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
Sheri Moore, Executive Director
Sheri is a Purdue graduate majoring in Psychology and Law & Society. Sheri has worked in the mental health field, serving the greater Lafayette Community, for more than 17 years. She has assisted with development and implementation of various programs for persons experiencing mental illness or homelessness. Sheri was part of the team in developing the Projects for Assistance to Transition from Homelessness (PATH) program in Lafayette and then creating a program to assist people to maintain their housing. Sheri is an active member of Tippecanoe County’s Drug Free Coalition, Opioid Taskforce, Homelessness Prevention and Intervention Network, 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 Coordinator
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.
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.
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.
(President) is a Research Data Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Effectiveness at Purdue University. She is originally from El Paso, Texas and has been a resident of the Lafayette area since 2010. Nichole has served on the NAMI-WCI Board of Directors since 2014 and formed NAMI on Campus Purdue that same year. Since then, she has helped launch Ending the Silence (ETS), NAMI’s signature school outreach program, for the state of Indiana. Nichole is also a graduate of Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer, a former In Our Own Voice presenter, and a trained WRAP teacher.
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
Christina Devine is a CPA and owner of Devine CPA & Co. 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. She joined the NAMI-WCI board as Treasurer in late 2017, and her goal is to help spread the word about our great programs, make new connections for us within the community, and of course, track accurate and easy to read financials!
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 Valley Oaks Health. 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 Research Data Analyst in the Office of Institutional Research, Assessment, and Effectiveness at Purdue University. She is originally from El Paso, Texas and has been a resident of the Lafayette area since 2010. Nichole has served on the NAMI-WCI Board of Directors since 2014 and formed NAMI on Campus Purdue that same year. Since then, she has helped launch Ending the Silence (ETS), NAMI’s signature school outreach program, for the state of Indiana. Nichole is also a graduate of Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer, a former In Our Own Voice presenter, and a trained WRAP teacher.
Dr. Nick Piotrowski is Medical Director of Addictions at Valley Oaks Health. 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 Opioid 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
Pam Weaver has been a nurse at St. Elizabeth Hospital since 1971, with the last 20 years as a case manager for the Behavior Health Unit at St. Elizabeth. Pam has been involved with NAMI for four years. She has completed the Peer-to-Peer class and is now also a CRS. She is married with one daughter and 3 grandchildren.
Marlaya Wyncott (Secretary) joined the board in June 2013. One of her siblings lives with a serious mental illness. Marlaya completed the Family to Family class in the fall of 2010 prior to her youngest sister’s move from New York to West Lafayette . After 25 years of full-time work at Purdue (the last 15 years spent as the administrator responsible for academic excellence in the School of Agriculture), Marlaya now enjoys part-time work at Purdue’s Birck Boilermaker Golf Complex.
Jason Huber has worked in the law enforcement profession for over 22 years. After serving with the Tippecanoe County Sheriff’s Office for 20 years, he is currently the Executive Director at Tippecanoe County Community Corrections. Jason is a graduate of Harrison High School (West Lafayette, IN) , Vincennes University, and Kaplan University. Having experienced first hand the struggles and challenges individuals who find themselves in the criminal justice system face while dealing with their mental illness and the toll placed on families and our community, Jason is dedicated to finding solutions and hope for those individuals and families. Jason stays involved in the community by serving on the City of West Lafayette Board of Public Works and Safety, coaching local high school football, volunteering, and being engaged in civic events. Married with two children, Jason works to make our community a better place for all those who live and work in Tippecanoe County, not only for today but for generations to come.
Our Success Stories
Testimonials
Our Mission
NAMI West Central Indiana advocates for support, effective treatment and education for individuals and families directly and indirectly affected by mental illness in our community.
NAMI-WCI
Hours
Monday-Thursday 9am - 5pm
Friday 9am-1pm
Address
1508 Tippecanoe Street, Rm 1-906
Lafayette IN 47904
Thanks to Nami Cumberland for this graphic.
"“F.L.Y. First Love Yourself. Others will come next.” ... See MoreSee Less
National Alliance on Mental Illness-(West Central Indiana) updated their cover photo.
5 days ago
!If anyone is looking for some brain food this week! -
The Medical Humanities Collective at Purdue is hosting a series of events this week centered around mental health.
Dr. Christine Montross, an award-winning
physician and distinguished psychiatry professor
at Brown University, will be there to discuss the mysteries of
the mind and mental health.
www.facebook.com/events/612013482561094/ ... See MoreSee Less