January is Mental Wellness Month!
Mental well-being is an everyday affair, just like a healthy diet, exercise and a balanced lifestyle. Visit our website or follow social media all month for tips, ideas, and resources to stay in shape on the inside. Visit namiillinois.org for more information.
Mental Wellness & Young Adults: School Days & Beyond Bringing NAMI to More Youth and Young Adults, One Campus at a Time
No one said school was easy. Yet there's a difference between sweating out a tough final and the chronic, debilitating anxiety or long-standing sadness that signal bigger issues. Across Illinois, the need to support the mental health of our youth and emerging adults has never been higher.  

As part of an expanded effort to support young Illinoisans, NAMI Illinois is working with our affiliates and student advocates to bring NAMI on Campus to every college campus in the state. NAMI On Campus clubs, like our friends at Northwestern University (pictured here with NAMI IL Community Engagement Manager Taylore Davis), are student-led groups that raise mental health awareness, advocate for improved mental health services and policies, and support peers with NAMI programs and support groups.  

Young mental health leaders (ages 17-26 yrs) are invited to online working group sessions to learn more about how to be an advocate. Our first meeting was held Jan. 18, with others to follow March 22, May 17 and June 21.

Click here to register. For more information, email [email protected]. The complete NAMI on Campus story can be found here.
Federal Support for Mental Wellness: Wins for Mental Health in FY23 Federal Spending Package

Last month, Congress released an "omnibus" year-end legislative package, which funds the federal government for the remainder of Fiscal Year (FY) 2023 (through September 30, 2023) and addresses many key mental health policy priorities.
 
For more than a year, key committees in both the House and Senate have worked in a bipartisan manner to address our nation’s mental health crisis. While not all proposed solutions made it in the final package, the legislation does take a significant step in addressing key areas, like tele-health, workforce and crisis services, among many others.

Want to get involved? Click here.
Mental Wellness & NAMI IL Programs: $25K Holiday Campaign Match Achieved

Thanks to the generosity of more than 195 friends of NAMI Illinois, our $25,000 Holiday Campaign, "NAMI Illinois: A Family Affair," match challenge was achieved, resulting in $50,000 of donations to help bring NAMI IL to every corner of the state. We couldn't have done this without you!

We are also happy to report that we are the recipient of a $110,000 grant from NAMI National on behalf of MacKenzie Scott! This will fund support and expansion throughout the state.


Thank you for from the bottom of our hearts
for your continued support!
Mental Wellness & State Support

Do you want to help improve our state's mental health system, or simply learn more about how our elected leaders support mental health for every Illinois resident? Join leading state legislators and our northern NAMI Illinois affiliates for an in-person town hall at 1:30 pm., Sunday, Jan. 22 at the Barrington Area Library.

Register through our hosts, NAMI Barrington Area, at namiba.org/register/. To learn more about NAMI’s legislative advocacy, visit namiillinois.org or email us at [email protected] to be added to our issue alert list. 
Mental Wellness & Recovery: Inaugural Latinx Conference on Problem Gambling

Congratulations to NAMI IL Board Member Dr. Mauricio Cifuentes for his work bringing this critical issue to light. On Jan. 13, the inaugural Latinx Conference on Problem Gambling was held to discuss gambling and the Latinx community. To learn more about the Illinois Council on Problem Gaming, click here.