Nami Mercer Nj Inc

WE SERVE AS A LOCAL AFFILIATE OF THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS IN NJ'S CAPITAL REGION. WE LISTEN, LEAD, EDUCATE, AND ADVOCATE, EMPOWERING FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS TO BUILD LIVES OF QUALITY AND RESPECT FREE OF STIGMA AND DISCRIMINATION.

THE NAMI MERCER HELPLINE IS STAFFED BY DEDICATED VOLUNTEERS WHO FIELDED ROUGHLY 454 INQUIRIES IN 2023, 64% OF WHICH WERE FIRST TIME CALLERS. UTILIZING VOIP, HELPLINE SPECIALISTS PROVIDED A COMPASSIONATE EAR AS WELL AS VALUABLE INFORMATION AND RESOURCES TO HELP PEOPLE BETTER COPE WITH THE CHALLENGES OF MENTAL ILLNESS. HELPLINE PLUS, A STEPPED-UP LEVEL OF CARE, PROVIDES AN ADVOCATE TO THOSE WITH MORE COMPLEX NEEDS RELATED TO SYSTEM NAVIGATION, HUNDREDS OF HOURS WERE LOGGED UNDER THIS PROGRAM.TO STRENGTHEN FAMILIES OF ADULTS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, WE OFFERED TWO 8-SESSION FAMILY-TO-FAMILY COURSES, EMPOWERING FAMILIES TO BETTER UNDERSTAND MENTAL ILLNESS, ACCESS EFFECTIVE TREATMENT, IMPROVE COPING STRATEGIES, AND BETTER ADVOCATE FOR THEIR LOVED ONES. ONE IN THE SPRING AND ONE IN THE FALL, 17 COMPLETED THE CLASS IN THE SPRING AND 15 COMPLETED THE FALL CLASS. WE ALSO CONTINUED OUR PARTNERSHIP WITH INTENSIVE FAMILY SUPPORT SERVICES (IFSS) UNDER OAKS INTEGRATED CARE, HOSTING 117 FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP MEETINGS ONLINE OR IN A HYBRID FORMAT, AND PROVIDING SPACE FOR IFSS SPECIALISTS TO MEET IN-PERSON WITH INDIVIDUAL FAMILIES AT NO CHARGE.WITH HELPING HUNDREDS OF FAMILY MEMBERS/FRIENDS EXPERIENCE LESS STRESS AND IMPROVE FAMILY FUNCTIONING THROUGH THE DEVELOPMENT OF BETTER COPING STRATEGIES. THE AVERAGE PARTICIPATION PER SESSION NUMBER TO A TOTAL OF 16, INDIVIDUAL CONSULTATIONS WERE ALSO HELD. OUR PARENT SUPPORT NETWORK FOR CAREGIVERS OF YOUTH UNDER AGE 24, OFFERED IN PARTNERSHIP WITH THE YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH PROJECT, HELD ONLINE MONTHLY MEETINGS.10 MEETINGS WERE HELD (THE MAJORITY WERE ONLINE)AT WHICH PARENTS SHARED THEIR EXPERIENCES, RESOURCES, AND HOW THEY WORKED THROUGH DIFFICULT FEELINGS. LEADING TO A SENSE OF BELONGING AND BETTER ROLE MODELING FOR THEIR CHILDREN AND LOVED ONES. THE AVERAGE PARTICIPATION PER SESSION WAS 4.TO LEND SUPPORT TO INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, WE OFFERED NAMI CONNECTION RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP, AN ONLINE WEEKLY RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP DURING WHICH PARTICIPANTS ENGAGED IN PRODUCTIVE DISCUSSION AND ENHANCED THEIR COPING SKILLS, WITH AN AVERAGE OF 4 PARTICIPANTS PER SESSION.2 NEW COORDINATOR/ASSISTANT FACILITATORS WERE ADDED. MEMBERS OF OUR JUST FRIENDS SOCIAL SUPPORT GROUP (18+)ATTENDANCE AT 12 MEET & GREETS NUMBERED 49, 23 PEOPLE ATTENDED 3 PLANNING MEETINGS.FIFTEEN IN-PERSON SOCIAL ACTIVITIES WERE HELD INCLUDING PARTIES, VISITS TO MUSEUMS, THEATERS, RESTAURANTS, AND FESTIVALS WITH TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 549. OUR BECOMING FRIENDS SOCIAL GROUP (AGES 18-35) RELAUNCHED IN OCTOBER OF 2023 WITH 5 IN-PERSON SOCIAL ACTIVITIES BEING HOSTED, INCLUDING MEET & GREETS WITH A TOTAL PARTICIPATION OF 22. FOUR PEOPLE ATTENDED A PLANNING MEETING. OUR HEARING VOICES SUPPORT GROUP MET TWICE MONTHLY IN-PERSON FOR A TOTAL OF 21 MEETINGS WITH AN AVERAGE ATTENDANCE OF 4 PARTICIPANTS. WE LAUNCHED MENDING MINDSETS, AN ONLINE SUPPORT GROUP FOR THOSE COPING WITH ANXIETY WITH 25 MEETINGS BEING HELD AND A TOTAL ATTENDANCE OF 108. THE WEIGHT # WORTH GROUP,A SUPPORT GROUP FOR THOSE WITH AN UNHEALTHY PREOCCUPATION WITH FOOD OR BODY IMAGE, LAUNCHED AN ONLINE GROUP IN FEBRUARY 2023 WITH 9 MEETINGS BEING HELD AND 43 PARTICIPANTS.THE EMPATHY NETWORK IS A SUPPORT GROUP FOR THOSE COPING WITH DEPRESSION THAT WAS LAUNCHED IN SEPTEMBER. 24 MEETINGS WERE HELD WITH A STEADY GROWTH IN ATTENDANCE WITH AN AVERAGE OF 12 PEOPLE. THREE SIX WEEK SESSIONS OF WORKING ON WELLNESS(WOW) WERE HELD WITH A CORPORATE PARTNER; ATTENDANCE AVERAGED 11 PER SESSION. THROUGH NAMI MERCERS COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND OUTREACH, WE PROVIDED INSPIRATION, STRATEGIES, AND RESOURCES TO PROMOTE MENTAL WELLBEING AND EXPANDED KNOWLEDGE AND UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL ILLNESS. OUR ANNUAL WELLNESS CONFERENCE,HARVEST OF HOPE, WAS HELD IN-PERSON FOR ALMOST 200 ATTENDEES, LIVE-STREAMING ASHLEY JUDD AS OUR KEYNOTER, AND OFFERING PRACTICAL,INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS;THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS ROOTED IN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE; THIS EVENT WAS HELD IN-PERSON, LIVE-STREAMING GINGER ZEE AS OUR KEYNOTER, AND OFFERING PRACTICAL, INTERACTIVE WORKSHOPS; THOUGHTFUL CONVERSATIONS ROOTED IN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE; AN UPLIFTING PERFORMANCE; AND PLENTY OF OPPORTUNITIES FOR COMMUNITY-BUILDING.TWENTY-EIGHT COMMUNITY EDUCATION EVENTS WERE HELD FOR OVER 1,000 ATTENDEES. SIX IN OUR OWN VOICE (IOOV) PRESENTATIONS WERE MADE USING PERSONAL STORYTELLING TO REDUCE STEREOTYPES ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS AND TO SHARE A COMPELLING MESSAGE OF HOPE, REACHING 156. NAMI MERCERS NEXTGEN (YOUTH/SCHOOL-BASED INITIATIVES) REACHED OVER 1,000 YOUNG PEOPLE; AND WE PARTICIPATED IN 22 COMMUNITY OUTREACH EVENTS/WELLNESS FAIRS/MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS RAISING ACTIVITIES WITH SOME IN PERSON AND SOME ONLINE, REACHING MORE THAN 6,113 PEOPLE. MORE THAN 500 PEOPLE PARTICIPATED IN NAMIWALKS MERCER NJ, RAISING AWARENESS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH, BUILDING COMMUNITY VIRTUALLY, RAISING FUNDS, AND DEMONSTRATING THE KIND OF RESILIENCY OF SPIRIT THAT ENABLES PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES TO SEEK TREATMENT, PURSUE RECOVERY, AND LEAD FULL, MEANINGFUL LIVES. NAMI MERCER HOSTS A ROBUST VOLUNTEER AND INTERN PROGRAM. MANY INDIVIDUALS WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES COME TO US SEEKING A SUPPORTIVE ENVIRONMENT WHERE THEY CAN REBUILD THEIR CONFIDENCE, IMPROVE THEIR SKILLS, AND GAIN EXPERIENCE SOME FIND THEIR WAY BACK TO THE WORKFORCE AND/OR DECIDE VOLUNTEERISM IS A WAY THEY CAN MAKE A MEANINGFUL CONTRIBUTION TO SOCIETY. OVER 9,000 VOLUNTEER HOURS WERE LOGGED IN 2023 WITH 41 NEW VOLUNTERRS BEING ONBOARDED. WE MENTORED 28 GRADUATE AND UNDERGRADUATE STUDENT INTERNS REPRESENTING 8 DIFFERENT INSTITUTIONS OF HIGHER EDUCATION.