NEW TWO DAY CONFERENCE
Friday, April 23 and Saturday, April 24
Pittsburgh Airport Marriott
The Power to Ignite Change: A Personal Call to Action
CONFERENCE PRE-REGISTRATION DEADLINE - WEDNESDAY, APRIL 21, 12:00 pm. Registrations will not be processed after deadline, and participants must register at the door the morning of the conference. Registration is from 8:00 till 8:45 am both Friday and Saturday.
Registration Information and Form
Our 2010 Regional Education Conference will be held April 23 and 24, 2010. During this two-day event, participants will explore the complex challenges still facing our mental health system, and will hear about innovative local solutions that are already making a positive impact on these issues. The conference will also provide tools and strategies for how to advocate, and will identify a current focus for our advocacy efforts. Please join us for one or both days:
Friday, April 23 - Growing the Grassroots: The Crucial Need for Advocacy
Saturday, April 24 -
Confronting the Challenges in the Mental Health System
CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS:
(Complete agenda can be found in the conference brochure above. Below is one highlight from each day.)
Friday, April 23, 2010
Keynote Address - A Partnership with NAMI National, Michael Fitzpatrick, MSW, Executive Director, NAMI National
Michael J. Fitzpatrick, MSW, Executive Director, NAMI National will share with participants the importance of developing collaborative relationships to heighten the effectiveness of local, state and national advocacy efforts. With impending changes in the mental health landscape due to statewide budget cuts, the end of the Rendell administration and the evolution of national health care reform, partnerships among mental health advocates across the system are vital. When grassroots advocates through local NAMI affiliates connect with NAMI National, combined efforts ensure a louder, more effective voice championing a transformed mental health system in the future.
Friday's program is sponsored by the Staunton Farm Foundation.
Saturday, April 24, 2010
Morning Panel Discussion - Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness
Minds on the Edge: Facing Mental Illness is a one-hour television program which first aired on PBS in October 2009. It connects the dots between personal dilemmas facing individuals and families who are living with mental illness, medical practices that can be obstacles to treatment, and public policies that all too often fall short in providing support that could make a positive difference. During this panel discussion, participants will view featured vignettes from Minds on the Edge and then experience a lively debate among representatives from the mental health community. A variety of perspectives will be included, from consumers and family members, to psychologists and members of the judicial system. Featuring Panelists: Pete Early, author of CRAZY: A Father's Search Through America's Mental Health Madness, Frederick J. Frese III, PhD
NAMI Southwestern Pennsylvania's 10th Annual Conference is Generously Sponsored by:
Premier Sponsor: Staunton Farm Foundation 
Platinum Sponsor: Community Care Behavioral Health 
Gold Sponsor: Lilly.jpg)
Silver Sponsor:
Allegheny HealthChoices, Inc.
Bronze Sponsors:
AstraZeneca
Mercy Behavioral Health
Project Transition
Value Behavioral Health of PA
Supporter:
Bristol-Myers Squibb
Western Psychiatric Institute and Clinic of UPMC
Sponsorship opportunities are still available. Call (412) 366-3788 or email dgarda@namiswpa.org.