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Mahadevan receives Citizen’s Award

Thava Mahadevan, MS, director of operations at the Center and director of The Farm at Penny Lane, received a Citizen’s Award from the Indy Magazine at the Cotton Thava Mahadevan 2Room at the Golden Belt in Durham, N.C. on Feb. 22, 2014. The Indy award states that it honors “individuals who through long-term dedication and hard work have made the Triangle a better place to live work and learn.”

He received the award for his work at the Center and his vision in the creation of The Farm at Penny Lane, a 40-acre property in Pittsboro, N.C, with developing recovery programs and activities for individuals with severe and persistent mental illness.

Inaugural Profiles in Courage celebrates recovery

David Binanay’s recovery and accomplishments were celebrated at the Center’s inaugural Profiles in Courage program at the Art Center in Carrboro June 4. He was David and Cindy Binanaydiagnosed with Schizoaffective Disorder nearly nine years ago. More than 100 attendees heard his mother Cynthia Binanay read from the journal she kept during his recovery, and David, an accomplished violinist, responded with music and his thoughts at different recovery intervals.

At 31, he heads Music over Minds (MOM), a non-profit organization he created, which is dedicated to helping individuals with mental illness through music. David recently married.

Music was provided by David Binanay, Nathan Spears, Tony Yarborough, Thava Mahadevan, Black Heart Kings Band, Court Wilson and Ed Binanay. During the event, Artist Isti Kaldor created a painting that will be auctioned at the Center’s Nov. 7, 2014 fundraiser.

See event program

NAMI WALK

An energetic group of 23 Center staff joined other NAMI (National Alliance Mental Ilness) supporters for the 2.5 mile NAMI Walk on the Dorothea Dix campus in Raleigh May 3, 2014. The Center NAMI Walk 2014team raised $2,335 with NAMI reporting on May16 that it has reached 91 percent of its $130,000 goal. Congratulations and thanks to Beth Rossi for organizing the successful walk!

Publications

Karen Graham, MD, assistant professor and psychiatrist in the OASIS program, is first author of “Relationship of low Vitamin D status with positive, negative and cognitive symptom Karen Grahamdomains in people with first episodes” published online in Early Intervention In Psychiatry in February.

Binanay joins Center

Edward Binanay, BS, joined the Center as director of outreach and community relations in April. He will focus on fundraising and program development. He brings more than 30 years of business Ed Binanay headshot onlydevelopment experience in non-profits as well as the business sector.