The 2017 NAMI NH Annual Conference is scheduled for March 18, 2017 at the Grappone Conference Center, Concord, NH.  Registration will begin at 8:00am with a light breakfast.  The conference will kick-off at 9:00am with opening remarks from NAMI New Hampshire Executive Director, Kenneth Norton, followed by our keynote speaker, Craig Miller. 

From Passion to Purpose: A Forward Journey in Hope and Healing

Craig A. Miller, author of This is How it Feels: A memoir of attempting suicide and finding life, shares his story of childhood traumas, suicide and ultimately recovery. Craig will highlight the incredible solace he found in creativity and how believing his pain had purpose taught him invaluable coping skills when struggling to find mental wellness. Learn how Craig’s beliefs coupled with his passion for creative self-expression led him along a journey through life and wellness one step at a time. Craig will highlight some of the coping skills that have allowed him to truly find peace in his life: his writing that told the stories he did not have the strength to voice aloud, his photography that captures emotions he did not have the ability to otherwise convey, and his work in the mental health community that intimately has proven to him that we are not alone. Craig’s journey is one of hope, art, expression, and action. He aims to prove that, one step at a time, we can create the change we want in our lives.

The conference will have morning and afternoon workshops, resource exhibits from around the state, NAMI  NH Volunteer Recognition, and the presentation of NAMI NH Annual Awards ending at 4pm. Registration is required and includes a light breakfast, lunch and all materials for the day.  Review the workshop descriptions and then click the links below to register.

 Who Should Attend?  Family members, people living with mental illness, behavioral health and primary care providers, public policy decision makers.

Scholarships:  There are a limited number of scholarships available for those who need them.
If you are a consumer and in need of a scholarship to attend this conference, contact Tom Grinley at the Office of Consumer and Family Affairs at Thomas.Grinley@dhhs.state.nh.us or (603) 271-5045.

In addition, there are scholarships available from NAMI New Hampshire.  For consideration, please contact Liz Hodgkins at lhodgkins@naminh.org or (603) 225-5359, ext. 322 for eligibility on a first-come, first-served basis.  All scholarships must be approved BEFORE you will be able to register.

 Our 2017 conference objectives are for participants to

• Increase their awareness of resources
• Leave feeling empowered and hopeful
• Be part of a community of mental health and realize you are not alone
• Learn ways to support stigma reduction
• Understand the many forms of mental health recovery
• Learn individual ways to advocate
• Understand that mental health is connected with overall health and well-being

 Register on or before March 13, 2017:

• Registration cost is $50 per person.
• Registration fees are non-refundable.
• Payment by check must be received before the conference to complete registration process.

____________________

The conference is financed in part under an Agreement with the State of NH, DHHS, Division of Behavioral Health, with funds provided in part or in whole by the State of NH and/or United States Department of Health and Human Services.