Site, center offer mental health aid to veterans, families, friends

By Times Staff Writer
Published January 1, 2008

COUNTYWIDE

The National Alliance on Mental Illness recently launched its Veterans Resource Center, an online site dedicated to mental health resources for active-duty service members, veterans and their families. The site is at www.nami.org/veterans. The site provides self-help information, online discussion groups, research and policy updates, and links to government agencies and private organizations.

The local NAMI Hernando offers several support groups and runs the Beautiful Mind Outreach Center at 10554 Spring Hill Drive. The center is open from 1 to 5 p.m. Tuesdays through Fridays. Upcoming programs include:

- NAMI Peer-to-Peer Education Course, "Learning to Live Well with What We've Got." This is a nine-week class that meets from 6:30 to 9 p.m. at the Beautiful Mind, starting this month. It is an experimental education course on the topic of recovery for any person with a serious mental illness. Class size is limited. Call the center for details and reservations at 684-0004.

- NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program. This is a 12-week program for family and friends of individuals with a serious mental illness. Classes will meet from 6:30 to 9 p.m. Thursdays at the Beautiful Mind, starting in mid January. There is no cost, but class size is limited and reservations are required. Call 544-0352.

Ongoing support groups that meet at the Beautiful Mind include the following:

- Consumer Friendship Group, 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays. This is an informal group for those with mental illness to visit and socialize.

- Family Support Group, 3 to 5 p.m. Wednesdays. This group meets separately from the friendship group. It is for families of the mentally ill to exchange insights about mental illness and learn how others are coping.

- Evening Family Support Group, 7 to 8:30 p.m. on first and third Wednesdays. This is a discussion group is for families of the mentally ill to talk with others who understand adult mental illness.

For information, call the Beautiful Mind at 684-0004 or Ginny at 686-2687.

BROOKSVILLE/SPRING HILL

Volunteers needed for hospice programs

Hernando-Pasco Hospice is in need of volunteers and will provide an orientation in Brooksville and another in Spring Hill.

Volunteers 16 and older are needed to visit patients in the eastern part of Hernando county at private residences, nursing homes, assisted living facilities and at the agency's Hospice Care Center in downtown Brooksville.

A two-part orientation for prospective volunteers will be provided from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 16 and 18 at the Brooksville team office at 698 S Broad St.

Those interested can call Anne Clarke at 796-2611.

Also, the Spring Hill team needs volunteers in the Hospice House on Cortez Boulevard to visit patients and prepare meals for residents several times a week.

Volunteer cooks must be 18 or older.

A volunteer orientation will be from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. Jan. 23 and 25 at the team office at 12260 Cortez Blvd.

Those interested can call Mary Kay Sandell at 597-1882.

SPRING HILL

Youth acting classes to begin Jan. 12

The Hernando County Recreation Department will offer basic acting classes from 11 a.m. to noon Saturdays, starting Jan. 12, at Delta Woods Park, 3400 Deltona Blvd.

The classes are for ages 9 to 15. Those who complete the program will be eligible for the intermediate and advanced acting program.

The instructor is Vince Vanni, assisted by Abby Dix. Vanni's students have appeared in both amateur and professional venues.

The cost is $35 per month; family discounts are available. For information or to register, call 754-4031.

BROOKSVILLE

Sweetheart Coffee set for Jan. 19

The Brooksville Woman's Club will host the fourth annual Sweetheart Coffee from 3 to 5 p.m. Jan. 19 at the club, 131 S Main St.

Tickets are $5 per person. The event will include coffee flavored to one's choice, finger sandwiches and dessert. Entertainment will be provided by country-western vocalist Kevin Longhorn.

For information or tickets, call Martha Heino at 754-9620 or Yvonne Malone at 796-6026 or 848-7988.

BROOKSVILLE

Attorney general to speak at luncheon

Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum will speak at the Annuttaliga Chapter of the Daughters of the American Revolution's luncheon meeting at 11:30 a.m. Feb. 18 at the Brooksville Country Club at Majestic Oaks, 23446 Links Drive (off Croom Road).

McCollum will speak about the state Cyber Crime Unit, which targets child pornography and pedophile problems on the Internet.

A limited number of tickets will be available. The cost is $13 (with $1 benefiting the DAR's Hernando County Scholarship Fund).

The deadline to purchase tickets is Feb. 7. For tickets or information, call Lynette Grossenbacher at 544-8162.

[Last modified December 31, 2007, 19:35:29]