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NAMI 2008 Convention

Recovery for All
December 2007

Mark your calendars now for the NAMI 2008 Convention, taking place June 13-16, 2008, at the Rosen Centre Hotel inOrlando, Florida. Convention planning is already well underway. The Multicultural Action Center plans to focus our 2008 workshop and seminar on the American Indian and Alaska Native population, as well as offer tracks on evidence-based practices (EBPs), and inclusion of the GLBT community:

American Indian and Alaska Native Listening Session

NAMI recognizes that this community is largely underrepresented and experiences a great lack of mental health support in many areas of the country. The Multicultural Action Center will bring together an expert group to discuss pressing mental health issues within the American Indian and Alaska Native community. The effort will provide valuable information for NAMI to update currently available materials, develop more resources for this communityand enhance effective support of the mental health needs for all Americans.

Symposium on evidence-based practices and practice-based evidence in multicultural mental health:

This symposium will explore EBPs and Practice-Based Evidence, and the opportunities and challenges they present to achieve quality multicultural mental health treatment. The mental health system has been moving toward the adoption and implementation of Evidence-Based Practices (EBPs), not only to reduce variability in treatment and improve quality of care, but also to meet increased accountability requirement and accommodate tightened federal and state budgets. This presents a new challenge to multicultural mental health, since the needs and cultural preferences of diverse communities have not been fully incorporated into these practices. Research that demonstrates the effectiveness of mental health interventions fails to include significant evidence about how these interventions perform in racial/ethnic communities. By mainly focusing on EBPs, the mental health field is overlooking interventions developed by multicultural communities that have demonstrated their value through practice. Approaches developed and implemented by the community itself take under consideration the group’s culture, values, and beliefs.

Seminar on strategies to become a more GLBT friendly NAMI office:

After the overwhelming success of GLBT tracks at the NAMI 2007 Convention, we will return with valuable information on this community. This session will explore how NAMI state offices and affiliates can be more Gay, Lesbian, Bisexual, and Transgender (GLBT) friendly. Presenters will provide a brief overview of the community and its priority mental health issues. The session will also offer clear and effective tips and strategies that could help NAMI become a more inclusive and welcoming environment.

More details to come on the NAMI 2008 Convention! Access the NAMI Convention Website here for more information and to register online.

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