Nami Georgia Inc

NAMI GEORGIA EMPOWERS AFFILIATES TO PROVIDE ADVOCACY, EDUCATION, SUPPORT, AND PUBLIC AWARENESS SO THAT ALL INDIVIDUALS AND FAMILIES AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS CAN BUILD BETTER LIVES.

EDUCATION AND SUPPORT:IN THE FISCAL YEAR FROM MAY 1, 2023, TO APRIL 30, 2024, NAMI GEORGIA SERVED APPROXIMATELY 21,025 PARTICIPANTS AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS, INCLUDING THEIR FAMILIES, FIRST RESPONDERS, EDUCATORS, AND OTHER STAKEHOLDERS THROUGH VARIOUS EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, RESOURCES, AND EVENTS. THIS COMPREHENSIVE OUTREACH, CONDUCTED THROUGH 1,902 PROGRAM DELIVERIES ACROSS ALL REGIONS OF THE STATE BY NAMI GEORGIA'S 23 AFFILIATES, REFLECTS THE DEDICATION TO MAKING MENTAL HEALTH EDUCATION ACCESSIBLE AND IMPACTFUL. SEE SCHEDULE O FOR CONTINUATIONSOUR PROGRAMS, ALWAYS FREE OF CHARGE, INCLUDE MULTI-DAY CLASSES, PRESENTATIONS, AND SUPPORT GROUPS, ENSURING WIDESPREAD COMMUNITY SUPPORT. TO EXPAND OUR REACH, NAMI GEORGIA CERTIFIED 275 PROGRAM LEADERS THROUGH OUR TRAIN THE TRAINER EVENTS - A REMARKABLE 75% INCREASE FROM FY23. WE ALSO FACILITATED GROUP SESSIONS, OFFICE HOURS, AND SUPPORT CALLS TO EQUIP THESE LEADERS WITH THE NECESSARY SKILLS FOR SUCCESSFUL VIRTUAL AND HYBRID DELIVERY. IN THIS FISCAL YEAR, NAMI GEORGIA FACILITATED 1,355 NAMI FAMILY AND PEER SUPPORT GROUPS, OFFERED IN-PERSON, VIRTUALLY, AND HYBRID FORMATS, SERVING 12,053 PARTICIPANTS. MOREOVER, WE CONDUCTED 58 EDUCATIONAL PROGRAMS, REACHING 658 PARTICIPANTS, AND DELIVERED 397 PEER-LED AWARENESS PRESENTATIONS TO 5,533 INDIVIDUALS. OUR PRESENCE AT 34 OUTREACH AND TABLING EVENTS ENGAGED AN ADDITIONAL 1,090 PEOPLE. CLASSES AND PRESENTATIONS BY NAMI GEORGIA ENHANCE AWARENESS AND EDUCATION ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES, BENEFITING INDIVIDUALS OF ALL AGES, CULTURES, RACES, ETHNICITIES, SEXUAL ORIENTATIONS, AND SOCIO-ECONOMIC STATUSES. FURTHERMORE, WE RESPONDED TO 1,414 RESOURCE/HELPLINE CALLS AND EMAILS, PROVIDING ESSENTIAL SUPPORT ACROSS GEORGIA. NAMI GEORGIA SERVES PEOPLE WITH MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS, REGARDLESS OF THEIR BACKGROUNDS. DEMOGRAPHIC DATA FROM FY2024 SHOWS THAT 62% OF THOSE WE SERVE ARE FEMALE, 36% ARE MALE, AND LESS THAN 2% ARE GENDER FLUID. THE RACIAL COMPOSITION INCLUDES 44% WHITE, 39% BLACK, 2% HISPANIC/LATINO, 2% ASIAN/PACIFIC ISLANDER, 5% MULTI-RACE, AND LESS THAN 1% AMERICAN INDIAN/ALASKAN NATIVE. IN TERMS OF AGE, 10% OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED WERE 18-24, 28% WERE 25-34, 25% WERE 35-44, 16% WERE 45-54, 8% WERE 55-64, AND 11% WERE 65 OR OLDER. ADDITIONALLY, 6% OF RESPONDENTS WERE VETERANS. REGARDING HOUSEHOLD INCOME, 35% OF INDIVIDUALS SERVED HAD AN INCOME OF $50,001 OR MORE, 10% HAD AN INCOME BETWEEN $35,001 AND $50,000, 9% HAD AN INCOME BETWEEN$20,001 AND $35,000, AND 2% HAD AN INCOME BETWEEN $0 AND $20,000. NAMI GEORGIA PARTNERED WITH VISTA, WITH FIVE VISTAS SUPPORT AND BUILDING CAPACITY FOR OUR AFFILIATES. WE CONTINUE TO EXPAND KEY INITIATIVES, INCLUDING NAMI FRONTLINE WELLNESS, NAMI SHARING HOPE, AND NAMI COMPARTIENDO ESPERANZA, NOW TRAINING NEW FACILITATORS TO FURTHER OUR REACH. PUBLIC AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY:TO REALIZE ITS VISION OF A GEORGIA WHERE ALL AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESSES FIND HOPE, HELP AND ACCEPTANCE, NAMI GEORGIA EMPLOYS STRATEGIC ANNUAL PLANS TO RAISE MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS. BY FORGING PARTNERSHIPS WITH KEY STAKEHOLDERS IN BOTH PUBLIC AND PRIVATE SECTORS, WE ADVANCE POLICY REFORMS STATEWIDE AND ENERGIZED OUR GRASSROOTS ADVOCATES.IN 2024, UNDER THE BANNER "NOW IS THE TIME," NAMI GEORGIA AMPLIFIED VOICES IN MENTAL HEALTH ADVOCACY, CONTRIBUTING TO THE PASSAGE OF 19 OUT OF 84 HISTORIC MENTAL HEALTH-RELATED BILLS. THIS LANDMARK LEGISLATIVE AND HISTORIC FINANCIAL INVESTMENT IN GEORGIA'S MENTAL HEALTH INFRASTRUCTURE INCLUDED MEASURES FOR LICENSURE, ESTABLISHING THE GEORGIA COMMISSION FOR MATERNAL AND INFANT MENTAL HEALTH, EXTENDING MEDICAID, INCREASING FORENSIC MENTAL HEALTH SERVICES, REQUIRING PTSD TO BE COVERED BY WORKERS COMP FOR FIRST RESPONDERS, AND ADVANCING STEPS TOWARD DECRIMINALIZING MENTAL ILLNESS.OUR ADVOCACY EFFORTS WERE ROBUST: NAMI GEORGIA STAFF AND AFFILIATE LEADERS HOSTED EIGHT NAMI SMARTS CLASSES, TRAINING 81 ADVOCATES. OVER 1,000 ADVOCATED PARTICIPATED IN MENTAL HEALTH DAY AT THE CAPITOL, WHERE WE DISTRIBUTED 500 ADVOCACY GUIDES AND ENSURED ALL LEGISLATORS RECEIVED PRIORITY PACKETS THAT INCLUDED MENTAL HEALTH STATISTICS FROM SCHOOLS IN THEIR DISTRICTS. NAMI GEORGIA FACILITATED OVER 20 CONSTITUENT MEETINGS WITH LEGISLATORS DURING THIS PIVOTAL DAY. ADDITIONALLY, OUR "NOW IS THE TIME" INITIATIVE LED TO 13,500 ADVOCATED SIGNING UP FOR UPDATES THROUGH QUORUM AND 2,000 ADVOCACY ACTIONS DIRECTLY CONNECTING PEOPLE WITH THEIR LEGISLATORS.AFFILIATE DEVELOPMENT AND MEMBER RESOURCES:NAMI GEORGIA ADDED TWO LOCAL NAMI AFFILIATES, NAMI LOWNDES AND NAMI DOUGLAS, BUILDING CAPACITY TO SERVE MORE GEORGIANS. IN ADDITION, NAMI GEORGIA RECEIVED INTEREST FROM OVER FIVE MORE COUNTIES ACROSS GEORGIA WHO ARE IN THE PROCESS OF STARTING A NAMI IN THEIR NEIGHBORHOOD. NAMMI GEORGIA STAFF SUPPORTS 170 VOLUNTEER AFFILIATE LEADERS ACROSS 22 AFFILIATES STATEWIDE, SERVING APPROXIMATELY 1,900 MEMBERS. THIS YEAR, WE CONTINUED OUR LEADERSHIP NAMI GEORGIA CURRICULUM, PROVIDING DEVELOPMENT TRAINING FOR AFFILIATE LEADERS AND EMERGING LEADERS. THESE LEADERS RECEIVE COMPREHENSIVE TRAINING IN LEADERSHIP, FINANCE, PROCEDURES, MARKETING, GROUP DYNAMICS, AND RESOURCE RESEARCH. THEY ALSO STAY INFORMED WITH REGULAR UPDATES ON ADVOCACY INITIATIVES, PROGRAM OPPORTUNITIES, AND BEST PRACTICES. IN THE FALL OF 2023, WE HOSTED GEORGIA'S NAMIWALKS TO RAISE PUBLIC AWARENESS ABOUT MENTAL HEALTH. WITH 140 TEAMS AND 1,007 PARTICIPANTS, WE RAISED A COMBINED $338,819.78, WITH 50% OF THE AFFILIATE RAISED FUNDS GOING BACK TO THEIR LOCAL COMMUNITIES. THIS EVENT NOT ONLY RAISED CRUCIAL FUNDS BUT ALSO UNITED COMMUNITIES IN SUPPORT OF MENTAL HEALTH AWARENESS AND ADVOCACY.