1 of Greater Athens Volume 1 Issue 1 Friday, April 23,2021 In This Issue Start Up Group Leader Ginger Morton NAMI Texas of Greater Athens 903-681-4470 [email protected]103 Industrial Drive Athens , Tx 75751 I am honored to be affiliated with NAMI Texas. Never in a Million years, you could have told me I would have this opportunity to help our community. The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organiza- tion. NAMI is a non-profit organization with many locals in surrounding areas. They provide resources, education, and advocacy. In August of 2019, my husband and I completed Nami Family to Family, an 8-session educational program for family, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program. We then moved on to complete a certification program and the knowledge and experience to become a NAMI Facilitator. I am trained in directing the community toward helpful resources, education, and advocacy. We are sill in the startup phase of NAMI Texas of Greater Athens. This has been a difficult year and especially for those with mental illness. During the Covid-19 pandemic, meetings have been conducted on Zoom once a month. NAMI Texas of Greater Athens provides hope. It is estimated that one in five adults experience mental illness, one in twenty-five suffer from serious illness and 17% of our youth experience a mental health disorder. It is my goal to “Break the Silence” on mental health in Athens and surround- ing areas. We have some exciting programs coming up soon. Stay tuned for more details! www.namitexas.org/nami-texas-of-greater-athens Find us on Facebook Volunteers Needed! Contact NAMI Texas of Greater Athens for exciting volunteer opportunities in a beneficial non-profit, new to Henderson County! Message from Startup Group Leader Ginger Morton 1 Upcoming Events 2 Coming Soon 2 Meet Our Volunteers 2 East Texas Giving Day 3 Volunteer Staff 3 Help not Handcuffs 4 Help Not Handcuffs Graphic 5 Resources 6 Who is NAMI 6
Never in a Million years, you could have told me I would
have this opportunity to help our community.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organiza-tion. NAMI is a non-profit organization with many locals in surrounding areas. They provide resources, education, and advocacy.
In August of 2019, my husband and I completed Nami Family to Family, an
8-session educational program for family, significant others, and friends of people with
mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program. We then moved
on to complete a certification program and the knowledge and experience to become a
NAMI Facilitator.
I am trained in directing the community toward helpful resources, education,
and advocacy. We are sill in the startup phase of NAMI Texas of Greater Athens. This
has been a difficult year and especially for those with mental illness. During the
Covid-19 pandemic, meetings have been conducted on Zoom once a month.
NAMI Texas of Greater Athens provides hope. It is estimated that one in five
adults experience mental illness, one in twenty-five suffer from serious illness and
17% of our youth experience a mental health disorder.
It is my goal to “Break the Silence” on mental health in Athens and surround-ing areas. We have some exciting programs coming up soon. Stay tuned for more details!
www.namitexas.org/nami-texas-of-greater-athens
Find us on Facebook
Volunteers Needed!
Contact NAMI Texas of
Greater Athens for exciting
volunteer opportunities in a
beneficial non-profit, new to
Henderson County!
Message from Startup Group
Leader Ginger Morton
1
Upcoming Events
2
Coming Soon
2
Meet Our Volunteers
2
East Texas Giving Day
3
Volunteer Staff
3
Help not Handcuffs
4
Help Not Handcuffs Graphic
5
Resources
6
Who is NAMI
6
2
Upcoming
Events
Tuesday, April 27
6:00 AM— 12:00 AM
East Texas
Giving Day
Saturday, May 22
NAMI Texas
of Greater Athens
1st Annual
NAMI Walk
Coming
Soon
“Breaking
the Silence”
Friday,
September
10,2021
With Michelle
Staubach
Grimes
Kathryn Mitchell Williams is the Co-Facilitator for NAMI Texas of Greater Athens, Athens, Tx. She will Serve as the Treasurer. She has attended
Henderson County community College, University of Texas, Tyler, where she completed her American Institute of Banking. She has completed many cours-es for her career in banking and latest education was the NAMI Family Sup-
port Group Co-Facilitator Training. Kathryn has a long career in banking with the final bank in Tyler at Tyler Bank and Trust which became Regions, as a Mortgage Loan Closer. She lives in Denison, Texas with her husband Mark
and they play golf in their spare time.
Treasurer
Family to Family
Co– Facillitator
Kathy Mitchell Williams
Becky Horner has recently become a volunteer for NAMI Texas of Greater Athens, Athens, Texas. She has attended Henderson County Community College and has worked in the legal field most of her working career. She was a volunteer for Hospice for 24 years before the pandemic. She plans to support Ginger Morton in the Athens NAMI Group, hopefully attending classes and be-coming more involved as time permits. Becky recently moved to Mabank after living on her family farm for 56 years and enjoys reading and volunteering with other charities in her community.
Secretary
Becky Horner
Meet our Volunteers
3
Volunteer
Staff
Startup Group Leader
Ginger Morton
Board Secretary
Becky Horner
Treasurer
Family to Family
Co- Facilitator
Kathy Mitchell Williams
Advocacy Chair
Co-Facillitator
Jennifer Browning
On Tuesday, April 27, 2021, from 6:00 AM to midnight, NAMI Texas of
Greater Athens will be participating in East Texas Giving Day. East Texas
Giving Day is an 18-hour day of giving that provides critical funding for
nonprofits by connecting donors with organizations like us!
Please visit www.EastTexasGivingDay.org any time between 6:00 AM and
11:59 PM., search for NAMI Texas of Greater Athens and click "Donate
Now. Your donation will go a long way in helping us "Break the Silence" on
Mental Health in Athens and surrounding areas.
We invite you to participate on April 27th in this area-wide day of giving
back-whether from your desk, your cell phone, or off your couch, just give!
Please do not hesitate to contact Ginger Morton if you have any questions .
A WEBINAR SERIES FOCUSED ON ADDRESSING MENTAL HEALTH
CRISES WITH COMPREHENSIVE COMMUNITY RESPONSES
In NAMI’s Ask the Expert Help Not Handcuffs Webinar Series, NAMI wel-comes experts from across the country to present, discuss and explore strategies for diverting people with mental illness away from the justice system and to-ward the care that they need. This multi-part series will address the history of mental health and the justice system, past and present legislative efforts, several existing jail diversion models, and what we can expect and strive for through programs like these in the future.
As part of NAMI’s mission to engage in advocacy, education, support and pub-lic awareness in pursuit of better outcomes for those affected by mental illness, this series aims to provide a comprehensive overview from past to present and beyond of how we’ve arrived at this current moment in mental health and jus-tice.
The series, moderated by NAMI Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ken Duckworth, will include perspectives and insights from clinicians, peers, law enforcement professionals and more.
Below is a complete schedule of topics and dates for this series.
RELATED CONTENT:
• Divert from Justice Involvement: Every community should have robust cri-sis services for people experiencing a psychiatric emergency to receive help and avoid justice system involvement.
• Divert to What? Community Services That Enhance Diversion: Many com-munities are committed to diverting people with mental illness away from the criminal justice system. This NAMI publication is meant to help com-munities identify the gaps and opportunities in the existing system that will enhance their efforts to divert people from justice system involvement.
• Mental Health by the Numbers: View NAMI’s infographics for the most current statistics on mental illness prevalence, treatment rates and more.
• Mental Illness and the Criminal Justice System: View NAMI’s one-page fact sheet on how people with mental illness are impacted by the criminal justice system.
• Navigating a Mental Health Crisis: This NAMI publication provides im-portant, potentially life-saving information for people experiencing mental health crises and their loved ones. It outlines what can contribute to a crisis, warning signs that a crisis is emerging, strategies to help de-escalate a crisis, available resources and so much more.
What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed
into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an alliance of more than 600 local
affiliates who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that
was not previously available to those in need
Our Vision NAMI envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares.
Our Mission NAMI provides advocacy, education, support and public awareness so that all individuals and families affected by mental illness can build better lives.
Our Values • Hope: We believe in the possibility of recovery, wellness and the potential in all of us.
• Inclusion: We embrace diverse backgrounds, cultures and perspectives.
• Empowerment: We promote confidence, self-efficacy and service to our mission.
• Compassion: We practice respect, kindness and empathy. Fairness: We fight for equity and justice.
Who We Are NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an alliance of more than 600 local Affiliates and 48 State Organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.
Diversity, Equity And Inclusion At NAMI, we believe a diverse, inclusive and equitable organization (or Alli-ance) is one where all employees, volunteers and members — regardless of gen-der, race, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, edu-cation, disability, veteran status or other dimension of diversity — feel valued and respected.
We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and to providing equal oppor-tunity for employment, participation and advancement in all programs and worksites.
