July 2018l Dear Friend: While summer is not yet over, we are in a season of transitions here at NAMI Franklin County. We're wrapping up NAMIWalks 2018, welcoming new Board Members, gearing up for new Ending the Silence sessions at the start of the school year, bidding farewell to dear friends and preparing for our Annual Meeting in October. All the best, Rachelle A. Martin, Executive Director

NAMIWalks 2018! Thank you to everyone who came out and Walked last month - nearly 1,000 Central Ohioans came together to raise nearly $110,000! Check out the Event Page to see Individual Leaderboards . 

It is not too late to amplify your impact. If you work for a major corporation or organization, ask if they match donations! Even if you've already donated, many companies will match within a certain time period. Although we beat our goal, every dollar that we raise, helps us to offer more free programs and support groups like Ending the Silence and NAMI Connection to the Franklin County Community!

A Needed Respite for Caregivers Through a partnership with Concord Counseling Services and ADAMH Franklin County, NAMI Franklin County is able to offer respite services to you for up to 12 hours per month – during which your loved one will have in-home or community based activities with a mental health specialist. Contact Helen McKinley, 614-266-2066, for more details.

Ending the Silence Host a Session at Your School!

NAMI Ending the Silence (ETS) is a 50-minute mental health awareness program for high school age youth. Teens learn how to recognize the early warning signs of mental illness and what to do if they or someone they know is exhibiting these signs.  NAMI Ending the Silence instills a message of hope and recovery and encourages teens to reduce stigma and end the silence surrounding mental illness. Offered to schools, youth and communities at no cost, ETS is led by a trained two-person team, one being a young person living with in recovery with a mental health condition. To host Ending the Silence at your school, contact Laurita Barbe r , 614-530-4554.

NAMI Franklin County is proud to be able to offer Ending the Silence to students and participants. If you'd like to learn how you can help underwrite the cost of program supplies or other parts of the program, email us.

Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month

In May 2008, the U.S. House of Representatives announced July as Bebe Moore Campbell National Minority Mental Health Awareness Month. The resolution was sponsored by Representative Albert Wynn (D-MD) and cosponsored by a large bipartisan group to improve access to mental health treatment and services and promote public awareness of mental illness among minorities. As much as public awareness, services, and treatment have improved in the last ten years, there is still room for across-the-board improvement, especially for minorities and diverse ethnic communities. One “behavioral healthcare shoe” does not fit every man, woman, and child who experiences a mental health condition, especially if they are not part of the dominant racial and cultural landscape. Read More . Karen Cousins, NAMI Franklin County Mentor Coordinator and Family-to-Family Instructor

Education and Support Opportunities NAMI Franklin County's Family-to-Family begins August 12! As with all of our support grops and classes, Family-to- Family is free to attend. For planning purposes, advance registration is required. Click here for a complete summary of available education and support groups. For registration and additional information, please visit our website or call (614) 501-6264.

Support. Education. Advocacy.