, we have a new Vice President and I’m excited for you all to get to know Officer Todd Guyre who is the Mental Health Liaison for the Garland Police Department. I hope that you will spend some time getting to know Todd and his shared passion for our cause and a tremendous desire to do all that he can to keep people with mental health conditions in the healthcare system as they work at recovery and out of the criminal justice system! So do I, don’t you? Let’s join him in that effort.
I’d best sign off for now, but I do hope to see you at the holiday and awards party at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church on December 5th! As I said, be there or be square!!
Sherry Cusumano,
President of NAMI North Texas
Sherry Cusumano, RN, LCDC, MS, President of NAMI North Texas
Administrative Director of Community Education and Clinical Development
Medical City Green Oaks Hospital
7808 Clodus Fields Dr.
Dallas, TX 75251
I’m so excited about our upcoming annual holiday and awards dinner! It will be a fun evening where we will also take the time to honor individuals who have made a difference in the community. It is the only event besides NAMIWalks where professional providers, peers, family members, and public servants all come together to celebrate another successful year.
The board is feverishly working on getting our theme baskets ready for the raffle, while Jeff Cavanaugh and Kevin Hageland from The Fan (105.3 FM—Dallas Cowboys Radio Network) are working to get wonderful sports memorabilia for us to auction off!
You can bid on a football signed by Dak Prescott! Maybe you’ll find something from Dirk Nowitzki—who knows? What great holiday gifts for someone you care about or for you—all while raising money for NAMI North Texas! Whether you want to participate in the holiday themed basket raffle or try your luck bidding on some amazing sports memorabilia, we’ll have just the thing for you! Just think, you can participate in the festivities while you enjoy a wonderful dinner at NO CHARGE! So come on—be there or be square!
We had a terrific membership meeting in November at Lifepoint Church after the support groups! Our educational event “Ask a Cop” was a success, many of you asked questions that our expert speakers were able to provide answers for. We even had a surprise visit by Alyse Ferguson (one of our award winners this year) who contributed to the discussion.
Remember, the mobile crisis line is always available if you are in a crisis, need help or, if you’re loved one needs immediate assistance. Our message is clear, mental health conditions are healthcare issues, we always want to reach out to the healthcare system for support rather than the criminal justice system. If, however, the situation is dangerous, then it may be necessary to call on law enforcement. That is the last resort and not the first line of defense, right? The first line of defense is connecting with your healthcare provider, medication as ordered, support groups, and the same things that promote health from other ailments (exercise, adequate sleep, good nutrition, a positive social support system, etc.).
I have more good news for you! As of February, 2020, we will have more general membership meetings for you to attend. We will have a meeting on the first Thursday of February, March, April, May, September, October, and November at Park Central Baptist Church and another meeting on the second Thursday of those same months. Of course we will continue to have the holiday and awards party in December, the NAMIWalks in May, and support groups will continue to be provided as well. As usual, you will be able to find out who the speaker will be at each of the meetings by consulting the website and reading the newsletter. We look forward to seeing you MORE next year!
Lastly, we have a new Vice President and I’m excited for you all to get to know Officer Todd Guyre who is the Mental Health Liaison for the Garland Police Department. I hope that you will spend some time getting to know Todd and his shared passion for our cause and a tremendous desire to do all that he can to keep people with mental health conditions in the healthcare system as they work at recovery and out of the criminal justice system! So do I, don’t you? Let’s join him in that effort.
I’d best sign off for now, but I do hope to see you at the holiday and awards party at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church on December 5th! As I said, be there or be square!!
Sherry Cusumano,
President of NAMI North Texas
Sherry Cusumano, RN, LCDC, MS, President of NAMI North Texas
Administrative Director of Community Education and Clinical Development
Medical City Green Oaks Hospital
7808 Clodus Fields Dr.
Dallas, TX 75251