Frontotemporal Degeneration (FTD) Caregiver Support Group Virtual Meeting
HOLYOKE – The Holyoke FTD Caregiver Support Group will hold its monthly meeting as a virtual Zoom meeting on Tuesday, January 14, from 4 to 5 p.m. It is for caregivers of people affected by frontotemporal degeneration.
FTD is a rare brain disease and is the most common form of dementia in people under the age of 60 in the United States. The aim of the group is to help us understand and learn about FTD, by sharing stories, ideas and emotions. The group meets on the second Tuesday of each month. All are welcome.
For more information and to register for the group, contact Sandy Wallis, AFTD Affiliate Support Group Leader (Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration) at 413-532-0543.
Youth bereavement support program
WILBRAHAM – Rick’s Place offers free peer-to-peer grief support groups for youth (ages 5-18) and their caregivers. Rick’s Place offers youth and their families a place to remember their loved ones and to avoid the sense of isolation that such losses can produce. Rick’s Place was established in 2007, in memory of Rick Thorpe, who died in Tower Two of the World Trade Center. on 9/11 This is for youth and their families throughout Western Massachusetts and Northern Connecticut and is offered at no cost. To participate in these free grief support programs provided by Rick’s Place, please send an email info@ricksplacema.org or call 413-279-2010.
Virtual support groups for cancer patients and families
PALMER – The cancer support groups – headed by Camille St. Onge, an oncology social worker at Baystate Health – will be offered in the coming months. Support groups are designed to help patients, their families and caregivers cope with the challenges of a cancer diagnosis.
Groups offered included: General Cancer Support Group: 1st Wednesday of the month, 11 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.; Partners in Caregiving, 2nd Wednesday of the month, 5 to 6:30 p.m.; Expressive Writing Through Cancer, 3rd Wednesday of the month, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.; Breast cancer support group, 4th Wednesday of the month, 11:00 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. All meetings are currently held virtually and are made possible by funds raised by the Walk of Champions. For more information, contact St. Onge at 413-239-7239 or by email cstomagin@gmail.com
NAMI Online/Telephone Support Group
HOLYOKE – The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-WM) of Western Massachusetts would like to inform the public that NAMI Connection Recovery Support Groups have resumed in a virtual format.
Monday, from 6 to 7.30 p.m. Online access with zoom: https://us02web.zom.us/j/88206475051; access by phone, 646-558-8656, meeting ID: 88206475051.
Wednesday, from 6 to 7.30 p.m. Online access with zoom: https://us02web.zoom.us/j/82690755017; access by phone, 646-558-8656, meeting ID 82690755017. For more information, contact the office or go to namiwm.org/support.
For members of the LGBTQIA+ community, Wednesdays, 7:15 pm to 8:45 pm For more information, email: triciafitz7@gmail.com.
Shiloh SDA Church and The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI-WM) of Western Massachusetts announce a new family and friend support group for Black and Brown communities. The Black & Brown Family and Friends Support Group meets on the first Thursday of each month. A Zoom link will be provided for participants. For more information, contact the NAMI-WM office at 413-786-9139 or by email information@namiwm.org.
No diagnosis is required to attend any group. All people with mental health problems can attend any group without prior registration.
NAMI – Family Support Group of Western Massachusetts
GREENFIELD – The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Western Massachusetts announces that its family support group in Greenfield is back in person. The group meets monthly on the last Wednesday from 6-8pm at Clinical Support Options (CSO), 296 Federal Street, across from Sandri’s gas station.
In NAMI Family Support Groups, families join a group of people who support each other using their collective lived experiences and learned wisdom. Family members can gain a renewed sense of hope for their loved one living with mental health issues. NAMI support groups are unique because they follow a structured model, which ensures that everyone can be heard and get what they need: free, confidential and safe; designed for adult loved ones of people with mental health problems; run by family members of people with mental health problems; no specific therapy or medical treatment is endorsed. For more information, contact the NAMI-WM office at 413-786-9139 or information@namiwm.org.
MJD Support Group
LUDLOW – The Michael J. Dias Foundation provides education, area resources, peer support and hope for family and friends dealing with a loved one with a substance use disorder. A support group meets the second and fourth Tuesday of each month from 6 to 7:15 pm at Our Lady of Fatima Parish Center, 438 Winsor St. anyone who needs support can attend. Masks are required and guests will be seated six feet apart. If you have any questions, please contact Maureen at 413-563-6226.
Grief Support Group
CHICOPEE – Santa Rosa de Lima Grief Support Group meets every Monday except major holidays from 6 to 7:30 p.m. This free weekly grief support group is for people who have experienced the loss of a spouse, partner, family member or friend. All are welcome. The group meets at the Pastoral Center of Santa Rosa de Lima, 15 Chapel St.
Online stroke support group
SPRINGFIELD – Springfield College’s Department of Occupational Therapy (OT) offers a free weekly support group for people living with stroke and their caregivers. The group meets virtually on Zoom every Thursday from 3 to 4:00 pm. Facilitated by Kathy Post, Professor Emeritus, with the assistance of 1-2 OT graduate students, the group provides opportunities to meet other stroke survivors from Western Massachusetts, and share challenges, successes, questions, and resources . For more information and the link to the meetings, email Kathy at kpost@springfieldcollege.edu
Narcotics Anonymous
AGAWAM – To find a local Narcotics Anonymous support group, visit NERNA.ORG or WesternMassNA.org or call 866-NA-HELP-U.
Survivors of suicide loss
EAST LONGMEADOW – Survivors of Suicide Loss, a support group for adults who have lost a loved one to suicide, meets the 3rd Monday of each month (except major holidays or inclement weather) at Forastiere Smith Funeral Home, 220 North Main St. from 18.30 to 20.00 h. This is a peer driven group. Meetings are open, meaning new members are always welcome. The meeting room is set up to allow for the recommended social distancing and attendees must bring and wear their own mask while in the meeting room. If circumstances permit, some meetings may be held outdoors.
Free broadcast readings accessible
SPRINGFIELD – 24/7 accessible local news and information is available on Valley Eye Radio for those in the Pioneer Valley who can no longer read independently due to visual and other impairments medical and physical problems. Contact them at www.valleyeyeradio.org or (413) 747-7337 for information on how to listen on one of their specialty radios or through their website, smart speakers, cable access channel or mobile phone.
NAMI Western Mass Virtual Annual Meeting
HOLYOKE – The annual meeting of the National Alliance on Mental Illness Western Massachusetts will be held online on Sunday, January 19, starting at 1:00 p.m. The special guest speaker will be Cristianna Borelli. She was recently invited and competed in the National US/Woman of Achievement Pageant in Irvine, California last November. She returned home with the national title of Ms US 2025, the first woman from New England to do so in the pageant’s 10-year history. She will present her dual platform of mental health advocacy and suicide prevention to help, support and empower people from all walks of life who have struggled with a mental health issue. Now, she’s using her crown as a symbol and a tool to help others who are silently struggling with their mental health. Hear their inspiring words of hope!
This event is open to the public. Absentee ballots will only be mailed to NAMI-WM members who are eligible to vote. If you have not received a ballot by January 13, please call the office. Ballots must be received in the office by Friday, January 17th namiwm.org/events and click on the registration link or go directly to Eventbrite.com and search for NAMI Western Mass. A Zoom link will be provided to those who are registered. For more information contact their office.
A six-week series of self-care
SPRINGFIELD – Jewish Family Services of Western Massachusetts presents “Building Resilience from Within,” a 6-week self-care series for caregivers and anyone experiencing intense stress in their lives.
Learn simple techniques to build core resilience, balance the nervous system, and deepen a healthy connection with your body. Each week participants will meet online to practice changing habitual stress-holding patterns and tune into their innate body wisdom. Some practices include mindfulness, gentle movement and release, brain-body balance, guided visualization, and immune system strengthening.
All ages are welcome and all exercises can be done sitting or standing. No experience required. Presenter: Reina Goldberg is a Mindfulness Educator, Trauma Informed Coach and Multifaceted Healing Practitioner. Reina has a Master of Education in Mindfulness Studies (MA Ed.) from the University of Antioquia and is certified as a yoga therapist, with certifications in Qigong Infused and Hatha Yoga, Applied Polyvagal Theory therapeutic yoga, as well as a teacher of Healthy Bones & Balance. . In addition, Reina is also a Grief Coach, with training based on trauma-informed healing modalities.
The program will be held online on Wednesdays, January 22nd through February 26th, from 11:00 a.m. to 11:45 a.m. on Zoom. To register, visit www.jfswm.org.