While NAMI NH in-person support group meetings, classes, presentations, and trainings are currently suspended through April 4th, there is a wealth of remote support and resources available. Please reach out, and take good care.
1. If you, or someone you know, is struggling emotionally - you are not alone.
2. NAMI NH's InfoLine is operational during regular business hours. To connect with resources & supports, message
info@NAMINH.org or call 1-800-242-6264 (ext. 601 for general inquiries, ext. 602 to get info. for individuals 18+, ext. 603 to get info. for children/youth under 18).
6. NAMI NH's online Parent Support Group meets monthly on the 2nd Wednesday, 10:00 am - 11:00 am. For more info., contact Carol Lemelin at 603-664-2116.
Click here to see NAMI NH's 2020 legislative priorities, read our testimony, track all of the mental health and suicide prevention bills we're following this session, sign up for public policy alerts, and more. Questions? Don't hesitate to contact us: advocacy@NAMINH.org.
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Congratulations CIT Grads!
Congratulations to all of the first responders who completed CIT Training earlier this month. NAMI NH is grateful to CIT Coordinator Susan Allen-Samuel, along with all of the staff, volunteers, speakers, and family members who stepped up to make the training a success.
NAMI New Hampshire is presenting Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training to law enforcement and first responders in NH as part of a 3-year grant from the
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
The 40-hour CIT program originated in 1988 in Memphis, TN after an officer-involved shooting of an individual with mental illness. CIT highlights best practices, improves community partnerships, and helps communities develop processes to serve people affected by mental illness with respect and dignity.
NAMI New Hampshire is conducting several trainings over the 3-year project period.
Through the Crisis Intervention Training for New Hampshire's First Responders Project, NAMI New Hampshire and its partners are training 435 NH State Police (NHSP) and Fire/Emergency Medical Services personnel (Fire/EMS) to recognize signs and symptoms of mental illness, provide them with the skills to effectively de-escalate situations and make appropriate referrals to community mental health services in order to ensure the safety of individuals with mental illness, First Responders and the general public.
For more information on Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) Training, contact NAMI New Hampshire's Susan Allen-Samuel, CIT Coordinator at sallen@NAMINH.org.
This training is made possible through a grant from the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA).
NAMI NH Advocacy Sponsor:
General Federation of Women's Clubs
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The General Federation of Women's Clubs made a $10,000 donation to support NAMI NH's advocacy efforts. This donation is part of the
President's Project to Nurture Good Mental Health Through Awareness, and made possible through the Candia Community Woman's Club and their "In the Bag" fundraising. Throughout the next year, clubs around the state will work with NAMI NH to raise awareness and funds.
Save the Date: Friday, April 24th
Evening of Unity to Benefit NAMI NH
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Save the date of Friday, April 24th for the 1st Annual GFWC NH Evening of Unity to benefit NAMI NH. Comedy by Linda Belt and 2020 Unity Award to be awarded.
NAMI NH continues to make the ED boarding crisis a top priority of advocacy efforts on behalf of individuals and families affected by mental illness and suicide.
All are welcome to attend the Monthly FEP/ESMI Stakeholder Meetings. These meetings typically take place on the 2nd Tuesday, 5:30 pm - 7:00 pm at NAMI New Hampshire. To learn more or to RSVP, please
message Michelle Wagner .
Coming this Spring - Save the Date for Connection Facilitator Training!
Veteran & Military Families
Registration OPEN for NAMI Homefront Online!
NAMI Homefront is a free class designed to address the unique needs of family, caregivers and friends of those who have served or are currently serving our country.
NAMI Homefront Online classes meet weekly in a virtual classroom, so participants experience the same level of interaction and learning as traditional in-person classes.
NAMI New Hampshire offers four unique online groups - they're places to find peer support, share experiences, offer encouragement, and pass along resources. These closed Facebook groups require an add from admins - click each link below to learn more and request membership.
"My name is Erica (Spitfire), and this year I am taking on the incredible physical challenge of hiking the 7,000 mile Great Western Loop with a team called The Push Beyond. It is our goal to raise money for nonprofit organizations that hold an importance to each hiker on the team. My organization is NAMI New Hampshire. Mental health plays a huge factor in the happiness and well being of our communities, yet many still neglect it. Mental health issues are something we cannot see, and so they often get brushed aside and invalidated, making the problem worse. In my short life, I have had countless friends of all demographics who struggle with mental health. I have worked with teenagers who have attempted suicide. I have fought with my own mind, and often felt like I didn't deserve to be happy. Thankfully, I found thruhiking. In 2017, I hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. It was the hardest thing I'd ever done, but it was also the most valuable. Hiking taught me how to fight for myself, that I deserve every bit of happiness and love that comes my way, that I am worthy. When I hike the Great Western Loop this year, I want to do so in a way that I can help others manage their mental health. There is no better way to do this than by supporting NAMI NH. 100% of donations to this cause will go to NAMI NH so they can further fund programs to support and advocate for those with a mental illness..."
"Greetings from Gila National Park! The Gila Cliff Dwellings mark the end of my short warm up section hike of the Continental Divide Trail. When I come back through on the GWL, I will have completed all of the miles of this 3,
100 mile long trail, in addition to completing the GWL.
Hiking through this part of the country has been a unique experience for me. I never really thought of New Mexico as a place I'd like to go and explore. Truth be told, I never really thought of it at all. Now that I've been here though, and hiked just a sliver of this state, I see how wrong I was. This place is gorgeous, especially Gila. The desert has given new meaning to sunsets and sunrises.
Now that I've finished this section, I'm on my way to Arizona for a week and a half long layover to wait for the rest of the team. We will be leaving from Phoenix on March 4th to officially start the loop, and I could not be more excited! In the meantime, I'll be doing day hikes in the Superstition Wilderness and other areas of Tonto National Forest to stay in shape. Until next time!"
Make plans to join us at New Hampshire's largest mental health and suicide prevention event!
Family-friendly, dog-friendly, free, and FUN - we look forward to seeing you at the 18th Annual NAMIWalks NH!
Walk Committee meetings start back up soon! If you're interested in volunteering to help plan another record-breaking NAMIWalks NH, please
contact Brittany Porter.
Make an Impact
Did you know there are a variety of ways you can make a transformational gift to NAMI New Hampshire?
Join the NAMI New Hampshire Legacy Circle by including us in your estate planning, giving a lasting gift to help us continue providing support, education, and advocacy well into the future.
Consider giving a gift of stock and potentially avoid paying capital gains tax. Click here to learn more about the tax benefits of donating stock to a charity. Instructions for transferring a gift of stock to NAMI NH are available here.
If you are age 72 or older, IRS rules require you to take required minimum distributions each year from your tax-deferred retirement accounts. This additional taxable income may push you into a higher tax bracket, and may also reduce your eligibility for certain tax credits and deductions. Making a pre-tax charitable donation directly to NAMI NH can eliminate or reduce the impact of this income.
Stacking your gift may help you exceed the new standard deduction. This method of giving allows you to combine several years of charitable contributions in a single year, maximizing your potential tax benefit.
NAMI New Hampshire was recently honored with a Nonprofit Impact Award from the NH Center for Nonprofits. As the former Executive Director of NAMI NH and a father of a daughter with mental illness, one might think I'm biased when I say that the award was definitely well deserved. However, it only confirmed our belief that regularly giving to NAMI NH through our retirement program and adding NAMI NH as a beneficiary into our will is the right thing to do. With our gifts, and those of others, NAMI NH can continue to be good stewards of its resources, putting them to work for individuals and families affected by mental illness and suicide. Giving is an honor, especially when we see that what NAMI NH does works. Yet, they have more to do. Together, our collective resources ensure NH has an accessible, quality mental health and suicide prevention delivery system for Granite Staters.
~ Michael and Saundy Cohen
For more information, or to discuss additional opportunities, please contact Kristen or call 603-225-5359 x350. Sample bequest language is available on our website.
NAMI NH Corporate Sponsor Partners
NAMI New Hampshire is grateful to our Corporate Sponsors and Members for their steadfast commitment to improving the lives of Granite Staters affected by mental illness and suicide.
#hopestartswithyou
For information on
Corporate Sponsorship, or to discuss additional partnership opportunities, contact Kristen Welch, CFRE, Director of Development, at
kwelch@NAMINH.org or 603.235.5359 x350.
Mark Your Calendar
Rescheduled Events
The following events have been postponed due to the COVID-19 (Coronavirus) situation in New Hampshire. Please stay tuned for future rescheduled dates:
Angst Community Forum on Anxiety at Southern NH University
Bedlam at Red River Theatres
NAMI NH Annual Conference (rescheduled for Sat. 7/25)
Me2 Orchestra continues to connect (virtually for now)...
If you are interested in joining, please email Caroline at info@me2orchestra.org to receive more information. They'd love to have you check out a rehearsal or just jump right in!
The preparation of this newsletter was financed under an agreement with the State of New Hampshire, Department of Health and Human Services, Division of Behavioral Health, with funds provided in part or in whole by the State of New Hampshire and/or the United States Department of Health and Human Services.
