In an effort to evaluate and expand our current tools for faith-community outreach,
Reaching out to Faith Communities and Bridges of Hope , NAMI offered a one-time
$200 grant to affiliates who were willing to participate in this initiative January-August
2012.

Nami Green County Inc applied for and received information in January
of 2012 that they were one of the recipients of the $200 grant. Nami Faithnet
is a network composed of members and friends of NAMI. It was established
for the purposes of (1) facilitating the development within the faith community of a non-
threatening, supportive environment for those with mental illness and their families,
(2) recognizing the value of ones spirituality in the recovery process and the need for
spiritual strength for caregivers, (3) educating clergy and faith communities about
mental illness and (4) encouraging advocacy of the faith community to bring about hope
and help for all who are affected by mental illness. NAMI FaithNet is not a religious
network but rather an educational outreach to all religious organizations. Additional
information can be found at

Reaching Out to Faith Communities
is a four-unit power point training tool for NAMI members and leaders who desire more
background and preparation before reaching out to religious communities. It is four
designed to be used as a self-guided instruction for individuals or for group study. The
units equip NAMI members to effectively talk one-on-one or to a group about mental
illness and its impact on individuals and communities. Trainees will learn tried-and-true
methods for opening dialogue, building relationships with faith communities and sharing
their personal story. The audience for this tool is NAMI members and leaders, not faith
communities.


Bridges of Hope is a three-part power point presentation, about
60-90 minutes in length with speaker notes, designed for audiences in the faith community
and the general public. The timing depends on the speakers pace and amount of dialogue
that is encouraged by the facilitator It can be used in its entirety, or in sections, depending
on the audiences familiarity with the subject matter, and time allotment. The main topics
include What is mental illness and its impact? What is the role of the faith community
and spirituality in recovery? What is NAMI and what does it offer?

Nami Green County has agreed to use the grant money to help purchase a digital projector which
will be used to bring the Bridges of Hope power point presentation to local clergy
and interested lay people in Green County.  Nami Green County will be asked to provide
feedback to NAMI Faithnet through the months of April through July 2012. We hope to purchase
the projector within the next month or two and to finalize the details for presenting the
Bridges of Hope presentation.

Please contact Conni Bigler at
clbigler@gmail.com or 608-558-9169 if you are interested in the
Bridges of Hope presentation for your congregation or
NAMI FAITHNET c