NAMI MINNESOTA
1919 UNIVERSITY AVE W NO 400, ST PAUL, MN 55104 www.namimn.org

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Organizations Filed Purposes: NAMI MINNESOTA CHAMPIONS JUSTICE, DIGNITY AND RESPECT FOR ALL MINNESOTANS AFFECTED BY MENTAL ILLNESSES. THROUGH EDUCATION, SUPPORT, AND ADVOCACY WE STRIVE TO EFFECT POSITIVE CHANGES IN THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM AND INCREASE THE PUBLIC AND PROFESSIONAL UNDERSTANDING OF MENTAL ILLNESSES.

EDUCATION AND SUPPORT:FY 2020 WAS A YEAR LIKE NO OTHER. COVID-19 HAS HAD AN ENORMOUS IMPACT ON NAMI MINNESOTA. IN A MATTER OF DAYS STAFF HAD TO MOVE TO WORKING REMOTELY. THIS MEANT MOVING SUPPORT GROUPS AND CLASSES ONLINE. IT INVOLVED ENSURING PEOPLE HAD TECHNOLOGY AND KNEW HOW TO USE IT. STAFF AND VOLUNTEERS QUICKLY LEARNED STRATEGIES TO DETER "ZOOM BOMBERS AND WE ENLISTED PROFESSIONALS FROM THE U OF MN DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY TO OFFER CLASSES AND PRESENTATIONS ONLINE. WE HAD TO CHANGE HOW WE EVALUATE CLASSES AND COLLECT CONTACT INFORMATION. THE HELPLINE HAD TO BE RECONFIGURED. STAFF MOVED TO "TEAMS" SO THAT WE COULD STAY CONNECTED. INITIALLY WE HAD DAILY VOLUNTARY CHECK-INS AT NOON AND THE MANAGEMENT TEAM MET DAILY. FROM MARCH UNTIL JUNE 30TH, ALMOST 160 CLASSES WERE HELD VIA ZOOM REACHING OVER 3,000 PEOPLE. NAMI MINNESOTA IS PROUD OF ITS WORK TO TURN ON A DIME THANKS TO THE RESILIENCY AND FORTITUDE OF STAFF. WE ENDED THE FISCAL YEAR REACHING OVER 21,000 PEOPLE THROUGH ALL OUR CLASSES. IN FISCAL YEAR 2020, NAMI REACHED 1,478 FAMILY MEMBERS THROUGH ITS FIFTEEN DIFFERENT TYPES OF CLASSES THAT PROVIDE INFORMATION ON ADULT AND CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND RANGE FROM A ONE-HOUR CLASS TO A 12-WEEK CLASS. THIS WAS A 75% INCREASE FROM LAST YEAR.NAMI RUNS TWO PROJECTS IN DAKOTA AND SCOTT COUNTIES WHERE PARENTS' NIGHTS AND OTHER CLASSES ARE HELD TO SUPPORT PARENTS OF CHILDREN WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS AND ONE-ON-ONE ASSISTANCE IS PROVIDED. NAMI MINNESOTA IS ALSO A PART OF THE CHILDREN'S SYSTEM OF CARE GRANT, FOCUSING ON ENSURING PARENT AND FAMILY ENGAGEMENT IN THE DESIGN OF THE SYSTEM. OUR FAMILY PEER SPECIALIST IS UNDER A PARTIAL CONTRACT WITH THREE OF THE PROGRAMS RUNNING A FIRST PSYCHOSIS PROGRAM TO PROVIDE EDUCATION AND SUPPORT TO FAMILIES WHOSE TEEN OR YOUNG ADULT IS EXPERIENCING A FIRST PSYCHOTIC EPISODE. TO REACH LATINX FAMILIES, A FULL-TIME SPANISH SPEAKING PARENT EDUCATOR WAS HIRED TO CONDUCT OUTREACH TO THE COMMUNITY, PROVIDE EDUCATION AND ONE-TO-ONE SUPPORT IN DAKOTA, WASHINGTON, AND RAMSEY COUNTIES. THE YOUNG ADULT MULTI-CULTURAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE CONTINUES TO MEET AND ADDED TO THE PODCAST SERIES CALLED WELLNESS IN COLOR. MENTAL HEALTH 101 IS A CLASS DESIGNED TO BE CULTURALLY SENSITIVE AND IS DELIVERED TO THE AFRICAN AMERICAN, SPANISH SPEAKING AND LGBTQ COMMUNITIES. IT REACHED 126 PEOPLE LAST YEAR. THE KILLING OF GEORGE FLOYD CAUSED NAMI MINNESOTA TO LOOK INWARD AND EXAMINE OUR PRACTICES AND COMMITMENT TO EQUITY AND ENDING SYSTEMIC RACISM, AND CAUSED US TO LOOK OUTWARD IN PROVIDING SUPPORT TO ORGANIZATIONS FOCUSED ON RACIAL HEALING AND CREATING CHANGES AROUND THE USE OF POLICE. PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES HAVE HIGH SMOKING RATES, LOW EMPLOYMENT RATES AND EVERYONE'S MENTAL HEALTH HAS BEEN IMPACTED BY THE CORONAVIRUS. THIS HAS LED NAMI TO FOCUS ON HEALTH AND WELLNESS. THE NEW ONLINE SMOKING CESSATION PROGRAM, DESIGNED TO TEACH MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS AND PRACTITIONERS STRATEGIES TO HELP PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES, LAUNCHED THIS YEAR AND HAS ALREADY REACHED 1,087 PEOPLE. THE WELLNESS SERIES, FOCUSING ON NUTRITION, EXERCISE, POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY WAS PRESENTED 19 TIMES TO 390 PEOPLE. EMPLOYMENT IS SO IMPORTANT FOR PEOPLE'S MENTAL HEALTH, PROVIDING STRUCTURE, MEANING AND INTERACTIONS WITH OTHERS. THE ONE-HOUR WORKSHOP, CALLED GOOD MENTAL HEALTH IN THE WORKPLACE, WAS OFFERED AT 56 DIFFERENT COMPANIES OR ORGANIZATIONS REACHING 1,325 PEOPLE. WHEN COVID-19 HIT, NAMI CREATED A PROGRAM FOR EMPLOYERS CALLED HELP - HELPING EMPLOYEES LIVE IN A PANDEMIC - WHICH FEATURES SEVERAL CLASSES INCLUDING MINDING YOUR MENTAL HEALTH DURING COVID-19. IT WAS PRESENTED TO 7 ORGANIZATIONS REACHING 150 PEOPLE. THE SUICIDE RATE CONTINUES TO INCREASE. NAMI OFFERS SIX DIFFERENT CLASSES, INCLUDING CALM, QPR, SAFETALK, ASIST, SURVIVOR VOICES AND POSTVENTION. NAMI REACHED 3390 PEOPLE THROUGHOUT THE STATE. LOCKBOXES ARE GIVEN TO CRISIS TEAMS, EMERGENCY DEPARTMENTS AND SCHOOLS TO DISTRIBUTE TO PARENTS TO HELP KEEP THEIR CHILDREN SAFE. WE CONTINUED TO COLLABORATE WITH UMASH TO BRING SUICIDE PREVENTION TO FARM COMMUNITIES, WITH THE SUICIDE SURVIVORS CLUB TO HELP FAMILIES HEAL AFTER A SUICIDE AND WITH THE MN MEDICAL ASSOCIATION TO TRAIN PHYSICIANS ON SUICIDE PREVENTION. WE COLLABORATED WITH THE GUNS OWNERS ORGANIZATION TO PROVIDE SUICIDE PREVENTION TRAINING, A HUGE STEP IN TALKING ABOUT RESTRICTING ACCESS TO LETHAL MEANS. A VARIETY OF PROFESSIONALS REACH OUT TO NAMI FOR EDUCATION INCLUDING TEACHERS, PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH OLDER ADULTS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THIS YEAR WE REACHED 783 PROFESSIONALS. NAMI ALSO OFFERS SEVERAL OTHER CLASSES, LEGISLATIVE TRAININGS, SPECIALIZED CLASSES AND SPEAKS AT CONFERENCES. THIS YEAR OVER 4,000 WERE REACHED.THE PEER-LED SUPPORT GROUPS PROVIDE SUPPORT TO FAMILY MEMBERS, ADULTS LIVING WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS, PARENTS OF CHILDREN, SPOUSES/PARTNERS, YOUNG ADULTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES, AND PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ. THERE WERE 74 PRE-COVID. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 25 ONLINE SUPPORT GROUPS.

PUBLIC AWARENESS AND PUBLIC POLICY:CHANGING PUBLIC ATTITUDES TOWARDS MENTAL ILLNESSES AND INCREASING THE PUBLIC'S MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY ARE CRITICAL TO THE COMMUNITY ACCEPTING PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES. NAMI NOW USES THE WORD "DISCRIMINATION" INSTEAD OF "STIGMA" TO REFLECT THE REAL HARM THAT IS DONE. THE IN OUR OWN VOICE PROGRAM HELPS PEOPLE WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES SHAPE AND SHARE THEIR STORIES OF RECOVERY. IN ADDITION, NAMI COLLABORATES ON THE MAKE IT OK CAMPAIGN AND HAS A SPEAKERS' BUREAU. NAMI INCREASES MENTAL HEALTH LITERACY BY TEACHING ALL FOUR VERSIONS OF MENTAL HEALTH FIRST AID. WE HAD TO WAIT FOR THE NATIONAL COUNCIL TO MAKE CHANGES TO MHFA TO OFFER IT ONLINE, SO WE REACHED FEWER PEOPLE THAN IN PAST YEARS. THESE FOUR PROGRAMS REACHED OVER 2,500 PEOPLE.EDUCATING HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS ABOUT MENTAL ILLNESSES IS CRUCIAL TO EARLY IDENTIFICATION AND TREATMENT AND SUICIDE PREVENTION. NAMI MINNESOTA DELIVERED A NATIONAL NAMI PROGRAM CALLED ENDING THE SILENCE, TO OVER 5,753 HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS. WE HAVE FINISHED WORK ON A CURRICULUM FOR MIDDLE SCHOOL STUDENTS BUT COULD NOT DELIVER IT DUE TO COVID-19. NAMI LED THE EFFORT, IN COLLABORATION WITH EDUCATION ORGANIZATIONS, THE MN DEPT OF EDUCATION AND THE CHILDREN'S CABINET, TO PLACE THE SUICIDE HELPLINE AND TEXT LINES ON STUDENT IDS FOR THE FALL OF 2020. WE WORKED WITH THE COMPANIES THAT PRODUCE IDS TO ADD THE NUMBERS FREE OF CHARGE. FOR SCHOOLS THAT DO NOT HAVE IDS, POSTERS ARE BEING SENT OUT TO THEM.OUTREACH IS DONE THROUGH 60 CONFERENCES, FAIRS AND EVEN THE MINNESOTA STATE FAIR. TO PROMOTE THE IMPORTANCE AND AWARENESS OF THE LATEST MENTAL HEALTH ISSUES AND RESEARCH, NAMI HOSTS A RESEARCH DINNER WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA DEPARTMENT OF PSYCHIATRY EACH YEAR, AS WELL AS THE ANNUAL NAMI STATE CONFERENCE AND ALL TOGETHER REACHED OVER 300 PEOPLE. THIS PAST YEAR'S STATE CONFERENCE FEATURED AMIT SOOD, MD TALKING ABOUT "THE RESILIENT OPTION AND THE CLOSING KEYNOTE WAS JOI LEWIS, ED.D. AND THE TITLE OF HER TALK WAS "FROM HOLLERING TO HEALING: RADICAL SELF-CARE IN CHALLENGING TIMES."A VARIETY OF PROFESSIONALS REACH OUT TO NAMI FOR EDUCATION INCLUDING TEACHERS, PEOPLE WHO WORK WITH OLDER ADULTS AND MENTAL HEALTH PROFESSIONALS. THIS YEAR WE REACHED 783 PROFESSIONALS. NAMI ALSO OFFERS SEVERAL OTHER CLASSES, LEGISLATIVE TRAININGS, SPECIALIZED CLASSES AND SPEAKS AT CONFERENCES. THIS YEAR OVER 4,000 WERE REACHED.THE PEER-LED SUPPORT GROUPS PROVIDE SUPPORT TO FAMILY MEMBERS, ADULTS LIVING WITH A MENTAL ILLNESS, PARENTS OF CHILDREN, SPOUSES/PARTNERS, YOUNG ADULTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES, AND PEOPLE WHO IDENTIFY AS LGBTQ. THERE WERE 74 PRE-COVID. THERE ARE CURRENTLY 25 ONLINE SUPPORT GROUPS.

INFORMATION, ADVOCACY AND MEMBERSHIP:THREE E-NEWSLETTERS COVERING GENERAL INFORMATION, CHILDREN'S MENTAL HEALTH AND LEGISLATIVE ISSUES ARE PUBLISHED EVERY MONTH WITH OVER 20,500 SUBSCRIBERS. NAMI HAS A STRONG PRESCENCE ON SOCIAL MEDIA WITH 10,390 FACEBOOK FRIENDS AND 6,337 TWITTER FOLLOWERS. OVER 4,500 PEOPLE CONTACTED THE HELPLINE FOR ASSISTANCE IN NAVIGATING THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM LOOKING FOR INFORMATION ON HOW TO HELP A LOVED ONE, A 12% INCREASE. NAMI MINNESOTA CONTINUES TO UPDATE AND PUBLISH 12 BOOKLETS TO ASSIST PEOPLE IN NAVIGATING VARIOUS PARTS OF THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM. THIS YEAR NAMI COMPLETED A BOOKLET ON CO-OCCURRING DISORDERS (MENTAL ILLNESSES AND SUBSTANCE USE DISORDERS).NAMI MINNESOTA IS A LEADER IN THE PUBLIC POLICY ARENA AND PARTICIPATES IN DIFFERENT TASK FORCES AND ADVISORY COMMITTEES TO ENSURE THAT ELECTED OFFICIALS AND POLICY MAKERS ARE AWARE OF THE NEEDS OF CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH MENTAL ILLNESSES AND THEIR FAMILIES AND HOW THEY CAN BE MET. DUE TO A NEW GRANT, NAMI NOW HAS A FULL-TIME POSITION DEVOTED TO THE INTERSECTION OF MENTAL ILLNESSES AND THE CRIMINAL JUSTIC SYSTEM. WORK WILL BE CONDUCTED RELATED TO STEPPING UP INITIATIVES, THE LARGE NUMBER OF PEOPLE DEEMED INCOMPETENT TO STAND TRIAL AND THE JUVENILE JUSTICE SYSTEM. NAMI IS ALSO VIEWED AS THE "GO TO ORGANIZATION FOR THE MEDIA WITH ITS EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR FREQUENTLY INTERVIEWED ON ISSUES RELATED TO MENTAL ILLNESSES AND THE MENTAL HEALTH SYSTEM.

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Data for this page was sourced from XML published by IRS (public 990 form dataset) from: https://s3.amazonaws.com/irs-form-990/202023429349301417_public.xml