Plenary Speakers
Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia
Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, M.D. is
a clinical psychiatrist and the
past President of the Board of
Directors of the National Alliance
on Mental Illness (NAMI). She
founded and operates an
independent mental health clinic
in Beaver, Pennsylvania. She is
also a clinical assistant professor at Western Psychiatric
Institute, and is on the faculty of two community
hospitals. In addition, Dr. Vogel-Scibilia is a consultant
for psychopharmacology projects at the National Institute
of Mental Health. She speaks throughout the country on
Session Speakers
Morgan Cook
Carol Anne Johnson
A part of Gateway of Greenville,
she speaks about the Clubhouse
Model for mental health recovery
An attorney who is an expert on
special needs trusts for mental
health & autism
Jane Simpson
Norma Van Amberg
Advocate & Volunteer for
NAMI SC & NAMI Mid-Carolina
NAMI Beaufort County board
member & Advocate Chairman
Sarah Eliasoph
Tom Mayne
Executive Director of NAMI
Beaufort County
Works with individuals on Social
Security, SSI, & SSDI options
Traci Barr
Paton Blough
Healthy Eating Specialist at
Whole Foods Market in Greenville
Works as a mental health advocate
through his organization, Rehinge.
many topics for NAMI affiliates. She has also run a
NAMI-CARE, a NAMI-CAN and a Bipolar Support group
and has been a teacher for the NAMI Peer-to-Peer program
and a speaker for Family-to-Family. She has had bipolar
We thank all of our speakers for their
participation in the NAMI SC annual conference!
disorder since she was a teenager.
Eric Arauz, MLER
Conference Sponsors
Considered one of the best pure
orators in the United States, Eric
Arauz, MLER, is lead trainer and
international keynote speaker
through his consulting firm,
A.I.E., specializing in living with
trauma/ post-traumatic stress
disorder (PTSD), suicide-related
issues, child abuse, veterans issues, and addiction. Having
suffered extensive child abuse at the hands of a father with
Fri. August 14 - Sat. August 15, 2015
mental illness, and his own institutionalization in 1995, Mr.
Leaside Columbia &
Embassy Suites in Columbia, SC
Arauz speaks openly about his personal “triumph over the
demons of substance abuse, child abuse, psychosis, and
post-traumatic stress disorder” and how the mental health
community can better serve their patients. Mr. Arauz holds
a Bachelor of Arts in American Studies from Rutgers
University with High Honors and a Masters Degree from
the Rutgers Graduate School of Management of Labor
Psychiatry at Rutgers/Robert Wood Johnson Medical School,
a Special State Officer on the New Jersey Governor's
Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, and New York
Times contributor. He is co-creator of the Psych Congress
Trauma Institute, a program seeking to better equip
clinicians with tools to properly manage trauma-spectrum
disorders and improve patient outcomes. In 2012, Mr.
Arauz published his first book, An American’s Resurrection.
We would like to encourage all of our
conference participants to take the time to visit
our exhibitors between 8:30 - 9:00am on Saturday,
and between breakout sessions.
NAMI South Carolina
PO BOX 1267
Columbia, SC 29202
Relations. He is an adjunct instructor in the Department of
9:30 - 10:45am - Opening Plenary Session
1:45 - 3:00pm - Breakout Session 2
An American’s Resurrection: My Pilgrimage from
Child Abuse and Mental Illness to Salvation
– Eric Arauz – Greystone
Nutrition – Traci Barr – Salon E
Creating healthy eating habits to encourage better
mental health
Eric Arauz will be discussing his recently published
book, and also his life experience. Having suffered
extensive child abuse at the hands of a father
with mental illness, and his own institutionalization
in 1995. He speaks on his personal triumph over
substance abuse, child abuse, psychosis, and
post-traumatic stress disorder.
10:45am - 12:00pm - Breakout Session 1
Consumer Retreat – Jane Simpson – Salon E
A discussion on the only consumer retreat
currently in the US, and the opportunity for
learning and respite it offers
August 14 - August 15, 2015
Friday, August 14th
Leaside Columbia - 100 East Exchange Place
Columbia, SC 29209
3:00 - 5:30pm - NAMI SC Board Meeting
5:30 - 7:00pm - Reception
- hors d’oeuvres & cash bar
7:00 - 9:00pm - Awards Ceremony & Auction
9:00 - 10:00pm - Coffee, Desserts & Networking
Saturday, August 15th
Embassy Suites - 200 Stoneridge Dr,
Columbia, SC 29210
8:00 - 9:00am - Consumer Council Meeting
- Consulate Board Room
9:00 - 9:30am - Welcome & Business Meeting
- Greystone
Special Needs Trust – Carol Anne Johnson – Salon F
A session on how loved ones of someone
with mental illness or special needs can prepare
for the future
Ask the Doctor
– Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, M.D. – Salon C
Q&A session about mental health and illness
Talking with Your Elected Official
– Sarah Eliasoph & Norma Van Amberg – Salon G
NAMI Smarts for Advocacy is a popular, hands-on,
grassroots advocacy training program.
12:00 - 1:45pm - Lunch Plenary Session
Making the Most of Your Recovery
– Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia, M.D. – Greystone
Suzanne Vogel-Scibilia is a clinical psychiatrist and
past president of the Board of Directors of the
National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). She
founded and operates an independent mental
health clinic in Beaver, Pennsylvania. Suzanne
speaks on her experiences with bipolar disorder
and her personal, positive journey to recovery.
BELIEVE IN US
SSI / SSDI – Tom Mayne – Salon C
Q&A session on the Social Security, disability
applications, SSI and SSDI
Gateway House – Club House Model
– Morgan Cook – Salon F
Bringing hope and enrichment to those with
mental illness and their loved ones
Balanced Approach to Recovery
– Paton Blough – Salon G
Paton discusses his personal experience with
mental illness, and how to work towards personal
recovery through a balanced approach
3:00 - 4:30pm Closing Plenary Session
The Other Brother
– Film by Kristy Higby – Greystone
“The Other Brother, by Kristy Higby, illuminates the
extraordinary life of Jesse Flowers—a solitary,
mysterious, and troubled man, who found solace
and meaning in little else but his art. When Higby
began this project, Jesse was little more than a
family story, a talented eccentric who had spent
most of his time holed up in a shack doing his
artwork or writing in his journals....”
“But after Higby had spent years immersing herself
in the thousands of letters, journal entries, and
sketches Jesse left behind—and interviewing
Jesse’s devoted sisters and his estranged brother
Tom Flowers, a successful artist and college
professor—a new and more complex picture of
Jesse began to emerge....”
REGISTRATION FORM
Leaside Columbia - Fri, August 14, 2015
100 East Exchange Place, Columbia, SC 29209
Embassy Suites - Saturday, August 15, 2015
200 Stoneridge Dr, Columbia, SC 29210
Clip & mail this completed form with check payable to:
NAMI SC — PO Box 1267
Columbia, SC 29202
For more information, please call 1.800.788.5131
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$40 registration for Current NAMI SC
Members & Professionals
$10 registration for Current Client/Consumer Members
Please indicate which days you are attending:
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For hotel room reservations, Call Embassy Suites Columbia, 200
Stoneridge Drive, Columbia, SC, 29210 Phone: 803.252.8700 &
reference “National Alliance on Mental Illness.” NAMI rate for a
room is $126 per night.