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Nami Pomona Valley

The Pomona Valley affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a nonprofit California corporation dedicated to improving the quality of life for people with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy. 

 

Welcome to the NAMI Pomona Valley website

Please roam around and explore the many resources of the site and our lively organization. Along the left side, you’ll see several options, one of which is “About Us.” By clicking on this you’ll see who’s on our board of directors, you’ll find provider resources in the community, and a recent letter by the NAMI-PV president. By going back to that left-side column, you can click on “Programs” wherein you’ll access descriptions of our many programs of support, education, and advocacy, plus an announcement of our upcoming general meeting. Add to this the “Common Illnesses” section and the link to the national site, and much more, and you have at your fingertips a deep well of information. 

Let us know how the site has been helpful to you and any suggestions for improvement. Thanks for visiting our site.  

 Message from Michael Fay, Parents and Teachers as Allies Program Coordinator:

               NAMI-PV BOARD ADOPTS NEW MOTTO FOR STIGMA

 Stigma is the main deterrent in the public acceptance of individuals dealing with mental illness. Thus, one of the principal objectives of all NAMI programs is to defeat stigma. Stigma by definition is a mark or slur used to isolate individuals from society because of any disease that people fear might be contagious.

Brain disorders are not contagious, and NAMI makes every effort to educate the general public that mental illness is not to be feared, but instead to be treated with understanding and kindness. 

As an outgrowth of consumers speaking to teachers in our Parents and Teachers as Allies presentations, it became clear that what students want from their teachers and classmates is this understanding and kindness, otherwise known as compassion, as they struggle with their brain disorders.  It seems natural then that we adopt a maxim to be used on all our literature and in all our education programs:     

                                  Compassion overcomes stigma!

                                                           Spread the word.

__________________________________________ 

 Helpline

• Is a loved one showing symptoms of mental illness?
• Are you experiencing thoughts and moods that are disrupting your life?
• Are you wondering what mental health services you can access for yourself or family member or friend?
• Are you looking for a group of people with whom you can share your story?
• Do you want to learn about mental illness and take positive steps?

Call the Information and Referral Helpline : 909-399-0305

Trained volunteers are available to callers 7 days a week to provide you with supportiev information about NAMI Pomona Valley and services in our local area and beyond. Calls are relayed by an answering service, so you'll be greeted by a real person. Helpline team members have had first hand experience with mental illness in their families and/or in their own lives.

                    NAMI-PV’s Education and Support Programs

For information about our many programs of family and consumer education, as well as family and consumer support groups, plus contact/sign-up information, get on our e-newsletter list by submitting your email address to Rose La Presto at lapresto1@verizon.net.; or check out our website.   Just put NAMI  Pomona  Valleyin your browser.  You also can call the Helpline at (909) 399-0305.   Please note that our education and support programs now function in cooperation with the new Wellness  Centerprogram of Tri-City  Mental  Health  Center.   The building to accommodate wellness center activities – including some of our programs – is under renovation and due to open approximately in August.    

            SUPPORT AND EDUCATION PROGRAMS – AN OVERVIEW

Support:

All support groups are led by peers trained according to the national and state standards of NAMI.   For more information, call the Helpline at 909-399-0305.  

Support Groups for Family Members and Caregivers (called Care and Share):   Facilitated by family members, confidentiality is practiced, personal sharing is invited within a circle of support.  The first Tuesday of each month, 6:15 to 7:30 p.m., and the 4^th Tuesday of each month, 7 – 8:30 p.m., NAMI Pomona Valley Headquarters at 462 N. Indian Hill Blvd., Claremont. 

Support Groups for Recovery (Called Connections):   For individuals with a diagnosed mental illness who are committed to the recovery process.  Facilitated by peers in recovery.  Every Friday (weekly), 6:30 to 8:p.m., Pomona  Valley  Health  Center, 1601 N. Monte Vista Ave., Claremont (at the intersection of Monte Vista and Claremont Blvd.)

Also, Connections is held the first Tuesday of each month, 6:30 to 7:30 p.m., Claremont Presbyterian Church, 1111 N. Mountain Ave., Claremont.   

Support Group for Daily Management of Mental Illness:   Facilitated by a staff member of Tri-City  Mental  Health  Center.  First Tuesday of each month, 6:30-7:30 p.m., Claremont Presbyterian Church, 1111 N. Mountain Ave., Claremont.

Education: 

All educational programs are based on up-to-date curricula and taught by peers trained under national and state standards of NAMI.    Course start dates can be obtained through the contact people listed below. 

Family Education Course (Called Family to Family):   A twelve-week course (one evening each week) for family members and caregivers of individuals afflicted with severe mental illness.  Topics include research findings on causes, current treatment and recovery modalities, the experience of the person with mental illness, coping and communication, self care, local resources.  For start date, location, and registration, contact Audrey Sakamoto, 909-621-1262.   

Please note:   The Family to Family class described above is now offered in Spanish.  For information, contact Elena Garcia, 909-973-7171, or Ana Mathot, 909-394-0573.

Recovery Education (called Peer to Peer):   A ten-week series for learning practical recovery steps leading toward independent and effective living.  For further information contact Laura Lilley,  909-947-2254, or Peter Richard, 909-532-2459.

Family Education regarding Children with Symptoms (called NAMI Basics):  A six-week course teaching the fundamentals of caring for children who have shown symptoms of mental disorder before age 13.  The Family to Family course description above applies also to NAMI Basics.  For information and sign-up, call Lora Illig, 909-861-1903.   

More information is available in the support group and education sections of our website which are listed under the "programs" heading.

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