NAMI NJ Celebrates Pride Month

As we recognize and celebrate June as LGBTQ+ Pride Month, NAMI NJ is proud to stand with the LGBTQ+ Community.

You are not alone. NAMI NJ is here for you.

One purpose of Pride Month, is to hold time and space for acknowledging and advocating for further acceptance for lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender people. This year, it is more important than ever to acknowledge this month and all it stands for.

NAMI NJ believes that all persons, regardless of sexual orientation or gender identity, deserve equal access to services and treatments that promote mental wellness. NAMI NJ was proud to be a part of the largest and oldest LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration in the Garden State at NJ’s 30th Annual Statewide LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration on June 5, 2022. And we will continue to stand with the LGBTQ+ community.

To reduce collective trauma, our LGBTQ+ friends and families deserve to live in a society where they are supported. They deserve to not live in fear that creates more stress and mental health challenges.

LGBTQ youth who live in communities, and/or have friends and family that were accepting of LGBTQ+ persons, as well as friends and family who were accepting, were less likely to attempt suicide. (Trevor Project – 2022 National Survey)

NAMI NJ is alarmed by the results of the Trevor Project’s 2022 National Survey on LGBTQ+ Mental Health – that found 45% of LGBTQ+ youth aged 13-24 seriously considered attempting suicide in the past year. 14% attempted suicide, including 19% of transgender and non-binary youth. Of those who wanted mental health care, 60% were unable to get it.

These numbers show that there are still significant barriers to care for the LGBTQ+ community that we must address. They also show that when communities – and the schools, businesses, civic leaders, health providers, and families that comprise them – support LGBTQ+ acceptance, they further public health.

The opposite is also true. Targeting the LGBTQ+ community through policies that limit their access to care, support, and education, or promote false and harmful stereotypes, erodes public health.

NAMI NJ strongly condemns any and all policies that target the LGBTQ+ community to further stigmatize and marginalize the LGBTQ+ population.

Today, and everyday: NAMI NJ stands with the LGBTQ+ community.

Sincerely-

Meredith Masin Blount

Executive Director

NAMI NJ President, Mark T. Williams, marched alongside our staff members, program leaders and volunteers at NJ’s 30th Annual Statewide LGBTQ+ Pride Celebration on June 5, 2022, to show support and elevate the voices of the LGBTQ+ community. According to NAMI.org: Although the full range of LGBTQI identities are not commonly included in large-scale studies of mental health, there is strong evidence from recent research that members of this community are at a higher risk for experiencing mental health conditions — especially depression and anxiety disorders. LGB adults are more than twice as likely as heterosexual adults to experience a mental health condition. Transgender individuals are nearly four times as likely as cisgender individuals (people whose gender identity corresponds with their birth sex) individuals to experience a mental health condition.

The Trevor Project

The Trevor Project is the world’s largest suicide prevention and crisis intervention organization for lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, and questioning (LGBTQ) young people.

Visit the Trevor Project website

The Pride Center of New Jersey

The mission of Pride Center of New Jersey is to provide a safe and welcoming space for all individuals who identify as LGBTQ+ to find support, educational tools, health and education resources, and social opportunities within a community of acceptance.

Visit the Pride Center website

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention

AFSP is dedicated to preventing suicide among lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender and queer (LGBTQ) people. As a public health organization, AFSP believes that it is our individual and collective responsibility to support the mental health and wellbeing of LGBTQ people.

Visit the AFSP website

The Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity

The Center of Excellence on LGBTQ+ Behavioral Health Equity provides behavioral health practitioners with vital information on supporting the population of people identifying as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, queer, questioning, intersex, two-spirit, and other diverse sexual orientations, gender identities and expressions.

Through training, coaching, and technical assistance they are implementing change strategies within mental health and substance use disorder treatment systems to address disparities effecting LGBTQ+ people across all stages of life.

Visit the LGBTQ Equity website

Suicide Prevention Statistics

40% of transgender adults have attempted suicide in their lifetime, compared to less than 5% of the general U.S. population. Learn more

The LGBTQI population is at a higher risk than the heterosexual, cisgender population for suicidal thoughts and suicide attempts. Learn more

LGBTQ+ NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group

This NAMI Connection is a peer-led recovery support group for individuals (18+) in the LGBTQ+ community who are looking for a safe and inclusive space to discuss mental health and various LGBTQ+ related topics.

Attendees will:

Empathize and learn from others’ experiences
Share beneficial coping strategies
Participate in productive discussion
Gain a sense of community and belonging
Offer encouragement and understanding to others

LGBTQ+ Support Group meetings will occur the last Sunday of each month from 7:00 PM – 8:30 PM Eastern Time. All meetings will be 90 minutes and are entirely confidential. Contact [email protected] for more information.

Bring a friend or anyone whom you believe will benefit, all are welcome!