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NAMI NEW JERSEY programs
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NAMI NEW JERSEY coordinates
a variety of programs to provide public education on mental illness.
These programs make it possible for families, consumers and the
general public to learn the facts about mental illness.
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 EDUCATING
THE EDUCATORS
Educating the Educators (ETE) is a program developed
by NAMI NEW JERSEY to enlighten/inform educators about
mental illness and present practical tools to help motivate children
with social and emotional disorders. NAMI NJ is registered
with the NJ Department of Education as a provider of Professional
Development credit hours for ETE.
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EVERY
MIND MATTERS
"Every Mind Matters" (EMM) is a mental illness
education program targeted to children in Grades 5-9.
This program is designed to teach children the importance
of taking care of their mental health, as
well as their physical health. EMM explains the meaning
of stigma and how we can stamp out stigma
related to persons with disabilities. The program also
teaches about famous people who have made
great contributions to our society, despite their disabilities.
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EXPRESSIVE
ARTS NETWORK
The NAMI NEW JERSEY Expressive Arts Network emphasizes
common interests in creative activities. These common
interests include networking, outreach, advocacy and community involvement.
The arts, as a common ground, provide opportunities
for individuals to communicate through alternative means
of expression. The strengths of individuals revealed through
art activity help to form a supportive environment and
relationships and/or opportunities based upon similar interests.
Helping to create art resources, as well as artistic
expression, is another form of active involvement.
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FAMILY-TO-FAMILY
EDUCATION
Family-To-Family Education is a peer family education
program designed to foster learning, healing and empowerment
among families of individuals with serious mental illness. The NAMI
NEW JERSEY Family-To-Family education (formerly the
"Journey of Hope") course is a 12-week program for families of
individuals diagnosed with serious and persistent mental illness.
The curriculum focuses on three major psychiatric illnesses
(schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression), and emphasizes
the clinical treatment of these illnesses. The curriculum
also presents the knowledge and the skills that family
members need when faced with the problems of mental illness. There
is no fee to participants. NAMI NEW JERSEY provides
the training for the NAMI NEW JERSEY Family Educator volunteers
and the funding for course materials.
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FREEDOM
FROM STIGMA CAMPAIGN
The NAMI NJ Freedom from Stigma Campaign was initiated
to combat hurtful and negative stereotypes perpetuated
about people with mental illness and about serious mental illnesses
themselves. The 2004 NAMI Conference was devoted to
the Freedom from Stigma theme, and awards were presented
to individuals and groups who have successfully fought stigma.
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HEARTS
& MINDS
Research has demonstrated that people living with severe
psychiatric conditions may have an increased risk of
heart disease and related conditions. NAMI NJ's Hearts & Minds
program seeks to raise awareness and provide information
on: diabetes, diet, exercise, and smoking.
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IN
OUR OWN VOICE
In Our Own Voice (IOOV) is a NAMI program, designed
to train individuals with serious mental illnesses to
give presentations about their illness and recovery. The program
is a powerful tool for community education and reducing
stigma by putting a human face on an often misunderstood area of
human suffering. IOOV presenters are ready to present at scheduled
affiliate meetings, Family-
to-Family Education Classes, religious institutions,
high school and college classrooms, community or service
clubs, and human service or legal professional groups.
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LAW
ENFORCEMENT EDUCATION
Each county affiliate has at least one NAMI liaison
who can be called upon to teach a basic class in mental
illness awareness for law enforcement. The class can take from one
half hour to two hours, depending upon the needs of
the audience. The class includes a brief history of the treatment
of mental illness, a 12 minute video about its biological
nature, a review of symptoms and warning signs, a discussion
of the 1989 Psychiatric Emergency Screening Law and its significance
for police officers, and an explanation of the DOs and
DON'Ts for law enforcement dealing with mental illness crisis
situations.
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MENTAL
ILLNESS AWARENESS WEEK
Every year, the first week of
October is designated as a week to raise awareness about serious
mental illness. NAMI affiliates plan several events,
including iris plantings, candlelight vigils, displays in
public libraries and other similar events.
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MULTICULTURAL
OUTREACH
As a self-help organization, NAMI NJ is especially sensitive
to the concept of mutual caring and responsibility implicit
in family relationships and reaching out in that context to families
from various cultures that are affected by serious mental
illness.
 SAMHAJ
(South Asian Mental Health Awareness in Jersey)
CAMHOP-NJ
(Chinese American Mental Health Outreach Program in New Jersey)
NAMI
NJ EN ESPAÑOL
AACT-NOW!
(African American Community Takes New Outreach Worldwide)
"Documenting
Our Presence: Multicultural Experiences of Mental Illness"
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NAMI
BASICS EDUCATION PROGRAM
NAMI Basics is the new signature
education program for parents and other caregivers of children and
adolescents living with mental illnesses. The course
is taught by trained teachers who are the parent
or other caregivers of individuals who developed the
symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of
13 years. All instruction and course materials are free
to class participants.
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NAMI
NEW JERSEY AWARDS
In commemoration of Governor Codey’s
extraordinary courage and efforts in focusing our State’s attention
on improving the lives of those affected by mental illness and empowering
mental health consumers and their families, in 2005
NAMI New Jersey established a new annual award, the Governor
Richard J. Codey Mental Health Champion Award, in recognition
for outstanding contribution to improving the lives
of individuals and families affected by mental illness.
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NIMH
OUTREACH PARTNERSHIP
NAMI NJ is one of the 51 organizations
partnering with the National Institute of Mental Health(NIMH) to
conduct mental health outreach and education for the public, health
professionals, K-12 schools, minorities and other populations
such as youth and older adults using mental health-related information
provided by NIMH or other sources.
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NAMI
NJ STORE
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