About Mental Illness About Education Programs
About Medications About Stigma Busters
About Children and Adolescents
NAMI offers an array of education and training programs and services for consumers, family members, and the general public. These programs draw on the experience of mental health consumers and family members who have learned to live well with their illnesses and are eager to help others, as well as the expertise of mental health professionals and educators.
Education programs are designed to foster learning, healing, and empowerment among families of individuals with serious brain disorders.
NAMI's Family to Family Education Program A free 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses.
NAMI's Peer to Peer Mentoring Program A free 9-week course for any person with a mental illness. This course contains individual relapse prevention planning, a debriefing/storytelling week, and an advance directive for psychiatric care.
NAMI's Visions for Tomorrow Education Program A free 8-week course for primary caregivers of children and adolescents with brain disorders.
NAMI Basics The new signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses.
In Our Own Voice an interactive public recovery education program presented by trained consumers (people with mental illness) to lay audiences, professionals and other consumers about the reality of living with mental illness and the high potential for recovery.
NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group is a recovery support group program for people living with mental illness that is expanding in communities throughout the country. These groups provide a place that offers respect, understanding, encouragement, and hope.
Twitter Treats
StigmaBusters are learning to share information with family and peers through NAMI's Web site and top social networking sites, such as Facebook and MySpace. A recent NAMI "new media" (
http://www.nami.org/ADVTemplate.cfm?Section=Advocate_Magazine&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=76522) story discusses three tools that are especially effective and offers tip on how to use them.* Share This (
http://www.addthis.com/bookmark.php)* Follow NAMI on Twitter (
http://www.twitter.com/NAMICommunicate)* House Widget (
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=House_T-Shirt_Partnership&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=72863)Through Twitter, NAMI has begun sending brief announcements known as "tweets" on topics that may include the latest news headlines, advance notice of television shows on mental illness, or urgent calls to action. Tweets can be sent to an e-mail address or mobile phone. They are fast, free and easy to use, once you try them. Help spread NAMI messages and fight stigma.
Voice Award Deadline Extended
Remember the TV show and movie you liked? It's not too late to praise them.
SAMHSA has extended the deadline to April 30 to nominate them for Voice Awards (
http://www.voiceawards.samhsa.gov) honoring writers and producers who incorporate dignified, respectful, and accurate portrayals of people with mental illnesses into film and television productions. If you know of a film or television episode released between October 1, 2007 and March 15, 2009 that deserves an award, please nominate them (http://whatadifference.samhsa.gov/voiceawards/nominate.html#writersproducers) . Nominations are free, open to anyone, and there is no limit to the number anyone can submit. The Voice Awards also honor consumer leaders. The deadline for those nominations is May 15, 2009.
TV's HOUSE Helps NAMI
Don't forget! The popular television show HOUSE is selling an exclusive "House-ism" T-shirt (
http://www.nami.org/Template.cfm?Section=House_T-Shirt_Partnership&Template=/ContentManagement/ContentDisplay.cfm&ContentID=72464&lstid=944) that proclaims "Normal's Overrated" (one of many lines from the show) to celebrate its 100th episode. It is donating net proceeds to NAMI to support our education, support, and advocacy programs, including StigmaBusters Out of the InboxBecause of the large number of StigmaBuster messages received, not every one can be answered individually, however, we appreciate every e-mail and do review every stigma report and prioritize them for action.
We also appreciate receiving copies of responses. They are important in helping to coordinate strategy and pursue genuine dialogue. You are our eyes and ears! Your help makes a difference!
Please send reports of stigma to Stella March (
mailto:smarch@nami.org) .
When you become a member of NAMI, you become part of America's largest grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness. And now you can join online.