Nami Dane County Inc

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

THROUGHOUT THE YEAR, BUT 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 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.THERE WERE MORE THAN 24,000 NAMI DANE COUNTY WEBSITE VISITORS IN 2020. VISITORS LEARNED MORE ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESSES, MEDICATION AND TREATMENT, AND FOUND SUPPORT AND RESOURCES.NAMI DANE COUNTY GAINED MORE THAN 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 500 WALKERS RAISED OVER $175,000 TO SUPPORT NO-COST NAMI EDUCATION AND SUPPORT PROGRAMS. NAMI DANE COUNTY PARTNERED WITH WEA TRUST TO DEVELOP AN INTERACTIVE EXHIBIT ON MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE, COVERING STIGMA AND ACCESS TO CARE. 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 140 FIRST RESPONDERS GRADUATED NAMI DANE COUNTY'S CIT AND CIP TRAININGS TO APPROPRIATELY RESPOND TO THOSE EXPERIENCING A CRISIS.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.