Welcome to NAMI-NYS E-newsletter |
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In this issue of the NAMI-NYS e-news, you will find information about LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Resources and information on our latest Legislative Victory. As we approach the final week of the NYS Legislative Session, we also have opportunities for you to make your voice heard on crucial access issues.
In addition, you will find information on NAMI Affiliate news and events, NAMI Signature Programs, NAMI updates and events, Research Opportunities, and much much more!
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Happy Pride Month!
Join Us in Raising LGBTQIA+ Mental Health Awareness
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This month we commemorate the events at Compton’s Cafeteria and Stonewall and the LGBTQ+ liberation movement. As we celebrate this June with pride parades and other inspiring in-person and virtual events, we must remember all those we lost to hate crimes, HIV/AIDS & suicide.
While belonging to the LGBTQI community can be a source of strength, it also brings unique challenges. For those who identify as LGBTQI, it’s important to recognize how your experience of sexual orientation and gender identity relates to your mental health.
And 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 assigned birth sex) individuals to experience a mental health condition.
LGB youth also experience greater risk for mental health conditions and suicidality. LGB youth are more than twice as likely to report experiencing persistent feelings of sadness or hopelessness than their heterosexual peers. Transgender youth face further disparities as they are twice as likely to experience depressive symptoms, seriously consider suicide, and attempt suicide compared to cisgender lesbian, gay, bisexual, queer and questioning youth.
For many LGBTQI people, socioeconomic and cultural conditions negatively impact mental health conditions. Many in the LGBTQI community face discrimination, prejudice, denial of civil and human rights, harassment and family rejection, which can lead to new or worsened symptoms, particularly for those with intersecting racial or socioeconomic identities.
Resources:
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NAMI Cafe
On Thursday, May 27th to conclude Mental Health Awareness Month, NAMI-NYS held NAMI Cafe. NAMI Cafe is an open mic night that showcases our community members' creative talents.
NAMI-NYS would like to offer a special thank you to all our performers. Thank you Darren McGee, Joe Tucker and Ria Carval for sharing your musical talents, thank you Nadiyah and Cara Glowacki for sharing your powerful and inspiring poetry. And lastly, we would like to thank Angela Krieg for creating this wonderful graphic recording that captures the creative spirit of our members.
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Legislative Victory
NYS Legislature Passes Bill to Allow Camps to Hire
Mental Health Professionals
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This past Tuesday, both houses of the New York State Legislature passed legislation that NAMI-NYS has long advocated for which would allow summer camps to hire mental health professionals. As NAMI-NYS stated in our memo of support for the bill; “We believe it is imperative that all efforts are made to integrate mental health support services in settings which provide educational and/or recreational activities for children. This includes children's overnight camps, summer day camps, traveling summer day camps and camps for children with developmental disabilities.”
We thank the bill’s sponsors Senate Mental Health Chair, Samra Brouk and Assemblyman Thomas Abinanti for their ongoing efforts to pass this legislation and increase mental health access for children.
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Make Your Voice Heard on Critical Access Issues
During the Final Week of Session
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The 2021 NYS Legislative Session is scheduled to conclude one week from today. We need to build on the victory detailed above and tell our legislators that New York can not recover or move forward without addressing mental health. Please take a moment to make your voice heard on issues that are necessary to increase access to mental health services and treatments.
Click here to send a message to Senate President Andrea Stewart Cousins to expand the mental health workforce by bringing S.6431, which will provide a one-year extension of the mental health professional licensure exemption. to the Senate floor for a vote. (you do not need to be a constituent of Senator Stewart Cousins to participate).
Click here to send a message to the Senate Rules Committee to advance S.5909, the ‘mental health access bill,’ which would prohibit health plans from imposing fail first protocols on individuals with mental illness.
Click here to send a message to the Assembly Higher Education Committee to support A.3040 which would allow pharmacies to administer long-acting injectable medications.
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NAMI-NYS Encourages Affiliates to Partner with Law Enforcement and Local Mental Health Officials To Apply for CIT Funding |
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The NYS Office of Mental Health and the Institute for Police, Mental Health & Community Collaboration are pleased to announce that localities across the State are now able to apply to be part of their state-wide CIT program.
This funding is targeted toward localities in NYS (outside of NYC) who do not currently have a CIT program. The application needs to be a joint effort between law enforcement, the County Office of Mental Health, and a local/regional consumer/peer advocacy organization (such as a NAMI affiliate).
Ensuring a mental health crisis is met with a mental health response is a leading priority for NAMI-NYS. As we recently testified before a joint legislative hearing, CIT is a major factor in the reforms NAMI-NYS is working to introduce. CIT was also discussed in NAMI-NYS’s recent Wellness Wednesday session on Crisis Response, which you can click here to watch. NAMI-NYS encourages our affiliates to work with your community partners detailed above to submit an application.
More information on the application can be found by clicking here. Applications are due by 5:00 pm, July 22, 2021.
Click here to watch the NAMI-NYS Perspectives episode featuring Don Kamin, the director of the Institute for Police, Mental Health & Community Collaboration
Click here to watch a video filmed at the 2019 CIT International Conference featuring NAMI-NYS and which provides an introduction to the concepts of CIT.
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NAMI-NYS would like to thank all those supported Mental Health Awareness Month and NAMI-NYS's mission by posting a NAMI Ribbon, including local schools, businesses, and municipalities such as Honest Weight-Co op, Lauren Elizabeth Salon, Wash Boss Car Wash, Albany Medical Center, CAPTAIN Community Services, YWCA of the Greater Capital Region, Unity House, Rensselaer City School District and Columbia High School.
Continue raising awareness by contacting [email protected] and/or your local NAMI Affiliate to learn how you can participate.
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Join the NAMI-NYS Youth Advisory Council |
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NAMI-NYS Youth Advisory Council is an initiative to encourage youth and young adults from across New York State to join NAMI's mission in providing free mental health support, education, advocacy and public awareness statewide.
The YAC is a space for youth and young adults to voice their interests, concerns, and ideas for how we can continue to develop and expand mental health and mental illness resources in NYS.
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NAMI Queens/Nassau Recognized by Town of Hempstead |
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Members of NAMI Queens /Nassau were invited to the Offices of the Town of Hempstead, (the largest town in the nation), to receive a citation and celebrate Mental Health Awareness Month.
In the picture (l to r) Ed Garfinkel, Treasurer; Dorothy Gosby, Town Council Member; David Sills, President; Don Clavin, Town Supervisor; Lee Israel, First Vice-President; Jeremy Israel, Peer.
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A message from NAMI Mid-Hudson
Please be on the lookout for Andy Neiman who left MidHudson Regional Hospital in Poughkeepsie NY on Friday, May 21st 2021 at 9 pm and has been missing since.
Please be especially vigilant looking on hiking trails or in wooded areas. If you have sighted him please try to keep him in your sight and phone Simon @ 845-687-3066 or contact 911 and tell them you have sighted a missing person, Andrew Neiman.
If you would like to aid in the search, post flyers, or join the Facebook group see below. The Family asks anyone who can help post Flyers in the Hudson Valley to please do so.
Thank you for your assistance.
Best,
NAMI Mid-Hudson
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AFSP-NYC in Partnership with NAMI NYC-Metro Holds Presentation on Adolescent Social Media Use and Suicide Risk
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Rates of suicide among adolescents have increased over the past decade. This increase has coincided with the widespread adoption of social media, leading many to question a potential link.
This presentation, in partnership with AFSP-NYC, will provide a brief overview of the current state of the research literature on this topic, highlighting the latest findings, as well as gaps in knowledge that still remain. Dr. Jacqueline Nesi will discuss the ways in which youths’ peer relationships are being shaped by digital tools, and potential implications of these changes for youth suicide risk. Please join us!
Tuesday, June 8, 6:15pm ET via Zoom
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NAMI Syracuse Peer-to-Peer Online June 4
JUNE 4-Peer-to-Peer. NAMI Syracuse, Fridays June 4th thru July 30th from 1:00pm to 3:30 pm. To register contact Gerry Simmons at 315-425-4400 / [email protected].
NAMI Mid-Hudson Family-to-Family Online June 7
JUNE 7-Family-to-Family. NAMI Mid-Hudson Family-to-Family, Mondays June 7th thru July 26th from 6:30pm-9:00pm. To register contact Joann Brown at 845-832-6368 / [email protected]
NAMI Mid-Hudson Peer to Peer Online June 25
JUNE 25 -Peer to Peer. NAMI Mid-Hudson Peer to Peer, Fridays June 25 th through August 13 th from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. To register contact Joann Brown at 845-832-6368 / [email protected]
NAMI Orange County NY Peer to Peer Online September 1
SEPTEMBER 1- Peer to Peer. NAMI Orange County NY Peer to Peer, Wednesday September 1st through October 27th from 7:00pm - 9:00pm. To register contact Dhanu Sannesy at [email protected].
NAMI Orange County NY Family to Family Online September 11
SEPTEMBER 11- Family to Family. NAMI Orange County NY Family to Family, Saturday September 11th through October 30th from 10:00am - 12:30pm. To register contact Dhanu Sannesy at [email protected].
NAMI Mid-Hudson Family-to-Family Online September 13
SEPTEMBER 13-Family-to-Family. NAMI Mid-Hudson Family-to-Family, Mondays September 13th thru November 8th from 6:30pm-9:00pm. To register contact Joann Brown at 845-832-6368 / [email protected]
NAMI Mid-Hudson Peer to Peer Online October 1
OCTOBER 1 -Peer to Peer. NAMI Mid-Hudson Peer to Peer, Fridays October 1 st through November 19 th from 2:00pm – 4:00pm. To register contact Joann Brown at 845-832-6368 / [email protected]
NAMI-NYS Affiliate Support Groups
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2021 NAMI-NYS TRAINING SCHEDULE
Online Peer to Peer State training will be held on July 31st & August 1st.
Online NAMI Connections State training will be held on August 28th & 29th
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NAMI-NYS Therapeutic Knitting
& Crocheting Program
New members welcome, join us Mondays about 12 pm on Zoom. Visit our event page to register & get our supply list.
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Black Mental Health:
Past / Present / Future
In this video, Sterling K. Brown, Dr. Napoleon Higgins, and NAMI's Sherman Gillums reflect on George Floyd's murder, Black mental health, community and racism.
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Save the Date: Virtual NAMICon 2021 |
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NAMI Blogs
NAMI Blogs are resources for people who are interested in mental health.
NAMI features the latest research, stories of recovery, ways to end stigma and strategies for living well. Most importantly: NAMI features your voices.
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Using Lived Experience to Adapt
Mental Health Language
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The New York State Psychiatric Institute’s Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence is Seeking Peer Providers and Mental health Clinicians to Advise on From Hardship to Hope Initiative
NAMI-NYS is helping our partners at the New York State Psychiatric Institute’s Center of Excellence for Cultural Competence promote an exciting new initiative From Hardship to Hope.
The program, which will be launching in the fall, will be a peer-led financial wellness program for people experiencing financial hardship and recent thoughts of suicide and aims to address financial hardship as a social determinant of mental health and recovery.
The Center will be holding focus groups with peer providers and mental health clinicians in June-July. The focus groups will help the Center develop a program that is as feasible, acceptable, culturally appropriate, and effective as possible.
Click here for more information for peer providers.
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Mental Health Association of Columbia-Greene Counties, Inc. Seeks Executive Director
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Research Opportunities & More |
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RELIANCE Clinical Research Program
The RELIANCE Clinical Research Program is currently testing REL-1017 as an investigational medication for people living with Major Depressive Disorder (MDD).
The RELIANCE Clinical Research Program includes studies comparing REL-1017 to placebo over a treatment period of 28 days, either as an adjunctive (or add-on) treatment with a standard antidepressant or as a monotherapy (if not currently taking an antidepressant medication). Participants of the placebo-controlled studies may choose to continue into a long-term safety study. All participants in this long-term safety study will receive REL-1017, and it will continue for at least one year. Participants may also join the long-term study directly, without first participating in a placebo-controlled study.
Participants may be eligible for this study if they are:
- 18 – 65 years old (inclusive)
- Diagnosed with major depressive disorder, and currently experiencing a major depressive episode
- Not currently diagnosed with other psychiatric conditions, or severe alcohol or substance use disorder
This is not a complete list of eligibility requirements. For additional information, visit clinicaltrials.gov or contact [email protected]
The RELIANCE Clinical Research Program is taking place at sites throughout the United States. To find a site in your area, please contact [email protected].
If you have questions or would like more information, please contact the researchers at [email protected]. |
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Research Opportunity
What is the study?
This study is a series of online surveys to understand the mental health effects of the COVID-19 pandemic and the impact of daily reflection on social and emotional well-being.
Who can participate?
Participants may be eligible for this study if they are:
- 18 years or older
- Comfortable providing information on personal experiences of anxiety, stress, etc. during the COVID-19 pandemic
Participants will complete an initial online survey lasting 20-30 minutes. Participants will then complete brief daily surveys lasting 10-15 minutes each for the following two weeks. Each daily survey completed will enter the participant into a raffle to receive one of four $25 gift cards. Participants must provide an email address to access daily surveys and receive raffle entries.
Where is the study taking place?
How to learn more:
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The ALIGHT Schizophrenia Study Seeks Participants
Our partners at Manhattan Psychiatric Center are conducting a clinical research study and are looking for people who are living with schizophrenia to get involved.
While there are several treatment options available to help manage schizophrenia, for many people these treatments do not fully control their symptoms. Researchers are working hard to expand their knowledge of schizophrenia and improve available treatments.
Studies like this one are important for medical advances. Current treatments are only available because of past research study volunteers.
To pre-qualify for the ALIGHT schizophrenia study, a person must:
- Be 18 to 50 years of age
- Be diagnosed with schizophrenia
- Be undergoing treatment with 1 or 2 antipsychotic medications
- Have symptoms of schizophrenia that continue to negatively affect their life despite their current medication
This is not a complete list of study requirements. The study doctor will review all requirements with potential study participants and their caregivers. There is no cost to study participants for the study treatment or any study-related procedures or exams. In addition, reimbursement for study-related travel costs and meals may be available dependent on your country's regulations.
To learn more about the ALIGHT schizophrenia study or if you have any questions, please contact [email protected] or call 212-961-8992.
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Research Participation Opportunity
Northwestern University is holding a study about how technology can be used in the future to help people manage self-injury and mental health being conducted at
What does study participation involve?
If you choose to participate, you will complete a short survey and a 60-minute remote interview. You will be compensated with $25.00 for your time.
Who may qualify?
Young adults (18-24 years old) who (a) engage in nonsuicidal self-injury (e.g., cutting, burning), (b) are not currently engaged in mental health treatment/therapy, and (c) use a smartphone may be eligible to join the study.
What should I do if I want to join the study?
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Go to link to complete a short set of questions to see if the study might be a good fit for you. If the study is a fit for you, the research team will send you an email invitation to learn more and sign up.
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If you have more questions or concerns about this study, please email Kaylee Kruzan, PhD at [email protected]
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NAMI-NYS Presents the Hannaford Wellness Wednesday Discussion Series |
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Part 1:
Youth Mental Health
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Part 2:
Mental Health in the Workplace
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Part 3: Transforming Crisis Response |
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Part 4: Multicultural
Mental Health
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NAMI-NYS would also like to thank Angela Krieg, a graphic recorder, who generously volunteered to use her skills to create graphics that highlight each of our sessions. You can learn more about Angela's work at www.akriegstudio.com. |
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Suicide Prevention Resources |
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NAMI-NYS invites you to participate in this wonderful giving opportunity!
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If you have questions, concerns, and/or submissions please contact
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