Nami New Jersey A New Jersey Non Profit Corporation

THE MISSION OF NAMI NEW JERSEY (NAMI NJ) IS TO IMPROVE THE LIVES OF INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS THROUGH SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND ADVOCACY. WE STRIVE TO ADVANCE UNDERSTANDING AND ELIMINATE THE STIGMA OFTEN ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.

EDUCATION PROGRAMS USE THE FIRST HAND EXPERIENCES OF FAMILY MEMBERS TO RELAY INFORMATION TO THEIR PEERS. SOME CLASSES INCLUDE:FAMILY TO FAMILY: A FREE 8-SESSION COURSE THAT TEACHES WHAT MENTAL ILLNESS IS, DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES, HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR LOVED ONES, AND HOW TO SEPARATE THE ILLNESS FROM YOUR LOVED ONES. LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 8 CLASSES WITH 108 PARTICIPANTS ACROSS THE STATE. OVERALL CLASS EVALUATION WAS 4.72 OUT OF 5 SATISFACTION RATING.NAMI BASICS IS A NAMI SIGNATURE EDUCATION PROGRAM FOR PARENTS AND OTHER CAREGIVERS OF CHILDREN AND ADOLESCENTS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES. THE COURSE IS TAUGHT BY TRAINED TEACHERS WHO ARE THE PARENT OR OTHER CAREGIVERS OF INDIVIDUALS WHO DEVELOPED THE SYMPTOMS OF MENTAL ILLNESS IN CHILDHOOD. ALL INSTRUCTION AND COURSE MATERIALS ARE FREE TO CLASS PARTICIPANTS. 19 NEW FAMILIES PARTICIPATED IN THE PAST YEAR.NAMI FAMILY & FRIENDS IS A FREE SEMINAR WHICH INFORMS PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOVED ONES WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION, ON HOW BEST TO SUPPORT THEM. IT'S ALSO AN OPPORTUNITY TO MEET OTHER PEOPLE IN SIMILAR SITUATIONS AND GAIN COMMUNITY SUPPORT. IN THE PAST YEAR, WE HELD 13 PRESENTATIONS REACHING 450 PEOPLE.NAMI SMARTS FOR ADVOCACY IS A HANDS-ON ADVOCACY TRAINING PROGRAM THAT HELPS PEOPLE LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, FRIENDS AND FAMILY TRANSFORM THEIR PASSION AND LOVED EXPERIENCE INTO SKILLFUL GRASSROOTS ADVOCACY. IN THE PAST YEAR, THERE WERE 3 PRESENTATIONS WITH 93 PEOPLE TRAINED.IN THE PAST YEAR, 50 NEW INDIVIDUALS WERE TRAINED TO BE SIGNATURE PROGRAM LEADERS, TO TEACH/PRESENT/FACILITATE THESE PROGRAMS.OUTREACH AND AWARENESS EVENTS TAKE THE STIGMA BUSTING INTO THE COMMUNITY. THROUGH AWARENESS AND DIFFERENT ENGAGEMENTS, NAMI NJ WORKS TO BREAK THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS.IN OUR OWN VOICE (IOOV) IS A NAMI PROGRAM, DEVELOPED NATIONALLY AND SPONSORED AROUND THE STATE BY NAMI NEW JERSEY, DESIGNED TO TRAIN INDIVIDUALS WITH VARIOUS MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, TO GIVE PRESENTATIONS ABOUT THEIR ILLNESS AND RECOVERY. THE PROGRAM IS A POWERFUL TOOL FOR COMMUNITY EDUCATION AND REDUCING STIGMA BY PUTTING A HUMAN FACE ON AN OFTEN MISUNDERSTOOD AREA OF HUMAN SUFFERING. THIS PAST YEAR, 194 PRESENTATIONS WERE HELD TO A TOTAL AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 4,231 PEOPLE. WE ALSO OFFER EDUCATION FOR MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS AND SCHOOL EDUCATORS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESS. THE EDUCATING THE EDUCATOR PROGRAM REACHED MORE THAN 600 EDUCATORS. RESEARCH HAS DEMONSTRATED THAT PEOPLE LIVING WITH SEVERE PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS MAY HAVE AN INCREASED RISK OF HEART DISEASE AND RELATED CONDITIONS. NAMI NEW JERSEY'S HEARTS & MINDS PROGRAM IS AN HOUR-LONG LIVE PRESENTATION FOCUSING ON INNER AND OUTER WELLNESS FOR PEOPLE LIVING WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS. HEARTS & MINDS SEEKS TO RAISE AWARENESS AND PROVIDE INFORMATION ON: MEDICAL SELF-ADVOCACY, SMOKING CESSATION, ADDICTIONS, HEALTHY EATING, EXERCISE, AND DIABETES. THE PROGRAM IS FREE TO ANY FACILITY OR GROUP THROUGHOUT THE STATE AND INCLUDES GOAL SETTING AND EXERCISE AND FOOD JOURNALS. LAST YEAR, THERE WERE 50 PRESENTATIONS THAT REACHED 500 INDIVIDUALS.YEARLY, WE HOST THE DARA AXELROD EXPRESSIVE ARTS NETWORK POETRY CONTEST, AS WELL AS MONTHLY CAF SESSIONS THAT REACHED MORE THAN 300 PEOPLE.

MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT PROGRAMS: IN LOCAL NAMI NEW JERSEY AFFILIATE SELF-HELP SUPPORT GROUPS, CARING MEMBERS HELP ONE ANOTHER LEARN TO COPE WITH THE EFFECTS OF MENTAL ILLNESS. THEY FIND UNDERSTANDING ACCEPTANCE AND MUTUAL SUPPORT IN TIMES OF CRISIS. NAMI CONNECTION SUPPORT GROUPS FOR ADULTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS IN RECOVERY REGARDLESS OF THE DIAGNOSIS. GROUPS MEET FOR 90 MINUTES AND ARE LED BY TRAINED INDIVIDUALS WHO ARE ALSO IN RECOVERY AND UNDERSTAND THE CHALLENGES THEY FACE. NAMI NJ TRAINS FAMILY MEMBERS/CAREGIVERS AND MENTAL HEALTH CONSUMERS IN FACILITATION TECHNIQUES. NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP IS A PEER-LED SUPPORT GROUP FOR FAMILY MEMBERS, CAREGIVERS AND LOVED ONES OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. LAST YEAR THERE WERE 107 SUPPORT GROUPS ACROSS THE STATE WITH MORE THAN 954 ATTENDEES AND 254 NEW FAMILIES PARTICIPATING.NAMI CONNECTION IS A RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP FOR ADULTS LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES. ATTENDEES LEARN FROM EACH OTHER'S EXPERIENCES, SHARE COPING STRATEGIES, AND OFFER EACH OTHER ENCOURAGEMENT AND UNDERSTANDING. IN 2021, THERE WERE 1728 ATTENDEES AND 208 FIRST TIME ATTENDEES.

MENTAL HEALTH OUTREACH PROGRAMS: NAMI NEW JERSEY PROVIDES OUTREACH TO CULTURALLY DIVERSE COMMUNITIES TO HELP THEM UNDERSTAND AND ACCESS MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES. SPECIFIC CULTURAL OUTREACH PROGRAMS INCLUDE OUTREACH TO THE CHINESE, SOUTH ASIAN, LATINO AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. MORE THAN 600 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATE ACROSS THE 4 MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMS.NAMI NJ MANAGES A STATEWIDE ADVOCACY NETWORK THAT PROVIDES INFORMATION ON SYSTEMS ADVOCACY ISSUES. THE NETWORK PARTICIPATES IN PUBLIC EVENTS; DISTRIBUTES MENTAL HEALTH LITERATURE AND OFFERS COMMUNITY EDUCATION PRESENTATIONS. NAMI NJ'S WEBSITE HAS MORE THAN 15,000 VISITS AN INCREASE OF 22% OVER THE PREVIOUS YEAR.NAMI NEW JERSEY WORKS THROUGHOUT THE STATE THROUGH MEMBERS AND AFFILIATES. A MEMBER IS A CONSTITUENT WHO EITHER: HAS A MENTAL ILLNESS, IS A FAMILY MEMBER/FRIEND, OR IS A PERSON DEDICATED TO THE MISSION OF NAMI NJ. AN AFFILIATE IS AN ORGANIZATION LOCATED IN A NJ COUNTY. THESE AFFILIATES PROVIDE INFORMATION AND REFERRAL SERVICES, RUN EDUCATION PROGRAMS AND SUPPORT GROUPS, HOST MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS EVENTS AND ACTIVITIES, AS WELL AS ADVOCATE AT THE LOCAL AND STATE LEVELS.