NAMI-NYS Seeking Candidates for Board of Directors

The National Alliance for Mental Illness, New York is seeking candidates for our Board of Directors. Board members serve three-year terms, and Board service ensures the long-term strategic success of NAMI-NYS. Electronic voting may be used by any NAMI-NYS members who have an email on file with NAMI-NYS. If you require a paper copy of a ballot, please contact us. Election will be held in person at the NAMI-NYS Education Conference, on November 3^rd, 2023. If you are interested in nominating someone for Board Service, please refer to the documents below. Please ensure paperwork is submitted by September 3^rd, 2023. If you have any questions, please call our Executive Director, Sharon Horton at (518) 245-9168. 

This year, there are eleven (11) open seats to be filled, including the peer seat. In order for a candidate to be considered, the following criteria must be met:

o  Current membership in NAMI National, State, and Local Affiliate.

o  Lived experience of mental illness as a peer or family member, and /or is

passionate about promoting NAMI/NYS’s mission and advocacy efforts.

o  Provide NAMI-NYS with skills and resources to further its mission.

o  Represent diversity (rural needs, under-represented groups, multicultural).

o  Agrees to serve on at least one (1) NAMI/NYS board committee.

o  (Paid staff of NAMI/NYS or any NAMI affiliate cannot serve on the board).

Click here for the Call for Nomination Letter

Click here for the Application

Click here for our Conflict of Interest Policy.

The deadline for submission is September 3, 2023.

Registration for 2023 NAMI-NYS Education Conference

Now Open!

New Information on Featured Session

Registration is now open for the 2023 NAMI-NYS Education Conference-Our Time: Prioritizing Mental Health in Today's World, taking place November 3-5 at the Albany Marriott.

We are excited to share details about another of our featured sessions! Next Steps in Prioritizing Mental Health is our Saturday morning featured session. Since 2020, mental health has become a trending topic when we started noticing the impacts that the pandemic was having in our collective mental health. In 2023, mental health was highlighted and discussed as a bi-partisan issue to address during President Biden’s State of the Union address. Mental Health was also given unprecedented priority in Governor Hochul’s State of the State and was followed by a billion dollar investment in this year’s state budget. Although we have accomplished much, our most challenging work lies ahead. These are positive steps, but it is not enough to reverse the decades of underfunding of mental health.

To help us identify the next steps in prioritizing mental health NAMI-NYS is proud to welcome two longtime leaders and previous recipients of our Legislative Champion Award. David Carlucci who served as the chair of the New York State Senate Mental Health Committee for several sessions and introduced numerous critical pieces of legislation. And John Katko who recently retired from the U.S. House of Representatives where he served as the co-chair of the bi-partisan Congressional Mental Health Caucus. They will offer their perspectives from the state and federal level, while also including a upstate and downstate point of view. This conversation will help us identify the next steps needed to increase access to mental health support and services while building on the advancements we have achieve this year. Michael Linsky, NAMI's Director of Congressional Affairs will also be participating in this conversation.

This conversation will take place on November 4th, at 9:00 am. For more information on the session or to register in the conference click on the button below.

You're invited to our Off The Mask Kicks Off Party!

Join us on Thursday, September 14 from 5:30 pm to 8:30 pm at Glennpeter Jewelers (351 Southern Blvd., Albany, NY) for our Kick Off event for Off The Mask. This year we are having a Sneaker Ball! Put on your best kicks, run the walkway, and meet our 2023 Off The Mask Model Ambassadors!

This year's Off The Mask design was painted by a local anonymous artist! Use this year's mask colors as inspiration for your look, and most importantly your kicks. The winner of the runway competition will receive a VIP ticket for the Off The Mask Fashion Show.

It's going to be a night full of music, laughs, stories, and most importantly awareness of mental illness. Obviously in style.

To reserve your spot click on the button below. Space is limited. Please RSVP before September 10th, 2023.

We're looking for Model Ambassadors for the 2023 Off the Mask Art and Fashion Show Fundraiser

• Participate in the Off the Mask kick-off event on September 14, 2023.
• Participate in social media promotions, media interviews, video and photo shoots, etc. for the creation of promotional material to which you will have access.
• Work with our designers to be fitted for two looks to walk the runway on the Off the Mask Fashion Show on November 3, 2023.

If this opportunity calls to you, please complete the Off the Mask Model Registration by clicking the button below. Registration ends on September 1, 2023.

Watch the Latest NAMI-NYS Perspectives Episode featuring 2023 NAMI-NYS Leader of Mental Health Honoree

Jeremiah Brown

Click here to watch the latest episode of NAMI-NYS Perspectives-LEADing with Jeremiah Brown. Jeremiah is a former NFL player, founder of the L.E.A.D., author of Lead Like a Champion, and recipient of a 2023 NAMI-NYS Leader of Mental Health Awareness Award.

In this inspiring conversation Jeremiah discusses how he turned a personal tragedy which ended his NFL career and used it as an impetus to change his life’s mission to addressing the mental health of students and student athletes. Jeremiah also discusses the importance of truly valuing people and the need for people to support one another as well as the negative mental health impacts of becoming a pro athlete and going from being poor to rich overnight. Jeremiah also details the work of the L.E.A.D. which is a student-athlete development program designed to enhance physical and mental strength, personal development, and support academic guidance.

Hear From and Meet Jeremiah and Other Community Champions at the 2023 NAMI-NYS Education Conference

The 2023 NAMI-NYS Education Conference-Our Time: Prioritizing Mental Health in Today’s World, will take place on November 3-5 at the Albany Marriott. Over the next few weeks we will be sharing the details of the conference’s featured sessions.

To kick of the conference on Friday we will have a session that you don't want to miss. Anyone Can be a Hero: A Conversation with Community Champions.



Friday’s lunch will feature an inspiring discussion with Jeremiah and four of this year’s NAMI-NYS honorees, all of whom have taken it upon themselves to improve the world around them.

• Max Gabriel Veterans Mental Health Awardee, Mike Gabler, the winner of season 43 of Survivor, will discuss his decision to donate the million dollar Survivor prize to organizations that service the mental health and work to address suicide among veterans. He will also discuss the impact that these issues had and continue to have on veterans, himself, and his family.
• Heroes of CIT Honorees, Joe Smaro and Ernie Stevens, subjects of the acclaimed documentary, Ernie and Joe: Crisis Cops, will explain how they aimed to improve the way law enforcement interacts with people with mental health issues in San Antonio, Texas. They will discuss how these efforts have helped spark a national movement and transformed the trajectory of their own lives along the way.
• Young Leader Awardee, Isaiah Santiago will share his story of overcoming his struggles in school and violence on the streets and becoming a leader. Isaiah started a non-profit organizations dedicated to removing guns from his community and now at 19 years old, he is poised to become the youngest ever elected member of the Rochester School board.

This powerful conversation is aimed to empower participants to become champions in their community.

Click here to learn more and register!

NAMI-NYS Veterans Co-Chair Ann Canastra wins National Community Partnership Challenge Award

Congratulations to Ann Canastra for her passion and commitment to developing an incredible partnership with NAMI Syracuse and Clear Path for Veterans.  Ann has always been a strong advocate for Veteran families and brought this advocacy to these community partners where they created an opportunity for Veterans and their families to come together at Clear Path for a wonderful meal together and then the Veteran attends NAMI Peer to Peer programing and family members/caregivers attend NAMI Homefront.  The other clutch piece of this was the ability to provide child care.  Ann worked with Clear Path who was able to secure options for that as well.  Finally, Veteran family programming all in one place, at one time!!!  

The Under Secretary for Health, and several other VA national directors and deputy directors applauded Syracuse VA for this program and named Syracuse as this years overall recipient of the National Community Partnership Challenge.

Be A Community Champion! Add Your Voice to NAMI-NYS Report on Addressing Mental Health Access Disparities in Inner-Urban and Rural Communities

Register to Attend Free LEAP Training for New York State Residents on September 13

NAMI-NYS is excited to announce this opportunity for New York State Residents to participate in a LEAP training at no cost. Join Dr. Xavier Amador for the training which will:

• Explain Anosognosia and how it keeps people with serious mental illness from recovery.
• Provide the "7 LEAP Tools" to de-escalate anger & create relationships that lead to treatment & recovery.
• Q&A and Role Play with Dr. Amador

Click here to learn more

Click here to register

Did you know that 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24? What about how the average delay between the onset of mental illness symptoms and treatment is 11 years?

Learn more about how school-based mental health supports can benefit students in need of them on September 12 at 6:15 pm for our third Know Your Rights webinar series: School Based Supports. We will have main presentations from NAMI Ending the Silence, Families Together in NYS, NYS Parent Teacher Association, and Citizen’s Committee for Children of NY. This webinar will feature personal stories, and provide information on IEPs, 504s, BIPs, the role of the PTA, and creating parent-to-teacher connections.

NYS PTA is committed to mental health advocacy and is fully supportive of the mental and social emotional health of our students and youth.

We at NAMI-NYS are asking parents/guardians, caregivers, families, educators, and others to complete this survey headed by the NYS PTA to help address youth mental health needs and concerns.

This survey will inform efforts to improve resources for our children and youth. All responses will be anonymous.

Please answer these questions to the best of your ability in relation to the children and youth in your lives.



Please fill out a short survey form by September 20, 2023.

NAMI Capital Region NY was honored to attend the Chinese Community Center's celebration and BBQ for their 50th Anniversary. Hannah and Christina Hua of the Center and NAMI Capital Region NY along with Christine Rickeman, Mary Beth Honsinger, and Paul Klein were in attendance. It was a great day of food, fun, and talent with many new connections made in the community! A special visit from Senator Paul Tonko finished off the event.

NAMI NAMI Capital Region NY Peer to Peer Online September 5

SEPTEMBER 5- NAMI Peer to Peer. NAMI Capital Region NY Peer to Peer Online, Tuesdays September 5th through October 24th from 6:00-8:30 on zoom. To register contact Christine Rickeman at 518-245-9160 /christine@naminys.org or Mary Beth Honsinger at 518-588-6949 / marybeth@namicapitalregionny.org.

NAMI Syracuse Family to Family September 6

SEPTEMBER 6- NAMI Family to Family. NAMI Syracuse Family to Family, Wednesdays, September 6th through October 25th from 6:00pm-8:30pm at Clear Path for Veterans, Chittenang. To register contact Ann Canastra at 315-657-3700/ ann.canastra@va.gov.

NAMI Syracuse Peer to Peer September 6

SEPTEMBER 6- NAMI Peer to Peer. NAMI Syracuse Peer to Peer, Wednesdays, September 6th through October 25th from 6:00pm-8:00pm at Clear Path for Veterans, Chittenang. To register contact Ann Canastra at 315-657-3700/ ann.canastra@va.gov.

NAMI Westchester Family to Family Online September 9

SEPTEMBER 9- NAMI Family to Family. NAMI Westchester Family to Family Online, Saturdays September 9^th through October 28^th 9:00am-11:30am Online. To register contact Terry Brennan at (914) 592-5458/ terryb@namiwestchester.org.

NAMI Orange County NY Family to Family Online September 9

SEPTEMBER 9- NAMI Family to Family. NAMI Orange County NY Family

to Family online, Saturdays September 9th through November 4th from 2:00pm-4:30pm

on zoom. To register contact Dhanu Sannesy at dhanu@namiorangeny.org /845-344-7681.

NAMI Orange County NY and NAMI Capital Region NY Basics Online September 16

SEPTEMBER 16- NAMI Basics. NAMI Orange County NY and NAMI Capital Region NY Basics online, Saturdays September 16th through October 28th from 10:00-12:30 on zoom. There will be no class Oct 7th due to NAMIWalks Capital Region NY. To register contact Dhanu Sannesy at dhanu@namiorangeny.org/ 845-344-7681 or Christine Rickeman at 518-245-9160 /christine@naminys.org.



NAMI Mid-Hudson Family-to-Family Hybrid Poughkeepise NY or Zoom September 18 2023

SEPTEMBER 18- NAMI Mid-Hudson Family to Family Mondays, September 18 2023 through November 13th from 6:30pm-9:00pm, Hybrid Poughkeepise NY or Zoom. To register contact JoAnn Brown at contact@namimidhudson.org and 845-206-9892.

NAMI Capital Region NY Family to Family October 14

OCTOBER 14- NAMI Family to Family. NAMI Capital Region NY Family to Family, Saturdays October 14^th through December 9th (skipping Nov 25 for Thanksgiving) from 10:00am-12:30pm at The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 420 New Scotland Ave., Albany NY. To register contact Christine Rickeman at 518-245-9160 /christine@naminys.org or Mary Beth Honsinger at 518-588-6949 / marybeth@namicapitalregionny.org.

2023 NAMI-NYS TRAINING SCHEDULE

Provider Education August 5 & 6

Family Support Group September 9 & 10

Homefront December 2 & 3

NAMI-NYS Affiliate Support Groups

Click here for full list.

In addition to our NAMI Connections and Family Support Groups, many of our affiliates offer support groups based on community needs. For example, NAMI NYC-Metro offers Asian American & Pacific Islander (AAPI), Black Minds Matter, Familiares y Amistades, and Pet Therapy support groups. Contact your local affiliate to learn more

Step forward with NAMIWalks Capital Region, and leave your footprint on the local landscape of mental health.

At Washington Park, Saturday, October 7th 2023.  

Your power comes from making the commitment now.

 Registration is live - sign up today.

As we gear up for the new school year, we understand the importance of mental health for students, parents and educators. That’s why we are adding to our comprehensive youth mental health resource library this back-to-school season. Navigating the challenges of academics, social dynamics and personal growth can be overwhelming but, together, we can build a resilient and thriving community. Our resources aim to support educators, guide parents and empower students on their mental health journey during the school year and beyond.

NAMI Creativity Survey for Youth-Engaged Individuals

Do you or someone you know work with young people (aged 13-25) in a paid job or unpaid volunteer role? Are you interested in providing information about how you think creative activities impact young people? Please forward this to others in your networks and communities as appropriate.

NAMI is seeking the perspectives of individuals who work with young people to better understand the role of creativity in young people’s lives. In collaboration with an industry partner, NAMI is conducting a brief survey to learn more about the benefits and drawbacks of creativity, as well as what factors make it easier or harder for youth to engage in creative activities.

If you would like to share your thoughts and experiences related to youth and creative engagement, NAMI would appreciate hearing from you.

NAMI welcomes you to take the survey if you:

• Are 18 years of age or older
• Reside in the United States
• Work directly with young people (aged 13-25) in either a paid job or unpaid volunteer role (e.g., educators, coaches, faith leaders, mentors, clinicians)

Please note that Internet access through a computer, tablet, or smartphone will be required to complete the survey. The survey should take approximately 15-20 minutes to complete. 

To take the survey, please click the button below.

For additional information, see the Frequently Asked Questions document here: https://nami.org/NAMI/media/NAMI-Media/PDFs/FAQ-NAMI-Creativity-Survey.pdf

Questions? Contact us at researchstudy@nami.org.

Suicide & Crisis Lifelines & Mental Health Helplines

Click here to read OMH's latest issue of the 988 newsletter.

If you have questions, concerns, and/or submissions please email Communications@naminys.org.