National Alliance on Mental Illness to host multiple free events this month

Jan. 5—STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — The Staten Island affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, NAMI, is offering a series of events within the next few weeks. Each of them designed to help participants overcome struggles that they may face.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness formed in 1979, and prides itself on being "the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization." According to their website, they have an alliance of over 600 local Affiliates and 49 State Organizations. Each of which hopes "to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need."

One such affiliate can be found right here on the island. The local group, known as NAMI-NYC Staten Island, began in 1985 and registered as a 501 C3 charity in 1986. Today, the organization continues to offer services and host free events to support and educate the community.

Recently, they announced a line of events that aim to further their mission.

One such event is the "NAMI NYC Staten Island Community Education Meeting" being held Wed. Jan. 11, at 7 p.m. The free event will be held at the Richmond University Medical Center, RUMC, SIPP Auditorium. It will feature guest speaker, Stephen Homley, a social worker from the Department of Veterans Affairs New York Harbor suicide prevention program.

The VA NY Harbor suicide prevention team has existed for 15 years and continuously strives to expand suicide prevention efforts. As of late, the group has adopted a community-based approach in partnering with local groups to bolster efforts, and explore societal-level interventions. This meeting hopes to do just that.

The New York National Guard will be partnering up with NAMI NYC Staten Island to host the "New York State Citizen Preparedness Corps Training Program". As the threat of sever weather increases, so does the need for emergency preparedness. As noted on the flyer, "The NY Citizen Preparedness Training Program teaches residents to have the tools and resources to prepare for any type of disaster, respond accordingly, and recover as quickly as possible to pre-disaster conditions." This introductory program will advise participants on how to properly cope with any sort of disaster. Whether that be developing a family emergency plan or ensuring to stock up on emergency supplies.

The event will be held at 3 p.m. on Jan. 18 at Church of The Holy Family at 366 Watchogue Rd. Seating will be on a first come, first serve basis and capacity will cap out at 500, so hopeful attendees should make an effort to arrive sharply.

The final event is the first "NAMI Family-to-Family Class." This free, eight session program is specially designed for friends, family, and loved ones of those who struggle with Mental Illness. According to the flyer, "research shows that the program significantly improved the coping and problem solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition."

The initial class is expected to be held at Holy Rosary Church at 6:30 p.m. on Jan. 30th. To register and reserve your seat you can call the office at :718-477-1700.

For further information on NAMI NYC Staten Island, check out their website at namistatenisland.org or email info@namistatenisland.org.

If you are in a crisis please reach out to NYC WELL by calling 1-888-NYC-WELL (1-888-692-9355) or text WELL to 65173.

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