Nami St Tammany

INCREASE AWARENESS AND ADVOCATE FOR FAMILIES AND PERSONS WITH MENTAL ILLNESS: ENVISIONING PREVENTION, EDUCATION AND TRAINING AS THE PRIMARY PATHWAY TO BETTER SERVICES AND A HEALTHIER COMMUNITY.

OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, NAMI ST. TAMMANY HELD 2 SEPARATE FREE SUPPORT GROUPS IN OUR COMMUNITY. THESE ARE NAMI CONNECTION, WHICH IS A RECOVERY SUPPORT GROUP FOR ADULTS LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES, AND NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP, WHICH IS OPEN TO FAMILY MEMBERS AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH A SERIOUS MENTAL ILLNESS. ALL GROUPS ARE CONFIDENTIAL WITH PARTICIPANTS SHARING AS MUCH OR AS LITTLE AS THEY WISH. OUR ORGANIZATION HELD 78 SUPPORT GROUPS LAST YEAR (26 FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS AND 52 CONNECTION) WITH 570 INDIVIDUALS IN ATTENDANCE. (176 FOR FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP AND 394 FOR CONNECTION). NAMI ST. TAMMANY ALSO HOLDS 3 DIFFERENT EDUCATION CLASSES IN THE COMMUNITY ANNUALLY. THESE INCLUDE: NAMI BASICS, PEER-TO-PEER, AND FAMILY-TO-FAMILY. NAMI BASICS, WHICH IS A 6-WEEK PROGRAM, IS DESIGNED FOR PARENTS AND FAMILY CAREGIVERS WHO HAVE A CHILD OR ADOLESCENT LIVING WITH EMOTIONAL OR BEHAVIORAL ISSUES. PEER-TO-PEER IS AN 8-WEEK PROGRAM THAT MEETS IN A SAFE CONFIDENTIAL SETTING WHERE ADULTS LIVING WITH MENTAL HEALTH CHALLENGES CAN LEARN SKILLS TO ESTABLISH WELLNESS AND MAINTAIN A SOLID RECOVERY. FAMILY- TO-FAMILY EDUCATION, ANOTHER 8-WEEK PROFRAM, WAS DEVELOPED FOR AMILY MEMBERS OR FAMILY CAREGIVERS WHO HAVE LOVED ONES LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. DUE TO THE PANDEMIC, ENROLLMENT WAS IMPACTED FOR NAMI BASICS AND PEER-TO-PEER. ALTHOUGH BOTH PROGRAMS WERE PROMOTED, ONLY ONE SESSION OF PEER-TO-PEER WAS HELD IN THE SPRING AND NO BASICS CLASSES WERE HELD LAST YEAR. FAMILY-TO-FAMILY WAS HELD IN A HYBRID FORMAT TO ACCOMMODATE SOME PARTICIPANTS TO KEEP ENROLLMENT. OVER THE LAST FISCAL YEAR, WE PROVIDED 4 (1 PEER-TO-PEER, 0 BASICS, AND 3 FAMILY-TO-FAMILY) CLASSES WITH A TOTAL OF 50 INDIVIDUALS IN ATTENDANCE, OVER A PERIOD OF 32 WEEKS (0 WEEKS BASICS, PEER-TO-PEER (8 WEEKS), FAMILY TO FAMILY (24-WEEKS)). WE HAVE PRESENTED ON A VARIETY OF SUBJECTS TO SUPPORT THE NEEDS OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS, FAMILY MEMBERS, HEALTH CARE PROVIDERS, AND THE COMMUNITY. CONFERENCES, TRAININGS, EDUCATIONAL PANELS, AND OPEN FORUMS ARE PRESENTED BY MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS, COMMUNITY LEADERS, VARIOUS COMMUNITY-BASED SERVICE ORGANIZATIONS, AND NAMI REPRESENTATIVES. OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE PROVIDED A TOTAL 61 EVENTS, CONSISTING OF OVER 5,775 ATTENDEES. THIS INCLUDED 17 MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID COURSES WITH A TOTAL OF 252 PARTICIPANTS (3 IN-PERSON, 7 VIRTUAL, 6 BLENDED-FORMAT, 8 ADULT, 1 PUBLIC SAFETY, AND 7 YOUTH). WE ALSO HOSTED THE 2021-2022 NAMI WALKS ST. TAMMANY EVENT IN MAY 2022 AND HAD OVER 500 ATTENDEES. WE OPERATED A RESIDENTIAL COMMUNITY, SERVING 15 ADULTS LIVING WITH SERIOUS AND PERSISTENT MENTIAL ILLNESS (SPMI) AND/OR CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS THAT ARE CURRENTLY HOMELESS. THESE PROGRAMS ALLOW INDIVIDUALS, WHO OTHERWISE MAY BE SUBJECT TO FURTHER INSTITUTIONALIZATION OR HOMELESSNESS, TO LIVE IN A LESS RESTRICTIVE ENVIRONMENT WHILE PREPARING THEM TO MOVE IN THE DIRECTION OF RECOVERY AND INDEPENDENCE. HOPE FOR REOVERY IS REFLECTED IN ALL TREATMENTS, SERVICES, AND SUPPORTS. OVER THE LAST YEAR, WE HAVE KEP THE OSSUPANCY RATE AT 100% WITH A WAITING LIST FOR ADDITIONAL INDIVIDUALS.