2006 NAMI Texas Annual Convention

Partners Celebrating Recovery: The Time to Talk is Now!

The 2006 NAMI Texas conference was a huge success. With over 300 people there, we had many sessions to choose from:

  • Dr. Michael Fuller of UTMB in Galveston , TX , spoke at the opening plenary on the history of mental health treatment, how far we have come and how much further we need to go to deliver accessible treatment for serious mental illness
  • Dr. Michael Schwartz spoke to us at the luncheon about the need to reach out and edu cate our communities and bring new people into our mission
  • Consumers and Family Members shared their stories of recovery and successes and the need for community support
  • Craig Watson of the Special Needs Alliance edu cated the audience on Special Needs Trusts
  • The Cultures of Texas with King Davis and other experts on multicultural issues.
  • Ask the Doctor with Dr. Michael Fuller of UTMB in Galveston . (This session was the most attended, even in the dark! The lights went out for 2 hours, because of a storm, and even in a dark room with flashlights, the room was full)
  • Criminal Justice with Dr. Susan Stone and others was another huge hit.
  • Dave Wanser and Joe Vesowate of DSHS gave an update on Crisis Redesign and the Transformation Infrastructure Grant.
  • Judy Eron and Merily Keller edu cated the audience with suicide prevention techniques and their powerful personal stories.
  • Dr. Paul Jurek, board member, gave a talk on generational ADHD.
  • Ann Fry, humorist from New York , gave us an hour of laughter and fun to emphasize the need of humor in recovery.
  • And much much more.

Please feel free to look at PowerPoint Presentations from our event, October 15-17, 2006 at OMNI Southpark in Austin, Texas.

We gave awards out to:

Nancy Dean of NAMI Gulf Coast for volunteer of the year, Dr. John Bennett of ADAPT of Texas , George Parnham for Advocate of Justice, Dr. Maria Felix-Ortiz of the San Antonio Express News for Media and Angel Guidroz Suitt of NAMI Golden Triangle for consumer of the year.

Stay tuned for news about next years conference!

Clockwise from top right: Expect Recovery Display, Dr. John Bennett and Nancy Dean, Imagine Art exhibit, Dr. Michael Schwartz, Shannon Carr, and Robin Peyson, Executive Director of NAMI Texas speaking to a packed house at the 2006 NAMI Texas State Convention.

Article by Diana Kern, Special Events Coordinator, NAMI Texas. Photographs by Fred Flores