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NAMI
Expanding Partnerships in Systems of Care: Families, Education and Mental Health Working Together
Darcy E. Gruttadaro, J.D.
Director, NAMI Child & Adolescent Action Center
September 15, 2005
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Who is NAMI?
NAMI is a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of children and adults living with mental illnesses.
NAMI has 1100 state and affiliate organizations with offices in every state capitol.
More than 25 years of advocating for change.
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The Role of Schools in Early Identification …
NAMI is deeply concerned with the number of children and adolescents with mental illnesses that fail to be identified and linked with services; and
NAMI is also deeply concerned with the lack of understanding among many school professionals about early onset mental illnesses.
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The Role of Schools in Early Identification …
NAMI recognizes the tremendous value of having parents and school professionals as allies…
this led to the development of our publication Parents and Teachers as Allies – designed to help school professionals better understand early onset mental illnesses.
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Parents and Teachers as Allies…
P&T as Allies covers the following:– Keys to early recognition and links to appropriate
evaluation and services (teachers are never asked to diagnose children or to recommend medications);
– Understanding family reactions to mental illnesses and guidelines for helping families;
– Navigating the referral process and linking to services as allies;
– Strengthening the alliance between parents and school professionals and lists resources for both.
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The Success of the Publication …
NAMI leaders recognized the value in sharing the publication with schools and began to use it to better inform school professionals about early onset mental illnesses.
Innovative NAMI leaders in a number of states decided to develop an in-service presentation program based on the publication.
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The Focus of the In-Service Pilot Program
Helping schools to better understand the early warning signs of mental health treatment needs in children and adolescents and how best to intervene so that youth with treatment needs are linked with services.
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The In-Service Pilot Program
The program responds to the recommendations included in Goal 4 of President Bush’s New Freedom Commission Report on Mental Health that call for schools to play a larger role in the early identification of mental disorders in children and in linking them to appropriate services.
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The In-Service Pilot Program …
NAMI leaders developed an outline to pilot the In-Service Program:
The presentation includes a team of volunteer presenters consisting of:– An education professional (ideally also a parent or
family member of a person living with mental illness);
– A facilitator (most often a family member);
– The parent of a child living with a mental illness;
– A MH consumer who had a mental illness as a child.
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The In-Service Pilot Program …
The In-Service presentation follows the content of the P&T as Allies publication, with the lived experience representing a critical component.
In-Service presentation is launched in Orange County, FL (12th largest school district in the country) and in multiple pilot sites in many other states around the country, including CA, IL, VA, NC, WA, MN, CT, and others.
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The In-Service Pilot Program …
School professionals give extremely high grades to the pilot program.
School professionals often admit feeling ill equipped to address the needs of these students and how best to work with families.
NAMI national receives a foundation grant to expand the pilot program.
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Expansion of the Pilot Program
The foundation grant allows NAMI to expand the program in scope and reach.
Two additional modules added:– Module to instruct grassroots family leaders
about effective outreach to schools;– Module to include a presentation on early
warning signs for parents and caregivers and effective outreach to families within the school community.
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Expansion of the Pilot Program
Program will target public schools in urban, suburban, rural, frontier and culturally diverse communities.
NAMI continues to focus on cultural competence in developing the program. It will be available in Spanish.
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Next Steps
NAMI is currently developing the training component of this program.
Our first national train-the-trainers meeting for this program will be held in March 2006 in St. Louis.
The in-service program will be ready for implementation immediately following the national training meeting.
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Roll-out of the Parents and Teachers as Allies Program
Family advocacy leaders participating in the program will receive ongoing technical assistance from the NAMI national office for this program.
This interaction between the field and NAMI national will provide us with direct feedback on the program’s effectiveness.
NAMI is developing an evaluation component to measure the program’s success and to ensure continuous program improvement.
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NAMI believes that …
… together families, school professionals and mental health providers can make a tremendous difference in the lives of children and families.
NAMI is pleased to see so many schools working with family advocates to raise awareness about early onset mental illnesses.
We look forward to continuing to build our partnerships and alliances with the school and mental health communities.
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Wise Words ...
Never doubt that a small, group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.
Margaret Mead
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Contact Information ...
Darcy Gruttadaro, J.D.
Director, NAMI Child & Adolescent Action Center
ph: 703-516-7965
email: [email protected]
visit NAMI at www.nami.org
