Using Mental Illness Using Mental Illness Awareness Week to Build Awareness Week to Build

Non-traditional PartnershipsNon-traditional Partnerships

Stacey HarrisonStacey HarrisonDeneice ValentineDeneice Valentine

NAMI-Metropolitan BaltimoreNAMI-Metropolitan Baltimore

Mental Illness Awareness Week Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW)(MIAW)

A national educational campaign, A national educational campaign, observed the first week of October. observed the first week of October. Its two major sponsors are NAMI and Its two major sponsors are NAMI and the American Psychiatric Associationthe American Psychiatric Association

Goals/Objectives of MIAWGoals/Objectives of MIAW

1. Help NAMI gain visibility and 1. Help NAMI gain visibility and recognition as local voice on mental recognition as local voice on mental illnessillness

2. Increase community knowledge of 2. Increase community knowledge of mental illness and NAMImental illness and NAMI

3. Build strong community partnerships 3. Build strong community partnerships and leverage partners’ networksand leverage partners’ networks

4. Disseminate information on mental 4. Disseminate information on mental illness and NAMIillness and NAMI

MIAW—MIAW—creates partnerships and creates partnerships and

promotes our programs and promotes our programs and publications publications

Activities of NAMI-Metro BaltimoreActivities of NAMI-Metro Baltimore1. Materials distribution1. Materials distribution

2. Outreach through speakers/fairs2. Outreach through speakers/fairs3. Events3. Events

4. Community brainstorming4. Community brainstorming5. Media relations5. Media relations

6. Faith based focused activities6. Faith based focused activities7. Children focused activities7. Children focused activities

8. College University focused activities including Collegetown 8. College University focused activities including Collegetown networknetwork

9. Proclamations (Mayor and County Executive9. Proclamations (Mayor and County Executive10. Employer’s Activity10. Employer’s Activity

Functions of the MIAW ADHOC Functions of the MIAW ADHOC Advisory CommitteeAdvisory Committee

1. To carry the message of NAMI to 1. To carry the message of NAMI to organizations, industries, and associates that organizations, industries, and associates that recovery from mental illness is possiblerecovery from mental illness is possible

2. To provide information and recommendations 2. To provide information and recommendations to NAMI staff and Board for planning and to NAMI staff and Board for planning and promoting the observance of MIAWpromoting the observance of MIAW

3. To make available resources, venues, and 3. To make available resources, venues, and contacts to support the observance of MIAWcontacts to support the observance of MIAW

Composition of MIAW ADHOC Composition of MIAW ADHOC Advisory CommitteeAdvisory Committee

Members should be inclusive of Members should be inclusive of persons with interest, knowledge, persons with interest, knowledge,

experience, and/or impact on health, experience, and/or impact on health, children, adolescents, and adults children, adolescents, and adults

with severe, biologically based brain with severe, biologically based brain disorders that comprise mental disorders that comprise mental

illnessillness

Who Attended Our Previous Who Attended Our Previous MIAWMIAW

1. The head of 2 local mental health core agencies1. The head of 2 local mental health core agencies2. Baltimore County Police Department2. Baltimore County Police Department3. DSS Community Relations3. DSS Community Relations4. Representatives from local colleges, including 4. Representatives from local colleges, including

those of their psychology departments.those of their psychology departments.5. Public Defenders Office5. Public Defenders Office6. A representative from one of the local health and 6. A representative from one of the local health and

fitness chainsfitness chains7. A representative from the local SSA office7. A representative from the local SSA office8. Many Others8. Many Others

How We Leverage NetworksHow We Leverage Networks

I. Speakers and FairsI. Speakers and Fairs

II. Materials Distribution and DevelopmentII. Materials Distribution and DevelopmentA. DistributionA. Distribution

1. Used to assist 1. Used to assist communication through word of mouthcommunication through word of mouth

2. Distributed during MIAW2. Distributed during MIAW3. Graduates of our programs 3. Graduates of our programs

disseminate fliers disseminate fliers

II. Material Distribution and Development II. Material Distribution and Development ContinuedContinued

B. DevelopmentB. Development

1. Generated Locally1. Generated Locallya. Bookmarks, posters, fact sheets about a. Bookmarks, posters, fact sheets about

MIAW and NAMI-Metropolitan Baltimore, as well MIAW and NAMI-Metropolitan Baltimore, as well as resource packets as resource packets

b. Resource packets and brochures b. Resource packets and brochures

disseminated through our helpline and the disseminated through our helpline and the members only section of our NAMI-members only section of our NAMI-Metropolitan's WebsiteMetropolitan's Website

II. Material Distribution and II. Material Distribution and Development ContinuedDevelopment Continued

2. Generated nationally2. Generated nationally

a. Fact sheets and brochures a. Fact sheets and brochures from NAMI nationalfrom NAMI national

b. Bulletin inserts from faith b. Bulletin inserts from faith communitiescommunities

Poster Poster

created bycreated by NAMI-Metro NAMI-Metro BaltimoreBaltimore

VolunteerVolunteer

III. EventsIII. Events

A. Sponsored In Our Own Voice, Family A. Sponsored In Our Own Voice, Family Ambassadors, and Child and Adolescent Ambassadors, and Child and Adolescent workshop presentations during work weekworkshop presentations during work week

B. Co-Sponsored Baltimore County Town B. Co-Sponsored Baltimore County Town Meeting on mental health during MIAWMeeting on mental health during MIAW

C. Sponsored Michael Mack at One Man C. Sponsored Michael Mack at One Man TheatreTheatre

D. Sponsored Many Faces of Mental D. Sponsored Many Faces of Mental Illness Mask CompetitionIllness Mask Competition

IV. What to Do to Launch EventsIV. What to Do to Launch Events

A. Have a brainstorming meeting to A. Have a brainstorming meeting to determine how to excite people determine how to excite people

B. Determine key players and what the B. Determine key players and what the project should look like based on those project should look like based on those key players key players

C. Decide who has the drive and energy to C. Decide who has the drive and energy to

carry the project through (leveraging carry the project through (leveraging the energy of volunteers)the energy of volunteers)

V. Community Brainstorming MeetingsV. Community Brainstorming Meetings

A. PurposesA. Purposes

1. To raise awareness about mental illness and 1. To raise awareness about mental illness and NAMI, with interviews with non-traditional NAMI, with interviews with non-traditional affiliations (i.e. health clubs)affiliations (i.e. health clubs)

2. Brainstorm ways to use networks and affiliations 2. Brainstorm ways to use networks and affiliations

3. To carry the message to respective organizations, 3. To carry the message to respective organizations, industries, and associates that recovery is industries, and associates that recovery is possible from mental illnesspossible from mental illness

4. Provide information and recommendations to 4. Provide information and recommendations to NAMI staff and Board for planning the observance NAMI staff and Board for planning the observance of MIAWof MIAW

VII. What We Do At Community VII. What We Do At Community MeetingsMeetings

A. Intro to NAMI and MIAW for newbiesA. Intro to NAMI and MIAW for newbies

B. Show fact sheets and materialsB. Show fact sheets and materials

C. F2F paired intros-short forms requesting C. F2F paired intros-short forms requesting name, employers, contact info, and name, employers, contact info, and affiliationsaffiliations

VI. Results of Community MeetingsVI. Results of Community Meetings

A. Conceived ideas for a new project each A. Conceived ideas for a new project each yearyear

B. Disseminated literature at every city and B. Disseminated literature at every city and county library branchcounty library branch

C. Envelope sized MIAW and NAMI fact C. Envelope sized MIAW and NAMI fact cards were placed at all Baltimore cards were placed at all Baltimore County police departments and the County police departments and the fraternal Order of Police put a notice in fraternal Order of Police put a notice in their newslettertheir newsletter

VI. Results of Community Meeting VI. Results of Community Meeting ContinuedContinued

D. A member set up a table at a law firm D. A member set up a table at a law firm and procured a donation between $250 and procured a donation between $250 and $500 as well as had an e-mail about and $500 as well as had an e-mail about NAMI circulated throughout the firmNAMI circulated throughout the firm

E. SSA posted our info on EAP website. We E. SSA posted our info on EAP website. We scheduled an IOOV presentation, which scheduled an IOOV presentation, which will lead to a national telecast of an IOOV will lead to a national telecast of an IOOV presentation being filmed in the futurepresentation being filmed in the future

VI. Results of a Community Meeting VI. Results of a Community Meeting ContinuedContinued

F. Recruited volunteers to distribute our F. Recruited volunteers to distribute our program and event fliers, provide sites program and event fliers, provide sites for our workshops and courses, and serve for our workshops and courses, and serve as volunteers in our fundraising eventsas volunteers in our fundraising events

** At the very least, get all contacts on your ** At the very least, get all contacts on your e-mail distribution and get them to e-mail distribution and get them to commit to distributing your materials on commit to distributing your materials on ongoing basisongoing basis

VII. If You Can’t Have a Community VII. If You Can’t Have a Community MeetingMeeting

A. Compile a list of contacts.A. Compile a list of contacts.

B. Link with calendar of events to be posted on B. Link with calendar of events to be posted on NAMI Nat'l website and/or distributed through NAMI Nat'l website and/or distributed through your outreach.your outreach.

C. Establish NAMI as a central voice by sending a C. Establish NAMI as a central voice by sending a challenge e-mail to inquire what everyone is challenge e-mail to inquire what everyone is doing, so that you can list it on your MIAW doing, so that you can list it on your MIAW calendar, website, etc.calendar, website, etc.

VII. If You Can’t Have a Community VII. If You Can’t Have a Community Meeting continuedMeeting continued

D. Let people know what materials you have D. Let people know what materials you have available and where they are available, with a available and where they are available, with a list posted on the Nat'l NAMI website. Do this list posted on the Nat'l NAMI website. Do this even if you do not intend to distribute themeven if you do not intend to distribute them

E. PSA’s to educate the community about mental E. PSA’s to educate the community about mental illnessillness

F. Expand outreach efforts by leveraging the F. Expand outreach efforts by leveraging the networks of other individuals and organizationsnetworks of other individuals and organizations

Using Mental Illness Awareness Using Mental Illness Awareness Week to Build Non-traditional Week to Build Non-traditional

PartnershipsPartnerships

Any Questions?Any Questions?