National Alliance for the Mentally Ill Arlington Advocacy Meeting. NAMI discusses the achievements and goals of the Arlington Community Services Board with Board Chair Patrick Hope Tuesday, April 12 at 7:30 p.m. at the Mt. Olivet United Methodist Church, 1500 N. Glebe Road. Call Betsy Greer at 703-525-8616.
The Klinefelter Syndrome Support Group is a free meeting for those with the disorder and their family and friends. The next meeting will be on April 16 from 1-4 p.m. at St. Michael's Episcopal Chruch, 1132 N. Ivanhoe St. Call 703-379-0495 or visit www.klinefeltersyndrom.org.
"The Family and the Brain: An Integrated Circuit." For their Spring Conference, the Bowen Center presents distinguished guest scientists to address the knowledge of the social brain, development, attachment and physiological reactivity. The two-day conference, based on Bowen theory, provides a framework for and a demonstration of theory in action, allowing people from different disciplines to listen and to learn from one another. Saturday, April 16, 8:30 a.m.-5 p.m. and Sunday, April 17, 8:45 a.m.-4:30 p.m. at the George Mason University School of Law, 3301 Fairfax Drive, Arlington. The fee is $295, and is $100 for full-time students. The fee is refundable, less a $50 administrative charge, before April 1. Call 1-800-432-6882 or 202-965-4400.
NAMI-Arlington sponsors a support group for parents of children, teens and young adults with a psychiatric diagnosis. Meetings are every third Sunday of the month, with the next meeting April 17 at 12:30 p.m. at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 16th & N. Inglewood. Call Naomi Verdugo at 703/862-9588.
The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI) is holding a Speaker's Meeting Monday, April 25 at 7:30 p.m., with a social starting at 7 p.m., at the First Christian Church, 6165 Leesburg Pike, Falls Church. This meeting features research on how individuals with mental illness who have long-term employment develop strategies to accommodate their symptoms and deal with stigma in the workplace.
NAMI Arlington General Support Group meets on the fourth Tuesday each month at 7:30 p.m. at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 1500 N. Glebe Road. Call Frank Gisondi at 703-760-8988 or Betsy Greer at 703-525-8616.
NAMI Arlington Advocay meets the second Tuesday of each month at 7:30 p.m. at Mount Olivet United Methodist Church, 1500 N. Glebe Road. Call Batsy Greer at 703-525-8616.
Depressive and Manic Depressive Group meets on the second and fourth Mondays of each month at 7 p.m. at Sunrise of Falls Church, 200 N. Washington St., Falls Church. Call Marshall Epstein at 703-641-5460.
Schizophrenia/Schizoaffective Disorders Support Group meets on the first and third Wednesday of each month from 7-8:30 p.m. at the Northern Virginia Mental Health Institute, 3302 Gallows Road, Falls Church. Call Loren Booda at 703-524-9474.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Support Groups at St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane:
* Group for families meets the first Monday of the month, from 7:30-9:30 p.m. Call Marie 703-978-6425.
* Group for sufferers meets every Monday, 7:30-9:30 p.m. Call Peter, 703-535-6575
Buddhist meditation class on Thursdays, 7-8:30 p.m., at Tower Villas Office Plaza, Griffin Center, Suite 5, 3800 Fairfax Drive, taught by Buddhist nun Kelsang Varahi of Vajrayogini Buddhist Center. Learn about an authentic practice of meditation and say goodbye to stress. Classes include guided meditations, a talk on Buddhism, question and answer, and refreshments. $10. 202-331-2122 or info@meditation-dc.org.
The Epilepsy Foundation of the Chesapeake Region sponsors several support groups for adults diagnosed with seizure disorders and caregivers. Free of charge. Call 703-425-6660.
Arlington Public health holds regular anonymous HIV testing, no appointment required. To be tested, visit 1800 N. Edison St. Tuesdays, 4-6 p.m., or Thursdays, 1:30-2:30 p.m. Testing by appointment is also available Tuesdays and Thursdays, 8:30-9:30 a.m. and 12-1:30 p.m. Call 703-228-5266.
The Northern Virginia AIDS Ministry is launching an effort to provide health education and personal skills for Northern Virginia’s immigrant and migrant populations. NOVAM plans to bring its new RV mobile unit to the streets of immigrant communities. The program will be funded by a $250,000 grant from The Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration Awards. Arlington is among the five counties NOVAM plans to target.
HIV/AIDS Support Groups. Sponsored by the Whitman-Walker Clinic. Includes groups for women, Latinos, heterosexuals and those newly diagnosed. Call Ron Redfoot at 703-531-4979.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder Family Support Group. Meets first Monday of the month, 7:30-9:30 p.m. At St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, 4000 Lorcom Lane. Call 703-978-6425 for details.
Ongoing Epilepsy Support Groups. The Epilepsy Foundation of the Chesapeake Region is sponsoring Support Groups for Adults diagnosed with Seizure Disorders and Caregivers. Free. Call 703-425-6660.
Odyssey Healthcare, a hospice provider, seeks volunteers in the Northern Virginia community to visit and assist terminally ill patients and their families. Training will be provided. Call Karen Baroody at 703-821-9200 or e-mail kabaroody@odsyhealth.com.
The Parkinson's Disease Support Groups (Patient Discussion, Carepartners and Exercise Classes) meet weekday mornings at the Cherrydale Baptist Church, 3910 Lorcom Lane. The Parkinson Foundation invites persons with PD and their carepartners. Interested participants must call ahead. Call Leon Paparella at 202-966-4450.
The STD Clinic of Arlington now offers confidential HIV and STD testing on Tuesdays 1-3 p.m. The clinic is located at 1800 N. Edison St. The Anonymous HIV Testing Clinic is also open Tuesdays 4-6 p.m. and Thursdays 1:30-2:30 p.m. No appointments are necessary. For information call 703-228-5200. To make an appointment, call 703-228-5266. This open clinic is sponsored by the Community Capacity Building Coalition, a coalition of organizations committed to halting the spread of HIV/AIDS in the African-American community. In Arlington, 9 percent of the population are African American, but approximately 27 percent of the people living with HIV/AIDS in Arlington are African American.