1. Reaching out to Faith Communities
Part I: Laying the Foundation

2. Who & What Is 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. 2

3. Four Phases of Reaching Out
Laying the Foundation
Opening the Door
Sharing Your Story
Looking Ahead & Following Up

4. Faith & Mental Health

5. What is NAMI FaithNet? 5

6. Our Purpose
To equip NAMI members, clergy and congregations for creating more supportive faith communities
To share NAMI resources and hopeful stories with religious groups 6

7. Why Reach Out?
Faith communities are the first place many people turn to
Faith communities are more numerous and more evenly distributed geographically
Faith groups already provide educational settings
Faith groups are already committed to caring and advocating for a better world

8. Why Reach Out? NAMI Affiliates Can Receive:
Valuable community exposure
Education and support group participants
Volunteers and advocates
New members and community partners 8

9. Impacts on the Faith Community
1 in 5 adults experiences a mental health condition in a given year
About 1 in 20 lives with a serious mental health condition
1 in 5 children and youth experience a mental health condition 9

10. Lack of Treatment
Fewer than one-third of adults and one-half of children receive treatment
There are long delays—an average of eight to ten years—from first symptoms to a proper diagnosis

11. Lack of Treatment School failure
About half of students living with a mental health condition dropout
Unemployment
Only 1 in 3 adults living with a mental health condition is employed, but most want to work 11

12. Lack of Treatment Homelessness
26% of the homeless population lives with a serious mental health condition
Hospitalization
1 out of every 5 community hospital stays is due to a mental health condition 12

13. Lack of Treatment Criminalization
About 20-25% of jail and prison inmates and youth involved with juvenile justice live with a mental health condition
Suicide
We lose one life to suicide every 15.8 minutes

14. Honoring Diversity

15. Individual Spirituality

16. Including All Faith Communities

17. Learn All You Can About various faith traditions About terms used
For clergy
Houses of worship
Not-for-profit and community groups
Faith groups

18. We All Have Connections

19. The Need For Humility

20. Being Realistic

21. Work with a Partner

22. Form a Team

23. Your Resource Notebook
Local NAMI Affiliate Brochure
Local Congregation/Faith Community Contact Sheet
Your Lead-in statements and story
Fact Sheet
Multi-Faith Mental Health Ministry Web sites

24. Suggestions for Study Take a moment to read each slide
Read the notes for each one
Keep a notebook handy and jot down:
1. Things you agree or disagree with
2. Things you have questions about
Share your affirmations, concerns and questions with your study group

25. Visit www.nami.org/faithnet
or under the “Get Involved” tab.

26. Questions or Comments?
Thank you for taking the three minute survey and for registering your feedback!