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With NAMI You Are Not Alone

NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is a grass-roots organization with
more than 1100 chapters nationwide and hundreds of thousands of members dedicated
to making a better life for all people struggling with mental illness and their families.
 

New Support Groups Forming 

NEW FAMILY-TO-FAMILY CLASS IN 2012

Sign up today for the new FREE 12 week Family-to-Family class. The sessions are two and a half hours long, and are intended for family members, partners and friends of  individuals with major mental illness.  

The NAMI signature program is taught by trained NAMI Queens/Nassau family members. All instruction and course materials are free to class participants.  Over 300,000 family members have graduated from this national program. Participants will get up-to-date on information on mental illness and its treatment, learn coping strategies, information on locating appropriate services, and more. Registration and interview required. To register email namiqn@aol.com or call (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284.  

NAMI Basics is an education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents with behavioral issues, undiagnosed emotional issues, Attention Deficit Disorder (ADHD), or other diagnoses such as Major Depression, Bipolar Disorder, Conduct Disorder, Oppositional Defiant Disorder, Anxiety Disorders, Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Childhood Schizophrenia and Substance Abuse Disorders. 

Sponsored by NAMI Queens/Nassau, NAMI Basics is a FREE class taught by trained parents or other primary caregivers who have lived similar experiences with their own children who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years.

Find out more about NAMI Basics

HOW CAN NAMI QUEENS/NASSAU HELP YOU?  Join and become involved in our many
activities which offer support, education, and advocacy for all those affected by severe
mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, major depression, and
anxiety disorders.

SUPPORT – We offer professionally led support groups which meet a variety of needs.
These include ongoing groups that can be entered at any time for families and friends
with a mentally ill loved one; a 12-week educational NAMI national Family to Family
class; a group for parents of children and adolescents; a bipolar group, and an anxiety
disorders/depression group.  Click the Support Groups link for a listing of places and times.

Also, support groups are run as part of the Friendship Network.  (See below.) 

EDUCATION – Monthly meetings with guest speakers address topics of special interest
to members.  Past topics include how to obtain benefits, crisis management, available
rehabilitation services, and the latest in treatment and research.  Meetings are held in
the Sloman Auditorium, North Shore-LIJ/The Zucker Hillside Hospital, 266th Street and
76th Avenue, Glen Oaks, at 7:30 PM on the third Wednesday of the month.  They are
preceded by a support group for families and friends at 6:15 PM.

In Our Own Voice (IOOV) is a unique public education program developed by NAMI
in which two trained consumer speakers share compelling personal stories about living
with mental illness and achieving recovery. Presenters cover issues they frequently face
while living with mental illness as they delve into the following 5 topics: dark days, acceptance;
treatment; coping strategies; successes; hopes and dreams. This is a NAMI signature program
and IOOV presenters must complete a 16 hour NAMI training course and be certified as speakers.
Presentations are made in a variety of venues and can be given to such groups as consumers,
students, law enforcement officials, educators, providers, faith community, and civic groups. All
presentations are offered free of charge, but consumer speakers receive a stipend from NAMI-NYS
for making these presentations. To be trained as a speaker or book a presentation contact
Ann Tierno at AnnieT226@aol.com

ADVOCACY – Get involved and help to make the world a better place for all our loved
ones.  We advocate on a variety of issues on the national, state, and local levels such
as mental health insurance parity, more money for research, combating stigma, and
ending the criminalization of mental illness.  For information about how you can
participate call (516) 326-0797 or (718) 347-7284.

	THE FRIENDSHIP NETWORK –  This unique service connects people recovering from mental illness with one another for the purpose of friendship.  Since its inception in 1991, the Friendship Network has helped many hundreds of people break through the isolation of their illness, linking them with people with common interests and experiences. For information call (516) 326-6111. www.friendshipnetwork.org
	BREAKING THE SILENCE – Innovative lessons for upper elementary, middle school, and high school put a human face on mental illness and confront the myths that reinforce the silence. This widely praised educational package, which includes fully scripted lessons, games, posters, and suggested resources, can be ordered through NAMI Queens/Nassau. www.btslessonplans.org
	NAMIWALKS – NAMIWalks for  the Mind of America is a fundraising and awareness building component of NAMI's  Campaign for the Mind of America.  Launched in 2003 with 12 pilot sites, it has  grown in 2011 to 70 sites all across America.  Walkers are encouraged to reach  out to family, friends, co-workers and business associates to raise support for  their participation in the WALK. All proceeds from NAMIWalks will be used to  fund NAMI's local programs. Join us in planning and participating in  the eighth annual NAMIWalks Long Island/Queens which will be held on Sunday, May  6,  2012 at Jones Beach. In 2009 our local walk raised over $254,000. This year our  goal is $275,000.  Funds will be used to support ongoing NAMI programs and  activities as well as new initiatives including expanded community outreach,  education, anti-stigma programs, and wellness activities. Go to the Long Island/Queens Area Walk page to register and to keep in touch with all the exciting developments as they happen.

NAMI Queens/Nassau — National Alliance on Mental Illness
1981 Marcus Avenue, C-117, Lake Success, NY 11042
Phone: (516) 326-0797;  (718) 347-7284
Fax: (516) 437-5785
E-mail: namiqn@aol.com

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