Support Groups
People
We couldn’t serve our community the way we do without the help of our wonderful staff, volunteers, and board members. We have a dedicated team of individuals who allow NAMI-WCI to continue to change the lives of those facing mental illness.
Executive Director
Astrid Hastak, Executive Director
Astrid holds Master’s and PhD degrees in American history, has taken continuing education and certification courses in mental health and drug abuse prevention, and is a 2017 graduate of the Peer Union Counseling Class and Leadership Lafayette. She is passionate about education, the rights of children, and mental health issues, and has been active as a Court Appointed Special Advocate for abused and neglected children in Tippecanoe County. Astrid has been NAMI-WCI’s executive director since May of 2016. She manages the operations of the organization, builds capacity, and is actively engaging NAMI-WCI in the healthcare and social service communities of the 8-county region that makes up West Central Indiana. In her first year, Astrid has increased NAMI-WCI’s lineup of programs from nine to thirteen, co-founded Tippecanoe County’s Mental Healthcare Forum, authored a white paper and has spoken on this collaborative community approach to the current mental healthcare provider crisis. Astrid is an active member of Tippecanoe County’s Drug Free Coalition, Heroin Taskforce, Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Network, Daybreak Rotary Club, and the Mental Health Collaborative Network
Staff
Joy has been a member of NAMI since 2015. She is a Peer-to-Peer mentor, Connections Recovery Support Group facilitator, and trained presenter for In Our Own Voice, Parents and Teachers as Allies, Ending the Silence, and Stigmafree Company. She is also a Community Navigator at the Tippecanoe County Jail and a presenter at the NAMI Indiana training for state corrections officers. Joy is a 2017 graduate of the Peer Union Counseling Class. Her previous experiences include VP of Customer Relations Bank One, and Recruiting Manager Krannert School of Management Masters’ Programs. Since 2017 Joy serves as NAMI-WCI’s program director, overseeing 13 education courses, support groups, and outreach presentations.
Gail Huff, Community Engagement Worker
Gail joined the NAMI team in July 2017. She graduated from Purdue University in 2009 with her bachelor’s degree in Elementary Special Education. She married her husband Richard in 1993 and they have three sons. She served an 18 month mission in New Mexico with the Navajo Indians. She loves all animals. She has had ferrets, rabbits, turtles, hamsters and dogs. She has rescued several dogs. Previously she has been a special education teacher, paraprofessional, substitute teacher, waitress trainer, security officer, and team building instructor.
Morgan Warpenburg, Administrative Assistant
Morgan is currently enrolled in courses at Ivy Tech Community College where she will be working towards her Associates Degree in Business. She loves interacting with people of all backgrounds and is very compassionate about helping others. Morgan has spent time volunteering for children and families in need and will continue to volunteer and watch those families grow. In previous experience Morgan has been an administrative assistant for a tax company, a manager for a local retail store and a Pre-School teacher. She loves animals and has rescued many dogs over the past few years and currently has a pet dog of her own. In her free time, she follows sports, reads, paints, hikes, kayaks, and camps. Morgan loves the outdoors and is a nature fanatic. She is excited to be a part of the NAMI-WCI team and looks forward to her future time here.
Nettie Haab, Accounts Specialist
At NAMI-WCI, Nettie is responsible for all financial data entries. Nettie received her BSBA from Indiana Wesleyan University. Throughout her career, she was the Administrative Assistant to the President at Rostone Corporation, worked in Human Resources at Subaru-Isuzu Automotive, and served as department secretary for Construction Engineering and Management for the College of Engineering at Purdue University. She is recently retired and enjoys reading, traveling, and volunteering.
Pat Hall, Receptionist
Pat (James) Hall was born in Iramagua, Honshu, Japan at Johnston Air Base where his father was stationed. Pat attended Florida Military Academy where he graduated in 1969. In 1975 he enlisted in the Air Force and served our great country for 14 ½ years. He was stationed at Torjon Spain, Edwards AF Base in California, Ramstien AF Base in Vogeweh Germany and finally Fairchild AF Base in Spokane Washington. Pat spent most of his free time travelling to, France, Germany, Holland, England, Scotland, and Demark. After Pat left the military, he and his wife returned to Lafayette, IN. He began working for NAMI in October of 2017. Pat is our postmaster, receptionist, filing specialist, and assembler of NAMI-WCI's print material and outreach folders.
Interns
Selena Amador, President of NAMI on Campus Purdue/Blue Iris Chronicles Editor
Selena Amador is currently an undergraduate at Purdue studying Psychological Sciences. After graduation, she plans to move onto a PhD program in Clinical Psychology and ultimately pursue a career in academia as a professor and research psychologist. As such, she is passionate about mental illness advocacy, as well as how to better the diagnostic process for improved treatment outcomes. She is currently involved in Ending the Silence, Mental Health America, Crisis Text Line, and the YWCA Domestic Violence Intervention and Prevention Program Shelter. She believes NAMI on Campus can hold a much more central role at Purdue and would love to help realize this goal as President.
Lindsey Macdonald, Blue Iris Chronicles Editor
Lindsey Macdonald is a PhD candidate in the English department at Purdue University where she studies professional/technical writing, healthcare communication, and community engagement. Her dissertation examines the role of public policy and professional writing in health advocacy. She teaches healthcare writing and business writing in addition to tutoring at Purdue’s Writing Lab. Lindsey received her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Virginia Tech, and she was a technical writer at a computer manufacturing company in Virginia before entering graduate school. Lindsey is in charge of NAMI-WCI’s monthly newsletter and performs clerical tasks as needed at the office.
Volunteer Coordinators

Luci has lived in West Lafayette, IN since 1992, and is a facilities engineer on staff at Purdue University since 1995. She has been involved with NAMI-West Central Indiana since 2007 as a board member, a volunteer, and a Family to Family education teacher. Luci founded the Mental Health Collaborative Network and served as its chair for 7 years. She has been on the FaithNet team giving the NAMI’s Bridges of Hope presentation at faith communities in the area since 2014.

Nichole is a postdoctoral fellow in the Purdue University School of Engineering Education. She joined the NAMI-WCI board in January 2015 and is currently serving as board president. The former president of NAMI on Campus Purdue, she received the 2016 Dean Betty Nelson Service Award from Mortar Board. Nichole is a presenter for In Our Own Voice, Bridges of Hope, Parents and Teachers as Allies and is piloting the Ending the Silence program in the state of Indiana.

Charlotte is a retired English teacher who found NAMI-WCI in 2010. She is a former board member and board president, current Family Support Group facilitator, and Parents and Teachers as Allies presenter. By serving as coordinator for the Parents and Teacher as Allies program, she is bringing NAMI’s message and services into our area schools.
Board Members
Luis Balcazar is the Care Manager at Purdue University Counseling and Psychological Services (CAPS). He received his MSW from the Boston College School of Social Work. Luis has played a vital role in the establishment of NAMI-WCI’s Latino Outreach Committee.
Jim Brehm has served as Executive Director of Resource Development for Ivy Tech Community College – Lafayette for almost three years. Previous to Ivy Tech, Jim served in similar roles for Wabash College and Purdue University Foundation. He has over 30 years of development/not-for-profit fundraising experience primarily within higher education. Jim and his family (wife, Annette; son, Aaron and daughter, Emma) have been active members of the Greater Lafayette Community since they moved to the area in 2003.
Christina Devine is a CPA at a local accounting firm, Heath CPA & Associates. She is a wife, and mother of two young girls. She was born and raised in Lafayette, IN, was a graduate of McCutcheon High School, DeVry University, and Keller Graduate School of Management. She has a big heart and is actively involved in our community.
Nicholas DiCarlo has worked in social services in the Greater Lafayette community since 1989. He is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor and Licensed Clinical Addictions Counselor. Nick is the Director of the ACT Team at Wabash Valley Alliance. He is also a trainer for CIT Officers, board member for Citizens for Civil Rights and is also in private practice.
Lorri Foster is currently Assistant Director of Marketing and Communication for the College of Liberal Arts at Purdue University. She has spent the last 20 years working in media. She hopes to raise awareness about NAMI and services it provides and help stop the stigma surrounding mental illness.
Dick Moore is retired after a career in the U.S.D.A. working with crop insurance. He and his wife, Grace, trained to become NAMI Family-to-Family teachers in 2007. They have been volunteering since then, offering classes and a support group in Frankfort. He joined the board in January 2015.
Carol Ott is a Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice at Purdue University College of Pharmacy, a Clinical Pharmacy Specialist in Outpatient Psychiatry at Eskenazi Health/Midtown Community Mental Health, Indianapolis. Carol also provides consultation to the Tippecanoe County Public Defender's Office, the Dept of Child Services through an IU Psychopharmacology Consult Group, and she sits on the Indiana Medicaid Drug Utilization Review Board and Mental Health Quality Advisory Committee.
Nichole Ramirez (President) is a postdoctoral fellow in the Purdue University School of Engineering Education. She joined the NAMI-WCI board in January 2015. The former president of NAMI on Campus Purdue, she received the 2016 Dean Betty Nelson Service Award from Mortar Board.
Dr. Nick Piotrowski is a Psychiatrist with Indiana University Health Arnett. He is especially passionate about the treatment of substance use disorders, and their interaction with other mental health concerns. He is also a member of the Drug Free Coalition of Tippecanoe County and the Tippecanoe County Opiod Taskforce.
Carol Santos (Vice President) is a Community Liaison for Sycamore Springs, working in Carroll, White, Jasper, Newton, Benton and Tippecanoe Counties. Her work involves marketing as well as education, outreach and support to referral sources who have questions or concerns. She has worked as a Rehabilitation Counselor for the State of Indiana and provided case management support to people receiving services, including people with mental health challenges and barriers to employment. Her volunteer work has included chairing the Homelessness Prevention Intervention Network and working on senior activities at the Indiana Veterans’ Home.
Mick A. Schoenradt received his Bachelor’s degree from Anderson University and his MBA from Taylor University. Mick started his addiction/Behavioral Health career in 2003 as an addiction counselor in the Indiana Department of Correction. While a counselor, Mick helped create and design a methamphetamine specific therapeutic community inside the prison walls. This program known as C.L.I.F.F. (Clean Lifestyle is Freedom Forever) won the American Correction Association Program of the year in 2008. Mick then became the Director of Addiction Recovery Services for the IDOC from 2008-2014. He continued his career with the Division of Mental Health and Addiction, IU Health-Arnett and is currently servicing as the Director of Behavioral Health for Franciscan Health in Lafayette, Indiana.
Pam Weaver is a wife, mother, and grandmother who lives with mental illness on a daily basis. She is a nurse case manager at St. Elizabeth Hospital in Lafayette. Pam has been a dedicated member of NAMI for more than three years.

Marlaya Wyncott (Secretary) joined the board in June 2013. After 25 years of full-time work at Purdue (the last 15 years spent as the administrator responsible for academic excellence in the College of Agriculture), Marlaya now enjoys part-time work at Purdue’s Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex. During the non-golf season, she reviews applications for international students who are applying to Purdue as undergraduates.
Executive Director NAMI-WCI
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has affiliates in every state and in hundreds of communities across the United States. NAMI West Central Indiana has been serving Tippecanoe and the seven surrounding counties for over 30 years. NAMI-WCI advocates for support, effective treatment and education for individuals and families directly and indirectly affected by mental illness in our community.
Position:
We are looking for a new Executive Director (ED) starting in May of 2018. Reporting to the Board of Directors, the ED has overall strategic and operational responsibility for NAMI-WCI’s staff, programs, expansion, and execution of its mission. The ED position is initially set as “interim” at 20 hours per week, with the opportunity of becoming full time (40 hrs) with proven performance latest by January of 2019. The ED will have a staff of five part-time employees, several Purdue interns, and five volunteer coordinators. Our Board of Directors is actively engaged in governance and fundraising.
Responsibilities:
- Ensure ongoing local programmatic excellence.
- Evaluate program components, so as to measure successes that can be effectively communicated to the board, funders, and other constituents.
- Actively engage and energize NAMI-WCI’s volunteers, board members, event committees, alumni, partnering organizations, and funders.
- Support a strong Board of Directors; serve as ex-officio of each committee.
- Write grants and organize fundraising activities to support program operations.
- Represent NAMI-WCI at state and national meetings and conventions.
- Collaborate with local nonprofits and social service agencies.
Qualifications:
The ED will be committed to NAMI-WCI’s mission. Candidates should have proven leadership, coaching, and relationship management experience. Concrete demonstrable experience and other qualifications include:
- Understanding and empathy towards individuals with mental health diagnoses, cultural competence, and commitment to diversity.
- A background in mental health services, or the willingness to obtain certifications in the first months of employment
- Organizational skills with the ability to coach staff, manage teams, set and achieve strategic objectives, and manage a budget.
- Commitment to quality NAMI programs and data-driven program evaluation.
- Strong written and verbal communication skills.
- Comfortable with marketing, public relations, and fundraising with the ability to engage a wide range of stakeholders and cultures.
Please send a cover letter, resume, and three references to NAMI-WCI board president Nichole Ramirez at president@nami-wci.org. Review of applications will begin April 12th, 2018 and continue until the position is filled.
Our Upcoming Events
Upcoming Events
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CONNECTION RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP
April 24 @ 10:00 AM - 11:30 AM -
Peer to Peer Class
April 25 @ 6:00 PM - 8:00 PM
Our Success Stories
Testimonials
I did not know what NAMI was; I wasn’t even curious when I would walk past the sign at my work. I didn’t realize how much I needed to know what NAMI is until I was deep into the abyss of mental illness with my loved one and desperate for answers and understanding.
Thank God a co-worker told me I needed to get in touch with NAMI. My husband and I did a Google search and that started us down the path to knowledge. This led us to our local NAMI chapter. We were blessed to be able to join the Family-to-Family course just as a new session began.
For the first several weeks we were a part of NAMI, our family member was still an inpatient. We took this time to learn about mental illness. We came to understand that we need to help ourselves so we can help our loved one. We gained strength from the other Family-to-Family members. It was life changing to recognize that others were living with and experiencing what we were going through. This new world is not easy to navigate, trying to understand who we need services from and where to go to get them, all the while watching for signs of another crisis.
NAMI helped us understand what our loved one is going through and that we are not alone, and helped us break down the stigma attached to mental illness. Our family member is currently stable and our new routine is just that – a routine – and for that we are grateful. To quote one of the counselors, “It is what it is.” Mental illness is and always will be a part of our lives. We have chosen to accept, learn, and deal with mental illness and set new expectations for all of us. NAMI has given us the resources, renewed our inner strength and put us in contact with others like us. Most important, we now have hope.
-Laura & Jim A
My son was only in middle school when he started to hear voices. At the age of 19 with two attempted semesters away at college, then a part-time job that didn’t work out, his behavior had changed in little ways. More nocturnal than ever before, he would pace at night. I would occasionally hear him speaking or laughing, though he was alone. As his interest in his friends waned, he no longer needed an “all you can text” plan. I made an appointment with a psychiatrist.
Unfortunately, as I now know, sometimes the specialist who is easiest to get in to see isn’t necessarily the one you want to see. My son’s diagnosis was bluntly and casually delivered to two young interns the doctor had sit in during the first consultation. The devastation was complete. The future I had seen for my very bright and happy son seemed to have vanished instantly. No bachelor’s in chemistry. No marriage. No children. No future at all. The doctor handed us a prescription and told us to come back in a month.
I had no idea what to do. I had medication, but the real questions were: “How do I help my son?” and “How do we get through this?” I started reading everything I could and looking online at various websites. Then, like a godsend, I found the NAMI Family-to-Family description on the NAMI website. Answers to questions like mine are where NAMI shines!
By attending NAMI’s Family-to-Family series of classes, I have learned so much about mental illness: what to expect, where to seek help, and most importantly, I have been armed with so many resources I would never have come across any other way. The instructors have been there, the other attendees have been there, and it is a safe, supportive environment where questions can be asked and the people who know care enough to answer.
-Deborah J
My name is Anna, and I am here to share with you the reasons why NAMI on Campus Purdue is near and dear to my heart. I originally joined this organization to help me cope with how I felt while one of my family members was fighting his mental health condition. As a family member of someone living with mental illness, I felt helpless, stressed and scared while my brother was fighting for his life. This organization helped give me a voice at a time when I felt I had none and allowed me to channel what I felt into helping others.
Throughout my time with this group, I have met some of the most passionate, kind and open-minded students and faculty that work tirelessly in spreading awareness about mental health. From being a part of the NAMI Ending the Silence program, where we will educate 10th grade health classes on mental health, to creating new outreach programs for the college community, I am fortunate enough to be a part of a group that is impacting how people view mental illness.
This organization has done more for me than I can describe here; it has challenged me and pushed me to become the person I am today.
-Anna T
My son was bullied in school when he was 10 years old. This was the beginning of a life I did not imagine he would live. We lived in Michigan at the time and spent many years trying to receive help and find answers. His diagnosis changed weekly, as did the medication. There were times we had to wait months just to see a doctor who would weigh him, take his blood pressure and prescribe medication. I am his full-time advocate (along with my parents). So many people told us his symptoms were “behavioral.” We were sick and tired of hearing that. It was exhausting when no one seemed to believe his own family and that there was more to his symptoms than just “behavioral.”
We moved to Indiana in 2012, and he was admitted to Evansville State Hospital in March 2014. This hospital is amazing and has helped my son in so many ways. I had never heard of NAMI until staff at Evansville gave me information. I was reluctant to attend for many reasons. I was tired of being judged and didn’t want my son’s life scrutinized anymore. As I learned in the past, people just didn’t understand what my son and family were going through; they didn’t understand mental illness. I didn’t want to be given “hope” just to be disappointed again.
After a few months of my son being in Evansville, I decided to attend NAMI Family Support Group in Lafayette. All the worries I had about attending NAMI went away. Others seemed to understand what I was saying, relate to my stories, and understand the things we went and are going through. They did not judge us and, most importantly, did not judge my son. I was encouraged to take the NAMI Family-to-Family course. This, along with the support group, has given me more than I could have imagined. I understand that we are not the only ones going through these things, and to stand up and fight the stigma. I feel great comfort with NAMI and am lucky to find an amazing organization. I continue to spread the word of NAMI and encourage others to attend! Thank you, NAMI, for the continued support and resources!
-Mary
Like so many of you, I found NAMI when a family member was in psychiatric crisis. At the time, we didn’t know what that meant, let alone how we could help. In 2000, Bob and I took the Journey of Hope class, which is now NAMI Family-to-Family. It was definitely our “Aha” moment. The concerns and confusion of the past years now made sense. We learned all about mental illness. We found help and hope. We wondered why this information had not been available to us before. We learned that our family was the norm. It took 10 years and four doctors before we had an accurate diagnosis of our loved one. Getting the word out became my passion! I wanted everyone to learn what I had just learned.
I taught a few Journey of Hope classes and in 2006 was trained to teach the NAMI Family-to-Family Education Course. Since then I have taught 13 classes and have met the most kindhearted, caring and courageous people I have ever known – family and friends affected by and persons living with a mental illness. I became program coordinator in 2008, joined the Board of Directors in 2009, and held the office of president in 2010. The next year brought us another leadership change, and I assumed the interim executive director role, soon dropping the “interim!”
In May 2016, it will be time for me to step down. Bob and I have decided to retire and spend more time enjoying our five children, seven grandchildren and cabin in Northern Wisconsin.
To say I have enjoyed my work with NAMI is putting it mildly. I treasure it. I believe in NAMI programs whole heartedly. Taking a NAMI education class or observing a NAMI presentation changes lives for the better. While stigma stifles, education empowers us.
NAMI is a volunteer led advocacy organization. We are able to offer classes and support groups, give presentations, and advocate for all those affected by mental illness because of our dedicated volunteers.
-Pattie W
I found NAMI in January 1997. Cecilia Weber had arranged for the Journey of Hope education course to be taught in West Central Indiana.
I entered these classes clueless. I had heard of manic depression but had no idea what chaos and tragedy it could involve.
As I attended the 12 classes in the course, I learned that what is now known as bipolar disorder had very typical symptoms. Many other people and their families were dealing with the same types of problems my son was having: erratic mood swings from highs to lows, senseless spending of money he did not have, wild and out-of-control behavior, drug and alcohol abuse, reckless sexual activity, and delusions of grandeur. I felt like I was paralyzed and watching a tornado engulf my family members’ lives. My son’s younger siblings were terrified when he was around. I wanted to help my son but had no idea how to go about it. Unfortunately, none of the social workers or psychologists I consulted seemed to have any idea, either. I felt doomed.
In those NAMI classes (that are now called Family-to-Family), I finally got some answers. The classes began my education, which still continues today. I found fellow sufferers who were not content to let mental illness destroy their lives. Instead they were determined to learn with each other all they could in order to get effective medical help for their family members, learn to communicate with their ill relatives, help them cope and learn about their illness, and eliminate the stigma associated with a brain disorder.
Whether you are dealing with someone who has bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxieties, obsessive-compulsive disorder, PTSD, a personality disorder, or other types of mental illnesses, NAMI can and is eager to help you. Contact us so we can provide the education and support you need and deserve.
-Marcia M
NAMI has provided my family support, education and encouragement for the past nine months, and I know it is a group I will be closely associated with for the rest of my life! NAMI provided: support in the fact that we are not alone in dealing with mental illness, education in teaching what the causes of mental illness are, and encouragement in the fact that there is help for the person living with mental illness.
Our daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a few years ago and for the most part had things under control. However, last fall deep depression set in and the will to live became nonexistent. In a heated discussion with her in October, I asked if she would even be here at Christmas and she honestly didn’t have an answer for us. That broke my heart! We knew right then and there we all needed help. How could we help our girl if we didn’t understand what she was going through? My husband and I started attending the Family Support Group to help us understand her situation and hear from other families who were going through similar issues with their loved one. This transitioned into us attending Family-to-Family, which was the most informative class I had ever attended. NAMI had the resources available to help us through a tough time and prepare us for the future. There is no telling what the future might hold, but with NAMI’s help, I know we can handle whatever comes our way.
-Kelly B
I’m a consumer and a NAMI member. Membership is important to me because I want to participate in and support our common cause. I think it’s important that we all speak the same message in unity. I see NAMI members not just giving financial support, but their time, talents and effort. We share knowledge and common experience. We support one another. As members we make a commitment to each other.
NAMI-WCI has made a huge impact in my life. I think of us as a caring family and not merely an organization. I’m grateful for the love and support we consumers and our family members receive. It is here where we are treated like and can feel like valuable human beings.
-Kurt H
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An Amazing Month All of us at NAMI-WCI are excited to be launching our new website! We have been working with the incredible team of Find8 Digital Marketing for the past 5 months to create this new fresh look for you and bring you more information, resources and ways to connect with your local NAMI…
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