Nami Dane County Inc

PROVIDE EDUCATION, SUPPORT, AND ADVOCACY FOR PEOPLE AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS IN DANE COUNTY.

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, AND PARTICULARLY DURING MENTAL HEALTH MONTH IN MAY, MINORITY MENTAL HEALTH MONTH IN JULY, AND MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK IN OCTOBER, NAMI DANE COUNTY LAUNCHED CAMPAIGNS AND HOSTED EVENTS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND INSPIRE ACTION. SUCH CAMPAIGNS AND EVENTS FOUGHT STIGMA, PROVIDED SUPPORT, EDUCATED THE PUBLIC, AND ADVOCATED FOR EQUAL CARE. OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS ALSO INCLUDED PARTICIPATION IN NAMI NATIONAL CAPITOL HILL DAY IN WASHINGTON D.C. AND NAMI WISCONSIN'S ACTION ON THE SQUARE DAY, WHERE REPRESENTATIVES OF NAMI DANE COUNTY SHARED THEIR PERSONAL STORIES AND EXPERIENCES WITH THE STATE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVE OFFICES. AT THE MEETINGS WITH THEIR LEGISLATORS, ATTENDEES DISCUSSED THE IMPORTANCE OF IDENTIFYING MENTAL ILLNESS AS YOUNG AS POSSIBLE, RECEIVING MENTAL HEALTH TREATMENT AND SUPPORTIVE SERVICES, AND AVOIDING THE CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM OR RECEIVING APPROPRIATE, QUALITY SERVICES WHILE INSIDE THE SYSTEM.NAMI DANE COUNTY ALSO OFFERS CRISIS INTERVENTION PARTNER (CIP) TRAINING TO EMERGENCY DISPATCHERS AND NAMI ENDING THE SILENCE FOR TEACHERS - A PROGRAM TO HELP SCHOOL STAFF RECOGNIZE WHEN THEIR STUDENTS MAY BE SHOWING SIGNS OF A MENTAL ILLNESS AND HOW TO CONNECT THEM TO APPROPRIATE RESOURCES.NAMI DANE COUNTY'S RAISE YOUR VOICE CLUB AT WEST HIGH SCHOOL HOSTED A DAY-LONG MENTAL HEALTH FAIR DURING MAY MENTAL HEALTH MONTH. STUDENTS LEARNED ABOUT THE EARLY WARNING SIGNS OF MENTAL ILLNESS AND HOW TO SUPPORT A PEER. THEY ALSO LEARNED ABOUT COMMUNITY RESOURCES AVAILABLE. MORE THAN 500 STUDENTS ATTENDED THE DAY-LONG EVENT TO RAISE AWARENESS ABOUT YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH IN DANE COUNTY.NAMI DANE COUNTY HELD 128 PEER AND FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS IN 2022. WE RESUMED IN-PERSON ADULT MENTAL HEALTH SUPPORT GROUPS STARTING IN JUNE THAT ARE CONSISTENTLY FULL. THE REST OF OUR SUPPORT GROUPS ARE AVAILABLE VIRTUALLY. IN ADDITION, NAMI DANE COUNTY STARTED ITS FIRST LGBTQIA+ SUPPORT GROUP IN JULY 2022 TO EXPAND OUR SERVICES TO MORE MEMBERS OF THE COMMUNITY.NAMI DANE COUNTY HAD MORE THAN 2,600 NEW FOLLOWERS ON ITS FACEBOOK, TWITTER, AND INSTAGRAM ACCOUNTS. NAMIWALKS DANE COUNTY WAS HELD DURING MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK IN OCTOBER--OUR LARGEST PUBLIC AWARENESS AND FUNDRAISING EVENT. NEARLY 1,000 WALKERS RAISED OVER $260,000 TO SUPPORT NO-COST NAMI EDUCATION AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS. NAMI CONTINUED TO DELIVER CRISIS INTERVENTION TEAM (CIT) AND CRISIS INTERVENTION PARTNER (CIP) TRAINING TO FIRST RESPONDERS TO APPROPRIATELY RESPOND TO THOSE EXPERIENCING A MENTAL HEALTH CRISIS. MORE THAN 190 FIRST RESPONDERS GRADUATED NAMI DANE COUNTY'S CIT AND CIP TRAININGS TO APPROPRIATELY RESPOND TO THOSE EXPERIENCING A CRISIS. ADDITIONALLY, THE CIT/CIP COORDINATOR WORKS WITH COMMUNITY STAKEHOLDERS THAT HOLD EXPERTISE IN VARIOUS TOPICS PERTAINING TO MENTAL HEALTH (I.E. VETERANS, CULTURAL COMPETENCY, YOUTH MENTAL HEALTH) TO COORDINATE PRESENTERS THAT COVER CUSTOMIZED TOPICS DEPENDING ON THE AUDIENCE. NAMI DANE COUNTY'S SUPPORT LINE (608-249-7188) RESPONDED TO MORE THAN 350 INDIVIDUALS NEEDING SUPPORT, REFERRAL, AND INFORMATION. OVER 2,400 INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES ATTENDED OUR NO-COST, PEER-LED MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION CLASSES AND SUPPORT GROUPS.