Area Resources

January 2, 2024

Dear Pastor,

My name is Nancy Moser and I am a NAMI KS Family Program leader.  I am contacting you to request your assistance in sharing information with persons/families in your congregations. Because many people are not aware of NAMI and its programs, the NAMI KS Family program leaders at our recent state conference made the decision to reach out statewide in different venues with information about our virtual class offerings for 2024.  

Fast Facts

1 in 5 U.S. adults experience mental illness each year
1 in 20 U.S. adults experience serious mental illness each year
1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year
50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24
Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death among people aged 10-14 

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. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an alliance of more than 600 local Affiliates and 49 State Organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need. 

NAMI is a non-profit organization that provides free education, support and advocacy for those persons and their families who are impacted by a mental health disorder.  We offer virtual education classes for families who have a loved one living with a mental illness as well as virtual support groups.  

NAMI Kansas now has 14 affiliates.  Here is a link to our interactive affiliate map. https://namikansas.org/about-nami-kansas/nami-kansas-affiliates/nami-kansas-interactive-affiliate-map/ the goal of NAMI Ks is to have a presence in all 105 counties in 2025.   

All NAMI trained family program leaders are family members with a loved one living with mental illness; i.e., depression, anxiety, bipolar, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder, OCD, PTSD.  We recognize the challenges facing families to find and receive mental health education and care for their loved ones.  NAMI class curriculum is all evidence based and updated.

Our virtual class offerings scheduled for Spring 2024 include: NAMI Family to Family, NAMI Basics, NAMI Homefront,    

•         NAMI Family to Family class is a free virtual eight week class for family members, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions.  It facilitates a better understanding of mental health conditions, increases coping skills and empowers participants to become advocates for their loved one. Family members who have taken this course report it was life-changing for them in the education they received to better understand their loved one, how to best be their advocate, and how to communicate more effectively, and how to establish healthy boundaries.

•         NAMI Basics is a six week class for parents, guardians and other family caregivers who provide care for youth (age 22 or younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms.

•         NAMI Homefront is a six week virtual class for families, caregivers and friends of military service members and veterans with mental health conditions. The course is designed specifically to help these families understand those challenges and improve their ability to support their service member or veteran.

I am attaching the flyers for these classes for your use in bulletins, newsletters, or social media.   Virtual classes are capped at 20 persons with any additional registrants being placed on a waitlist.  We completed 5 virtual classes in 2023 with 75+ participants, there was such a large request for the class.  Besides these classes there will be other classes scheduled in the coming months.  We will continue to update you with the new flyers as they are scheduled.

If I can answer any questions, please don’t hesitate to contact me via my email at nancy.namifamily@gmail.com or by text at 870-321-2284.  

Thank you for your time and consideration.

Blessings,
Nancy Moser

https://www.nami.org  
https://namikansas.org/support-and-education/