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Weekly News & Events
March 1st, 2018
National Eating Disorder Awareness Week
Eating disorders make up two of the legally defined serious mental illnesses . Learn more about the types of eating disorders plus resources from NAMI .
There are several eating disorder awareness events throughout California this week. Get involved to bust stigma and spread messages of hope and recovery around this illness!

NAMI National Helpline
We at NAMI California often get calls to our office from those in crisis. We are not trained crisis counselors or providers, but we do our best to connect callers with crisis and help lines. To better help and more urgently help those in a crisis, we ask that you spread the word that folks can call NAMI National's Helpline at 800-950-6264 . You can also text NAMI at 741741 in a crisis.
The National Suicide Prevention Helpline is 1-800-273-8255
For helpline or crisis services closer to home, find your local affiliate on our database by county and see if they have an affiliate helpline or a mental health county crisis line listed.

New NAMI CA Staff: Advocacy Manager Caitlin Shea
A born and raised Texan, Caitlin moved to California for adventure, big trees and cold beaches, and a great job with NAMI California.
In 2017, Caitlin graduated with a dual master’s degree in Public Affairs and Community and Regional Planning from the LBJ School of Public Affairs and the University of Texas at Austin. During her time in graduate school, she held two policy internships with a special emphasis on child well-being among children from low-income families and high-stress neighborhoods.
Before graduate school, she managed field divisions of political campaigns, worked for the Texas Senate, and held numerous internships with nonprofits and legislative officials. She enjoys walks with her pit bull, Rosie, good conversation with friends, and the occasional yoga class.
As the new Advocacy Manager, she is responsible for overseeing NAMI CA’s policy and outreach efforts to move the needle on key policy priorities.
Early Bird Registration for the NAMI CA Annual Statewide Conference ends March 23 !
The 2018 NAMI California Annual Conference will take place June 1 - 2 at the Hyatt Regency Monterey Hotel & Spa on Del Monte Golf Course in Monterey, California. Take advantage of special Early Bird pricing, which ends March 23! Register now!
Personal Stories
NAMI California is looking for personal stories of mental health recovery to share in our Your Stories blog and in our monthly newsletters.
Additionally, we would love to hear from family members. If you would like to share your story as a family member or caregiver of someone with mental illness, please email Communications Coordinator Shireen Dada Whitaker at Shireen@namica.org
NAMI CA Advocacy Mini-Grant
NAMI California is offering local affiliates the opportunity to build and coordinate a local advocacy program! Selected affiliates will receive a $125, $325, or $600 stipend to build a local advocacy program to support mental health awareness efforts and legislative change. NAMI California will provide technical assistance and support to selected affiliates to assist with advocacy activities.
 
Process:
  • Interested affiliates should review the commitments listed in the document linked below and decide which level of funding is most appropriate for their affiliate. Successful applicants will demonstrate that their affiliate has the capacity and leadership to effectively complete commitments.  
  • Applications are due by March 12, 2018. Affiliates can apply in one of two ways:
  • Complete the application online; OR
  • Complete the application linked below (pages 6-7) and submit to caitlin@namica.org.
  • NAMI CA will notify affiliates within 2 weeks of receiving their application.
  • Awarded applicants must complete their activities by July 31, 2018 and submit NAMI CA Post Event Report documentation by August 15, 2018 (NAMI CA will provide this in worksheet form and will be approximately 1-2 pages per advocacy commitment).
NAMI CA Program Training
Through funding from the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission (MHSOAC), NAMI CA has several opportunities to partner with affiliates throughout California to offer program trainings before August 2018.
 
NAMI CA will be awarding $2,000 for each of the following program trainings:
  • 1 Family to Family training
  • 2 Family Support Group trainings
  • 1 Basics training
  • 1 Persona a Persona training
  • 1 Peer to Peer training
  • 1 Conexion training
  • 1 Familia a Familia

MOU applications must be submitted to NAMI CA no later than March 12, 2018 . Affiliates will be notified regarding if their training will receive funding by March 19, 2018.
Keep us in the loop!
We welcome your submissions for the NAMI California monthly and weekly newsletters! We would like to recognize our affiliates, NAMI members, calls-to-action, and special events across the state that highlight the best of what's happening in California mental health advocacy. Please keep the length of your submission to 250 words or less, and include a contact name, email and phone number in case we need to reach you for more information. We love photos, so please send a picture if you have one! We regret that we cannot publish all submissions, and we reserve the right to edit all content.  
Email your submissions to NAMI California Communications Coordinator Shireen Dada Whitaker at Shireen@namica.org . Thank you, and we look forward to hearing from you!
Send Program Inquiries To:

NAMI California Office: (916) 567-0163  
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