Mission Statement
NAMI Minnesota champions justice, dignity and respect for all people affected by mental illnesses. Through education, support and advocacy we strive to eliminate the pervasive stigma of mental illnesses, affect positive changes in the mental health system, and increase the public and professional understanding of mental illnesses.
Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
To create a community that supports children and adults with mental illnesses to heal and recover, our community needs to be educated about mental illnesses, know how to help and support those impacted by mental illnesses and eliminate stereotypes and biases. To do this, NAMI Minnesota reached more than 216,000 people directly and indirectly through all of its programs.
In fiscal year 2018, NAMI reached 950 family members through its eight different classes and 2265 professionals through online and in-person trainings. To educate the general public NAMI offered the In Our Own Voice program helps, Make it Ok campaign and a speakers’ bureau reaching over 3,800 people and increased the mental health literacy of over 700 people. Presentations to culturally specific communities and others, including presenting at conferences, reached 3,651 people.
Ending the Silence, which educates high school students, reached 9,675 a students, a three-fold increase from the previous year. A one hour workshop for employers on how to address stress, basic understanding of mental illnesses in the workplace and accommodations reached 735 employees. Six different suicide prevention classes were offered to 6,313 people.
NAMI’s 72 peer-led support groups provide support to family members, adults living with a mental illness, parents of children, spouses/partners, young adults with mental illnesses, and people who identify as LGBTQ. To address barriers to accessing the groups such as transportation, two web-based support groups were launched this year with a third starting in October.
NAMI is the state’s outreach partner for the National Institute of Mental Health, hosts a research dinner with the University of Minnesota Department of Psychiatry each year, as well as the annual NAMI state conference and annual Baby Blues conference on maternal mental health. Over 4,000 people contacted the helpline for assistance in navigating the mental health system or looking for information on how to help a loved one. NAMI Minnesota is the “go to” organization for the media and is frequently interviewed on issues related to mental illnesses and the mental health system.
Current Goals
Goal 1: Ensure access to education and support throughout Minnesota.
Additional effort will be focused on reaching more diverse communities and using technology, such as web-based classes and support groups, to reach more people, particularly in greater Minnesota. New trainings as part of the state System of Care grant will be developed and delivered. Due to the high unemployment rate, we hope to develop a booklet on finding and keeping employment.
Goal 2: Educate and advocate to policy makers around emerging or critical issues related to the needs of children and adults with mental illnesses and their families.
Goal 3: Work with providers and professionals who touch the lives of people living with mental illnesses and their families.
Better training is needed for fire fighters and EMTs who come into contact with people who are experiencing a mental health crisis and NAMI hopes to fill this void by providing Mental Health First Aid training. The focus of our suicide prevention training will be on holding monthly training at the NAMI office and expand the classes provided in Greater Minnesota, particularly among farming communities.
Goal 4: Ensure that all people living with mental illnesses and their families in Minnesota have access to a NAMI Minnesota affiliate that meets NAMI standards.
Goal 5: Assure a sustainable organization that builds on NAMI Minnesota’s strengths.
To better meet the needs of the community, NAMI will continue to invest in using technology to reach more people. In addition, to recruit and retain valuable employees, efforts will be made to increase the salaries and benefits to remain competitive in this market.
Community or Constituency Served
NAMI Minnesota serves children and adults with mental illnesses and their families and educates those who work with them such as mental health professionals, police, teachers, health care providers and the general public.
Geographic Area Served
The state of Minnesota
