Mission of NAMI of Greater Chicago
NAMI of Greater Chicago’s mission is to provide hope and improve the quality of life for those in the greater Chicago area whose lives are affected by serious mental illness.
~ NAMI Chicago on Campus ~
NAMI Chicago on Campus is a program developed by NAMI of Greater Chicago to assist Chicago area colleges and universities in providing mental health related programs and services to their students.
Many mental illnesses show up during the formative, college-age years. A survey of 1,026 college students in the summer of 2004 found that one-third of students report symptoms of serious mental illness.
NAMI Chicago on Campus’s goals are to:
1. Increase awareness about mental illness on campuses.
2. Increase available campus-based support and resources for students living with mental illness.
NAMI Chicago on Campus
· is designed to be a partnership between NAMI of Greater Chicago and Chicago-area colleges and universities.
· will conduct short surveys with staff and students and then evaluate the results together with campus personnel
· will assist campuses in augmenting mental health programs.
· will promote student involvement in determining needs and running student programs on their campus.
This initiative is strengthened by the potential for dedicated students to work with NAMI of Greater Chicago synergistically towards these goals.
~ NAMI Chicago on Campus ~
§ Educational programs for those who interact directly with students dealing with serious mental illness,
o residential advisors
o campus security
o other college staff responsible for providing assistance to students dealing with mental illness
1. an overview of the signs and symptoms of mental illness
2. personal accounts from people living with mental illness and their family members
3. techniques for de-escalating a person who may be experiencing a mental health crisis
§ A series of four 1 ½ hour sessions for students held either on campus or at the NAMI of Greater Chicago office including:
- Myths and Realities of Mental Illness – addressing pervasive misconceptions; and hearing from a person who is recovering from mental illness;
- Signs and Symptoms of Mental Illness – an overview of serious mental illness; how to approach friends or acquaintances, how to advocate for or encourage someone to seek treatment, and learning about available resources.
- “Who or what is in charge of my brain?” - brain biology, substance abuse, and resources;
- De-escalation techniques, discussion about people who do not want treatment, and contact with family members of people with mental illness.
§ Information & Referral “HELPLINE” (312) 563-0445 (M-F 10-5) for Mental Health Services
§ Assistance for new or existing student self-help support groups.
§ Assistance in developing mental health screening opportunities
§ Information, support, and education:
o booths at wellness or health fairs,
o sample articles from school newspapers to make writing one easier,
o informational literature about mental illnesses on the campuses,
o materials for colleges to send to parents of students,
o posters about mental illness, and
o advertising support groups and educational programs.
§ Website at www.NAMIGC.org
§ Sharing information about what other colleges and universities are doing, to gain insight and innovative.
§ Experience with advocacy in order to achieve institutional attention and change.
These services can be tailored to fit the needs of each individual campus.
Contact Us!
To contact NAMI of Greater Chicago about the NAMI Chicago on Campus initiative, you can:
F Call the NAMI of Greater Chicago office at 312-563-0445 Monday through Friday 10am until 5pm
F Email NAMIChicago.campus@gmail.com
NAMI of Greater Chicago is…
§ A volunteer, not-for-profit, self-help organization.
§ Parents, siblings, children, spouses, and friends of people with serious mental illness working together.
§ Consumers of mental health services working together with staff and volunteers to improve the quality of their own lives and to assist each other in recovery.
§ An affiliate of the National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), a grassroots family support movement with affiliates in all 50 states and more than 220,000 members nationwide, and of NAMI-Illinois, the state coalition.
In addition to NAMI Chicago on Campus, NAMI of Greater Chicago has the following programs and activities:
information & referral, crisis support, advocacy, anti-stigma activities, public education, Family to Family Classes, Pathways in Living Classes, speaker’s bureau, newsletter, legislative updates, resource library, family support groups, consumer support groups, consumer ‘job-readiness’, Art for Life Gallery, Computers for Consumers, Crisis Intervention Training for the Chicago Police Department, and much more!
Volunteers
The success of NAMI Chicago on Campus continues to be enabled by the Young Professionals Group, a collection of over 20 young professionals and students from throughout the Chicago area. To volunteer or find out more, our contact information is on the reverse of this sheet.
v. 9-16-05
Quick Facts
from a national survey conducted by Fleishman Hillard International Communications for the National NAMI organization and Abbott Laboratories in June/July 2004 of 1,026 college students:
1/4 of students surveyed say their overall mental health is below average or poor.
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1/3 of college students report symptoms of serious mental illness, such as prolonged depression or a desire to hurt oneself or others.
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66% of students surveyed feel consistently overwhelmed by daily activities.
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30% of students surveyed said that their school does NOT provide mental health services.
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32% of students surveyed have had prolonged depression; 24% have had suicidal thoughts or feelings; and 15% say they’ve had problems functioning due to mental illness.
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According to the 2004 National Survey of Counseling Center Directors, over 90% of counseling center directors believe that students with significant psychological disorders are a growing concern on campus.
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Statistics project an average 1,088 suicides a year, making it the second leading cause of death for college students, more than all other medical illnesses combined.
(from a 2001 expert roundtable sponsored by the National Mental Health Association and the Jed Foundation - http://www.nmha.org/suicide/report.pdf)
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A national survey conducted in 2003 by the American College Health Association found that 10.3% of college students seriously considered attempting suicide in 2003. According to statistics from collegeboard.com, that means over 35,500 students in the Chicago area will seriously consider suicide in the coming year.
An initiative of
The Alliance for the Mentally Ill, NAMI of Greater Chicago
1536 W. Chicago Ave. ~ Chicago, IL 60622
Phone: 312-563-0445 Fax: 312-563-0467
www.namigc.org