Lake County's Voice On Mental Illness
Making the World Better for Everyone
Making the World Better for Everyone Requires Us to Teach, Support & Advocate in Every Community
- Advocacy: We need to fund community mental health services and legislators all need to know your story and how those services impact you. NAMI is the country's largest grassroots support and education organization supporting families and individuals with mental illness. Our membership provides a unique, informed resource for lawmakers to learn about what families and communities need. NAMI Smarts is a class that teaches you how to tell that story best.
- Teaching the Community about Mental Illness and the impact on the individual, family, loved. ones, and the community is an important first step to creating a more inclusive community. NAMI national has now created an introductory presentation that our affiliate can deliver to any Group called Family and Friends. NAMI Family & Friends is a 2-hour seminar that informs and supports people who have loved ones with a mental health condition. Participants learn about diagnoses, treatment, recovery, communication strategies, crisis preparation and NAMI resources. Seminar leaders have personal experience with mental health conditions in their families. Call us if you want us to come and present to your community group.
- Schools: Community Support and Education about mental illness begin in our schools. Ending the Silence is an engaging presentation that helps middle and high-school-aged youth learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if you or a loved one are showing symptoms of a mental health condition. Call us if your junior high or high school would like a presentation by our affiliate. Here is a quick "commercial about the program to share with your administration.
- Underserved Communities with little available health care: NAMI Lake County Illinois offers programming and a helpline in Spanish and English. Our website Resources will also be available in Spanish. We intend to remain firmly in Waukegan, Zion, and North Chicago where public transportation is available. We have plans to grow into all of the Round Lake areas, Highwood, Antioch, & Fox Lake Communities advocating for awareness and support. We look for volunteers interested in expanding our geographical reach.
- Stigma is a huge problem. It prevents people from getting help in many individual communities. Families are ashamed and can prevent a loved one from getting help. Individuals may be ashamed to accept help. NAMI is in the early stages of developing new educational materials to assist in reaching out to individuals in black and brown communities. NAMI Lake County Illinois and NAMI Illinois is very involved in the development of these materials. We would love help in this area.
- Military Service Members, Veterans and their Families: Lake County is home to many military families. We need to support the Families that protect us as a part of their jobs. Accessible through computers or mobile devices, NAMI Homefront Mental Health Resources are confidentially available 24/7 and includes information about mental health conditions treatment options, approaches to increase overall wellness, tips for self-care and managing stress, links to helpful organizations and crisis services, and assistance in transitioning from military to civilian life. A Video Intro is here.
- First Responders (Police and Fire) need our support. They are at risk of suicide and more because of their jobs.
- We need a mental health response in a mental health crisis: Police are often the first responders. NAMI helps to train police to respond in a better way using specialized training called Crisis Intervention Training (CIT). This is the story of how CIT started in Memphis, Tennessee.
- NAMI FaithNet strives to encourage welcoming, caring congregations as well as to promote the vital role of spirituality in the recovery journeys of many who live with mental health conditions, those for whom faith is a key component.
NAMI's programs for advocacy and persons with mental illness
Smarts for Advocacy
NAMI Smarts for Advocacy is a hands-on advocacy training program that helps people living with mental illness, friends and family transform their passion and lived experience into skillful grassroots advocacy. Training develops the following skills:
- Telling a compelling story that is inspiring and makes an “ask” in 90 seconds
- Writing an effective email, making an elevator speech and making an impactful phone call
- Orchestrating a successful meeting with an elected official
Help Police Learn About MH
NAMI Sharing Your Story with Law Enforcement (SYSLE) is a presentation program that prepares individuals and family members to share their stories of lived experience with mental illness to a law enforcement audience, such as during Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) training, or other events where mental illness and related topics are featured.
Ending the Silence Begins with Schools
Ending the Silence Begins with Schools
Ending the Silence is an engaging presentation that helps middle and high-school-aged youth learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if you or a loved one are showing symptoms of a mental health condition. Call us if you would like a presentation by our affiliate. Here is a quick "commercial" about the program to share with your administration.
12 Specific Mental Health Conditions
Ending the Silence Begins with Schools
Learning About 12
Specific Mental Health Conditions
Learn specifically about Depression, Anxiety, Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder, Psychosis, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder, Borderline Personality, and more.
Helping Military Families
NAMI Homefront Mental Health Resources are available online 24/7 and include information about mental health conditions treatment options, approaches to increase overall wellness, tips for self-care and managing stress, links to helpful organizations and crisis services, and assistance in transitioning from military to civilian life
NAMI National Warmlines
Warmlines are places to call and talk to experienced Peer Counselors who are far along in their recovery and can offer hope, secrets to their success, and be someone to talk to. Here is a list of them from across the country.
Helping You or a Friend During a Crisis
NAMI Help and Crisis Web Page:
https://www.nami.org/help#crisis
Crisis Text Line
www.crisistextline.org
Volunteer-staffed text helpline for those in crisis.
Text START to 741741.