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:NAMI NJ TRANSLATES THE FIRSTHAND EXPERIENCES OF THOSE AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS, IN THE EDUCATION OF FAMILY MEMBERS AND THOSE IN RECOVERY. IN 2020, WE REACHED MORE THAN 3,822 IN OUR EDUCATIONAL CLASSES. KNOWING THE IMPACT OF COVID-19 AND SUBSEQUENT SHUTDOWNS NAMI NJ PIVOTED TO HAVE A TREMENDOUS ONLINE PRESENCE. WEBINARS - NAMI NJ BEGAN A WEBINAR SERIES, HOSTING MORE THAN 20 WEBINARS THAT CONNECTED TO 5,227+ PEOPLE!FAMILY & FRIENDS - NAMI NJ LAUNCHED A NEW PROGRAM THIS YEAR: "FAMILY AND FRIENDS." A FREE SEMINAR, IT INFORMS PEOPLE WHO HAVE LOVED ONES WITH A MENTAL HEALTH CONDITION HOW BEST TO SUPPORT THEM. IN 2020, THIS NEW PROGRAM REACHED 355 FAMILIES.IN OUR OWN VOICE (IOOV) IS A NAMI SIGNATURE PROGRAM 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. PRESENTATIONS CAN BE MADE IN BUSINESSES, SCHOOLS, COMMUNITY EVENTS, OR COLLEGE CLASSROOMS. IN 2020, MORE THAN 142 PRESENTATIONS WERE HELD TO A TOTAL AUDIENCE OF MORE THAN 2,947 PEOPLE. NAMI BASICS IS A NAMI SIGNATURE 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. 15 PROGRAMS LEADERS ARE TRAINED TO TEACH THIS COURSE AND ARE BRINGING THE CLASSES ONLINE TO ENABLE PARENTS OF CHILDREN BETTER ACCESS TO THIS RESOURCE. HEARTS AND MINDS IS AN EDUCATION PROGRAM GEARED TOWARD EDUCATING THOSE LIVING WITH PSYCHIATRIC CONDITIONS ABOUT THE PHYSICAL EFFECTS THEIR ILLNESS MAY HAVE ON THEIR BODIES. 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 JOURNALING. IN 2020, 50 PRESENTATIONS REACHED 500+ INDIVIDUALS.FAMILY TO FAMILY IS A NAMI SIGNATURE PROGRAM. FAMILY TO FAMILY IS A FREE, 8-WEEK COURSE THAT TEACHES WHAT MENTAL ILLNESS IS, DIFFERENT DIAGNOSES, HOW TO SUPPORT YOUR LOVED ONE, AND HOW TO SEPARATE THE ILLNESS FROM YOUR LOVED ONES.

SUPPORT GROUPS:IN NAMI NJ 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. IN 2020, NAMI NJ MOVED ITS SUPPORT GROUPS ONLINE WITHIN 1 WEEK OF THE COUNTRY CLOSING DOWN. THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, NAMI NJ REACHED 4,448 PEOPLE THROUGH SUPPORT GROUPS, WITH NEARLY 600 BEING FIRST-TIME ATTENDEES!NAMI NJ CONNECTION SUPPORT GROUPS ARE 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. WE HELD 274 GROUPS IN THE YEAR OF COVID.NAMI FAMILY SUPPORT GROUP IS A PEER-LED SUPPORT GROUP FOR FAMILY MEMBERS, CAREGIVERS, AND LOVED ONES OF INDIVIDUALS LIVING WITH MENTAL ILLNESS. WE HELD 252 SUPPORT GROUPS THROUGH COVID.

OUTREACH:OUTREACH AND AWARENESS EVENTS TAKES THE STIGMA BUSTING INTO THE COMMUNITY. THROUGH AWARENESS, NAMI NJ WORKS TO BREAK THE STIGMA ASSOCIATED WITH MENTAL ILLNESS AND BRING EDUCATION AND UNDERSTANDING TO THE STATE.NAMI NJ CREATED A COVID-19 WEBPAGE WITH RESOURCES THAT GARNERED CLOSE TO 5,000 PAGE VIEWS. WEBPAGES FOR ONLINE SUPPORT GROUPS AND WEBINAR SERIES RECEIVED MORE THAN 11,000 PAGE VIEWS IN TOTAL. OVERALL, OUR WEBPAGE HAS SEEN A 527% INCREASE IN TRAFFIC.NAMI NJ HELD A VIRTUAL CONFERENCE - OUR FIRST EVER MULTICULTURAL CONFERENCE. "CULTURAL HUMILITY AND MENTAL HEALTH" WAS HELD ON AUGUST 12, 2020, AND HOSTED MORE THAN 200 PEOPLE. MULTICULTURAL OUTREACHES ARE A KEY PIECE OF NAMI NJ'S WORK IN THIS DIVERSE STATE. OUR CULTURE, BELIEFS, SEXUAL IDENTITY, VALUES, RACE, AND LANGUAGE ALL AFFECT HOW WE PERCEIVE AND EXPERIENCE MENTAL HEALTH CONDITIONS. IN FACT, CULTURAL DIFFERENCES CAN INFLUENCE WHAT TREATMENTS, COPING MECHANISMS, AND SUPPORTS WORK FOR US. IT IS THEREFORE ESSENTIAL FOR CULTURE AND IDENTITY TO BE A PART OF THE CONVERSATION AS WE DISCUSS BOTH MENTAL HEALTH AND MENTAL HEALTH CARE. WHEN A MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONAL UNDERSTANDS THE ROLE THAT CULTURAL DIFFERENCES PLAY IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF A CONDITION, AND INCORPORATES CULTURAL NEEDS AND DIFFERENCES INTO A PERSON'S CARE, IT SIGNIFICANTLY IMPROVES OUTCOMES. THIS IS WHY MENTAL HEALTH CARE MUST BE TAILORED TO THE INDIVIDUAL - TO THEIR IDENTITY, CULTURE, AND EXPERIENCE.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, LATINX, AND AFRICAN AMERICAN COMMUNITIES. MORE THAN 700 INDIVIDUALS PARTICIPATE ACROSS THE 4 MULTICULTURAL PROGRAMS ACROSS THE STATE.AS WE CONTINUE OUR WORK IN CULTURAL HUMILITY, NAMI NJ WILL BE EXPANDING ITS OUTREACH TO VETERANS, LGBTQ+, ASYLEE COMMUNITIES. COMMUNICATIONS TO OUR STATE MEMBERS CONTINUES. WE HAVE MORE THAN 11,000 SUBSCRIBERS ON OUR EMAIL LIST, SENDING MORE THAN 235 EMAILS LAST YEAR. IN THE PAST YEAR, OUR WEBSITE HAS HAD 36,000 VIEWS, WITH MORE THAN 11,000 UNIQUE VISITORS.

ADVOCACYNAMI 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 IS ACTIVE IN MORE THAN 20 GOVERNMENT AND STAKEHOLDER COMMITTEES THAT PROVIDE OVERSIGHT AND RECOMMENDATIONS ON MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES.NAMI SMARTS FOR ADVOCACY, NAMI NJ IS TRAINING A GROWING NUMBER OF FAMILIES AND INDIVIDUALS TO EFFECTIVELY ADVOCATE FOR LAWS AND POLICIES THAT BENEFIT THOSE THAT ARE AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESS. THERE ARE 7 STATEWIDE TRAINERS IN THIS PROGRAM THAT HAD 44 TRAINEES.PARTNERSHIPSNAMI NJ IS PART OF THE LARGER NAMI ALLIANCE. NAMI NATIONAL, HEADQUARTERED IN ARLINGTON, VA CREATES AND SUPPORTS THE NAMI SIGNATURE PROGRAMS, AND SETS NATIONAL POLICY STATEMENTS. AS A STATE PARTNER, NAMI NJ IS TASKED WITH BRINGING THIS TO THE STATE OF NEW JERSEY. PART OF THIS ALLIANCE STRUCTURE IS OUR LOCAL AFFILIATES.IN NEW JERSEY, ALL 21 COUNTIES ARE COVERED BY OUR 19 AFFILIATE PARTNERS. THESE LOCAL AFFILIATES HAVE VOLUNTEERS THAT PROVIDE LOCAL SUPPORT, EDUCATION, AND OUTREACH/ENGAGEMENT THROUGH THE SUPPORT OF NAMI NJ TRAINING AND STAFF'S TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE. THIS PARTNERSHIP HELPS NAMI REACH TENS OF THOUSANDS OF PEOPLE EACH YEAR IN NEW JERSEY.