Reaching out to Faith Communities Part I: Laying the Foundation

Who & What Is NAMI? The National Alliance on Mental Illness is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. 2

Four Phases of Reaching Out Laying the Foundation Opening the Door Sharing Your Story Looking Ahead & Following Up

Faith & Mental Health

What is NAMI FaithNet? 5

Our Purpose To equip NAMI members, clergy and congregations for creating more supportive faith communities To share NAMI resources and hopeful stories with religious groups 6

Why Reach Out? Faith communities are the first place many people turn to Faith communities are more numerous and more evenly distributed geographically Faith groups already provide educational settings Faith groups are already committed to caring and advocating for a better world

Why Reach Out? NAMI Affiliates Can Receive: Valuable community exposure Education and support group participants Volunteers and advocates New members and community partners 8

Impacts on the Faith Community 1 in 5 adults experiences a mental health condition in a given year About 1 in 20 lives with a serious mental health condition 1 in 5 children and youth experience a mental health condition 9

Lack of Treatment Fewer than one-third of adults and one-half of children receive treatment There are long delays—an average of eight to ten years—from first symptoms to a proper diagnosis

Lack of Treatment School failure About half of students living with a mental health condition dropout Unemployment Only 1 in 3 adults living with a mental health condition is employed, but most want to work 11

Lack of Treatment Homelessness 26% of the homeless population lives with a serious mental health condition Hospitalization 1 out of every 5 community hospital stays is due to a mental health condition 12

Lack of Treatment Criminalization About 20-25% of jail and prison inmates and youth involved with juvenile justice live with a mental health condition Suicide We lose one life to suicide every 15.8 minutes

Honoring Diversity

Individual Spirituality

Including All Faith Communities

Learn All You Can About various faith traditions About terms used For clergy Houses of worship Not-for-profit and community groups Faith groups

We All Have Connections

The Need For Humility  

Being Realistic

Work with a Partner

Form a Team

Your Resource Notebook Local NAMI Affiliate Brochure Local Congregation/Faith Community Contact Sheet Your Lead-in statements and story Fact Sheet Multi-Faith Mental Health Ministry Web sites

Suggestions for Study Take a moment to read each slide Read the notes for each one Keep a notebook handy and jot down: 1. Things you agree or disagree with 2. Things you have questions about Share your affirmations, concerns and questions with your study group

Visit www.nami.org/faithnet or www.NAMI.org under the “Get Involved” tab.

Questions or Comments? Thank you for taking the three minute survey and for registering your feedback! www.surveymonkey.com/s/NAMIreachingout