MENTAL ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK

Using Mental Illness Awareness Week to Build Non-traditional Partnerships Stacey Harrison Deneice Valentine NAMI-Metropolitan Baltimore Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) A national educational campaign, observed the first week of October. Its two major sponsors are NAMI and the American Psychiatric Association Goals/Objectives of MIAW 1. Help NAMI gain visibility and recognition as local voice on mental illness 2. Increase community knowledge of mental illness and NAMI 3. Build strong community partnerships and leverage partners’ networks 4. Disseminate information on mental illness and NAMI MIAW— creates partnerships and promotes our programs and publications 1. Materials distribution 2. Outreach through speakers/fairs 3. Events 4. Community brainstorming 5. Media relations 6. Faith based focused activities 7. Children focused activities 8. College University focused activities including Collegetown network 9. Proclamations (Mayor and County Executive 10. Employer’s Activity Activities of NAMI Functions of the MIAW ADHOC Advisory Committee 1. To carry the message of NAMI to organizations, industries, and associates that recovery from mental illness is possible 2. To provide information and recommendations to NAMI staff and Board for planning and promoting the observance of MIAW 3. To make available resources, venues, and contacts to support the observance of MIAW Composition of MIAW ADHOC Advisory Committee Members should be inclusive of persons with interest, knowledge, experience, and/or impact on health, children, adolescents, and adults with severe, biologically based brain disorders that comprise mental illness Who Attended Our Previous MIAW 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. The head of 2 local mental health core agencies Baltimore County Police Department DSS Community Relations Representatives from local colleges, including those of their psychology departments. Public Defenders Office A representative from one of the local health and fitness chains A representative from the local SSA office Many Others How We Leverage Networks I. Speakers and Fairs II. Materials Distribution and Development A. Distribution 1. Used to assist communication through word of mouth 2. Distributed during MIAW 3. Graduates of our programs disseminate fliers II. Material Distribution and Development Continued B. Development 1. Generated Locally a. Bookmarks, posters, fact sheets about MIAW and NAMI-Metropolitan Baltimore, as well as resource packets b. Resource packets and brochures disseminated through our helpline and the members only section of our NAMI-Metropolitan's Website II. Material Distribution and Development Continued 2. Generated nationally a. Fact sheets and brochures from NAMI national b. Bulletin inserts from faith communities III. Events A. Sponsored In Our Own Voice, Family Ambassadors, and Child and Adolescent workshop presentations during work week B. Sponsored Baltimore County Town Meeting on mental health during MIAW C. Sponsored Michael Mack at One Man Theatre D. Sponsored Many Faces of Mental Illness Mask Competition IV. What to Do to Launch Events A. Have a brainstorming meeting to determine how to excite people B. Determine key players and what the project should look like based on those key players C. Decide who has the drive and energy to carry the project through (leveraging the energy of volunteers) V. Community Brainstorming Meetings A. Purposes 1. To raise awareness about mental illness and NAMI, with interviews with non-traditional affiliations (i.e. health clubs) 2. Brainstorm ways to use networks and affiliations 3. To carry the message to respective organizations, industries, and associates that recovery is possible from mental illness 4. Provide information and recommendations to NAMI staff and Board for planning the observance of MIAW VI. Results of Community Meetings A. Conceived ideas for a new project each year B. Disseminated literature at every city and county library branch C. Envelope sized MIAW and NAMI fact cards were placed at all Baltimore County police departments and the fraternal Order of Police put a notice in their newsletter VI. Results of Community Meeting Continued D. A member set up a table at a law firm and procured a donation between $250 and $500 as well as had an e-mail about NAMI circulated throughout the firm E. SSA posted our info on EAP website. We scheduled an IOOV presentation, which will lead to a national telecast of an IOOV presentation being filmed in the future VI. Results of a Community Meeting Continued F. Recruited volunteers to distribute our program and event fliers, provide sites for our workshops and courses, and serve as volunteers in our fundraising events ** At the very least, get all contacts on your email distribution and get them to commit to distributing your materials on ongoing basis VII. If You Can’t Have a Community Meeting A. Compile a list of contacts. B. Link with calendar of events to be posted on NAMI Nat'l website and/or distributed through your outreach. C. Establish NAMI as a central voice by sending a challenge e-mail to inquire what everyone is doing, so that you can list it on your MIAW calendar, website, etc. VII. If You Can’t Have a Community Meeting continued D. Let people know what materials you have available and where they are available, with a list posted on the Nat'l NAMI website. Do this even if you do not intend to distribute them E. PSA’s to educate the community about mental illness F. Expand outreach efforts by leveraging the networks of other individuals and organizations VII. What We Do At Community Meetings A. Intro to NAMI and MIAW for newbies B. Show fact sheets and materials C. F2F paired intros-short forms requesting name, employers, contact info, and affiliations Using Mental Illness Awareness Week to Build Non-traditional Partnerships Any Questions?