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This year's Mental Health Month Dinner was May 22, 2008 at Chagrin Valley Athletic Club.

The 2008 Behavioral Health Care Advocacy Winner is Jeffrey T. Orndorff.

Congratulations Jeffrey! Your dedication to the mental health field has been stupendous.

Dr. Tom Gazley, President of the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services grants Jeffrey T. Orndorff this years annual advocacy award.

"Bridges Out of Poverty: Strategies for Professionals and Communities"

The Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services was pleased to provide scholarships for Geauga County human service professionals to attend an educational workshop on April 30, 2008.

The Menetal Health Association in Geauga County, CASA for Kids and Ravenwood Mental Health Center presented the workshop at St. Mary's in Chardon, Ohio. Philip DeVol, who co-authored the book "Bridges Out of Poverty:Strategies for Professionals and Communities" with Ruby Payne, Ph.D and Terie Dreussi Smith, presented a model of the "cultures" of poverty, the middle class, and the upper class. Mr. DeVol focused on increasing participants' awareness of the differences in economic culturese and showed how these differences affect opportunities for success. Participants developed an action plan to improve retention rates for new hires from poverty and how to motivate individuals from poverty.

The workshop series is part of the continuing mission of the Mental Health Association in Geauga County to provide quality mental health education at an affordable cost to Geauga County mental health professionals. Over 100 participants earned CEUs for attending the 6 hour workshop. The Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services sponsored scholarships for 31 Geauga County human service professionals to attend the workshop.

Michelle Doehring Mental Health Association in Geauga County/NAMI Geauga
10771 Mayfield Rd.
Chardon OH 44024
440 285-3945
FAX 440 285-2756 mdoehring@mhageauga.org

Educational Speaker Meetings meet at 7:00 p.m. on the third Thursday of every month. These are Open House meetings, the public is welcome to come and join with the new NAMI Geauga chapter and learn how to better advocate for your loved one. Most meetings are held at the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services, 13244 Ravenna Road, Chardon 44024 (Rt. 44 across from UHHS Geauga Hospita. Call 440-285-3945 or email mdoehring@mhageauga.org for more information. If the anticipated audience is large we will obtain a larger facility for the meeting.

Below is a list of our scheduled speakers.

July 17, 2008 - NAMI Geauga Summer Potluck Picnic at Big Creek Park. Picnic begins at 6pm, food served at 6:30pm. Ohio Senator Tim Grendell will join us. Please email LREED@mhageauga.org to RSVP by July 3.

August 21. 2008 - Sam Rutigliano, former Cleveland Browns coach, will tell us how Mental Health has impacted his life. This meeting will be held at the Geauga County Board of Mental Health and Recovery Services office.

September 18, 2008 - Drs. Fred and Penny Frese will talk with us. Dr. Fred Frese, a psychologist with thirty years experience working with persons with serious mental illness, lives with Schizophrenia. Dr. Penny Frese has a Ph.D. in Comparative Arts and an M.F.A. in Directing from Ohio University. They are active in the mental health movement, often presenting at statewide and national conferences in the United States and Canada. They will discuss the Impact of Mental Illness on a Family. This meeting will be held at the West Woods in Geauga Park System, 9465 Kinsman Road (Route 87), which is just east of route 306.

Beginning in Fall 2008-Updates on Medical Aspects of Mental Health

October 16, 2008 - Dr. Theodore Suh, Medical Director of the Geriatric Assessment Program at Euclid Hospital, will address Mental Health and Older Adults.

November 20, 2008 - Joseph Bergant, Superintendent of Chardon Schools will discuss Mental Health and Our Schools.

January 15, 2009 - Dr. David Kemp, K-12 Research Scholar with Mood Disorders Program at University Hospitals Case Medical Center, will discuss his research. February 19, 2009- Dr. James Rodio, Medical Director of Ravenwood Mental Health Center, will discuss forensic psychiatry and treatment.

March 19, 2009 - Dr. Richard Hill, Case Western Reserve University and University Hospital, will discuss neuroscience research and biochemistry of the brain.

April 16, 2009 - Dr. Stephen Grcevich, child and adolescent psychiatrist, will discuss new medications for children with a mental health diagnosis.