NAMI Massachusetts

Continuing with our Native American Heritage Month Spotlight Series, today we are highlighting the amazing work of Greg Grey Cloud! Greg Grey Cloud is a Crow Creek Nation educator, singer, and activist. He is an ecologist and defender of Native American rights. In 2016, Grey Cloud was on the front line of the blockade at the Dakota Access Pipeline protests. The proposed pipeline would run from oil fields in western North Dakota to southern Illinois, crossing beneath the Missouri and Mississippi rivers, as well as under part of Lake Oahe near the Standing Rock Indian Reservation. The pipeline posed a significant threat to the region’s water supply and directly endangered ancient burial grounds and culturally important historic sites. Greg Grey Cloud is a co-founder of Wica Agli, a non-profit dedicated to ending domestic violence against women and children within the Native American community. The organization works to reclaim traditional understandings of masculinity—centered around responsibility, protection, and respect—and share these principles with men and boys. Their work is focused on promoting healthier lifestyles for men, offering youth programs, and engaging men in advocacy to raise awareness, drive action, and foster conversations aimed at ending violence worldwide. Greg Grey Cloud also leads Tiwahe Glu Kini Pi (Bringing the Family Back to Life), a program that uses horses donated by local ranchers to teach social workers, caregivers, students, and community members how traditional Lakota horse culture can help children in the community heal from trauma. Thank you for all the amazing work that you do Greg Grey Cloud!

Are you a friend, parent, sibling, family member or caregiver of someone living with a mental health condition? Join us next week on Monday, November 18th from 6:00 – 7:00 PM on Zoom! The "Sharing Our Stories" presentation highlights two family members of individuals living with a mental health condition, sharing their experiences as caregivers/supporters and their personal journeys. To register, visit https://ow.ly/B9Tl50U6tq3 or visit our website link in our bio. Join us for In Our Own Voice, a powerful presentation that aims to change attitudes, assumptions, and stereotypes about people living with mental health conditions next week on Monday, November 18th from 7:00 - 8:00 PM on Zoom. Two presenters with lived experience of a mental health condition talk openly about their experiences and how they have found pathways to hope and healing. To register, visit https://ow.ly/3f7750U6tq6 or visit our website link in our bio.

November is National Family Caregivers Month! This month, we honor the strength, dedication, and compassion of family caregivers in our NAMI Mass community and beyond! Family caregivers are such an integral part of our community and in supporting a loved one living with a mental health condition. We have programs dedicated to supporting our family caregiver community, so that no one ever feels like they are going through this journey alone. To view the complete list of Family Support & Education Programs offered by NAMI Mass, visit https://lnkd.in/ej7QuaeG

Today, we honor our veterans—the brave individuals who have sacrificed so much in service to our country. We recognize not only their courage and commitment, but also the unseen challenges many face upon returning home. Supporting the mental health of those who have served is critical, and we have included resources specifically for veterans. VA Boston mental health resources: https://lnkd.in/eCrQC5su Or call 877-222-8387, if you have hearing loss, call TTY: 800-877-8339 Veteran’s Crisis Line: https://lnkd.in/d_PNaU2 Call 988, then dial 1 Or text 838255 NAMI National Veteran’s Resources: https://lnkd.in/eemkJ5Tu

In our first installment of our Spotlight Series in honor of Native American Heritage Month, we are highlighting the amazing work and life of Dr. Carolyn Lewis Attneave, PhD. Dr. Attneave was the first Native American woman to get a degree in psychology in the US. She was a descendent of the Delaware Indian Tribe, and attributes her career choice to her deep connection to her Native American heritage. She earned her PhD in psychology from Stanford University in 1952. After graduation, she went to work with different tribes providing public health services in Oklahoma. In 1968, Dr. Attneave was invited to work with Jay Haley and Ross Speck at the Child Guidance Clinic in Philadelphia. Her work focused on network therapy, which relies on an individual’s support networks as an alternative to hospitalization for mental health conditions. This network spans beyond the traditional family network and incorporates neighbors and community members while using cultural contexts to provide culturally competent care. Dr. Attneave moved to Boston in 1970 to work for the MA Department of Public Health as a Public Service Program coordinator. While she was in Boston, she founded one of North America’s largest Indian Centers, the Boston Indian Council. From there she went on to found the Network of Indian Psychologists, a newsletter that provided information about services available to Native American communities. Dr. Attneave pivoted in 1973 to lead the department of behavioral sciences at Harvard School of Public Health, where she produced a 9-volume set of documents on the mental health needs, service networks, and utilization patterns for the Indian Health Service. Dr. Attneave spent the last 15 years of her career working as professor of psychology at the University of Washington from 1975-1990 and was the director of the American Indian Studies Program. Dr. Attneave passed away on June 22, 1992. Her immeasurable life was filled with numerous accomplishments and honors, and her work has been instrumental in the expansion of culturally competent mental health care for the Native American community. We thank you Dr. Attneave!

The NAMI Massachusetts office will be on Monday, November 11, in observance of Veterans Day. We will reopen on Tuesday, November 12. If you are looking for resources for yourself or someone else, please contact our Compass Helpline directly for the quickest response. Call 617-704-6264 or 1-800-370-9085 Email compass@namimass.org Schedule a phone call with Compass www.namimass.org/compass If you or someone you support is experiencing a mental health crisis, you can find resources and ideas for navigating the crisis on our website here: www.namimass.org/crisis. You can find resources on additional topics here: www.namimass.org/resources.

November is Native American Heritage Month, and at NAMI Mass, we celebrate and honor the contributions of Native American voices, highlighting all the important work this community does in advancing mental health awareness and support. That is why every Friday throughout the month of November, we will be highlighting a mental health champion/organization from the Native American community. We hope that you follow along with our journey and stay tuned for more!

NAMI Mass Executive Director, Eliza T. Williamson will #Vote4MentalHealth this election day because queer children deserve to become queer adults. According to the Trevor Project, about 1.8 million LGBTQIA+ young people (ages 13-24) in the U.S. seriously consider suicide each year, with at least one attempting suicide every 45 seconds. It is critical to support policies and vote for candidates who prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ youth at all levels of government. We hope everyone will #Vote4MentalHealth this election, and if you have any questions about voting or logistics, visit our voter resources page, https://ow.ly/Hctl50U0JEF

NAMI Mass Executive Director, Eliza T. Williamson will #Vote4MentalHealth this election day because queer children deserve to become queer adults. According to the Trevor Project, about 1.8 million LGBTQIA+ young people (ages 13-24) in the U.S. seriously consider suicide each year, with at least one attempting suicide every 45 seconds. It is critical to support policies and vote for candidates who prioritize the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQIA+ youth at all levels of government. We hope everyone will #Vote4MentalHealth this election, and if you have any questions about voting or logistics, visit our voter resources page, https://ow.ly/Hctl50U0JEF

Tomorrow, November 5th, is election day! We know this can be a very stressful time for so many people, and we have included in-person and virtual peer support groups to combat some of the election day anxieties. We have included resources from The WildFlower Alliance, who is hosting an online, drop-in support and gathering space you can access here, https://lnkd.in/g5n7pD7k or use Meeting ID # 862 8169 4048. There will also be a Collage Club in person in Easthampton, MA (at Eastworks, Studio #238) on election night from 5:30 – 7:30 PM. We are also including a resource from Kiva Centers, who will be hosting a virtual and in-person peer support group on election day at 12:00 PM, you can access the Zoom link here, https://lnkd.in/guhZ6wNw BEAM (Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective) is also offering virtual support for the Black Community, which can be accessed here https://lnkd.in/d3-h8BJC NAMI will also be holding our regularly scheduled peer support groups on election day and on Wednesday for anyone feeling overwhelmed by the election. All NAMI peer support groups can be found here, https://lnkd.in/gsXY89eM Have additional questions about election day logistics? Visit the Massachusetts Secretary of State website, https://lnkd.in/erNQTawK NAMI Mass encourages everyone to prioritize their mental health during this election season, in whatever way feels best for you!