A Look at Our Impact in 2021

October 29, 2021 by Nova Getz

We are so grateful to everyone who joined our virtual Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony and made it a night to remember. It was a great year for NAMI Metro Baltimore. Learn more by reading our full annual report.

Click the image above to read our full Annual Report.

During the Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony, we reflected on our impact from the last year, engaged in an insightful discussion with our esteemed panelists about mental health and the workforce, and recognized professionals and community members who go above and beyond to support the mental health of our fellow Baltimoreans.

Couldn’t make it to the live event? You can catch the recording on YouTube by clicking the play button, below!

For any questions, please contact info@namibaltimore.org or call our HelpLine during weekdays from 9am – 5pm at (410) 435-2600.

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Pregunte al Experto, 15 de Octubre

October 11, 2021 by Nova Getz

On Friday, October 15th, we’ll be joining our friends at Johns Hopkins University’s Centro SOL and Fortalece tu Bienestar for a Facebook Live conversation about mental health in the LatinX community.

We’ll be joined by experts Cecilia Suarez, Omaira Mejija Castano, and Aida Pinto Medina as they discuss the importance of reaching out for support if you are experiencing depression, anxiety, or other symptoms that indicate an underlying mental illness.

No registration is required! Simply join by visiting our Facebook Page at noon, on Friday, October 15th!

Jump to Our Facebook

This conversation will be held in Spanish!

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West Baltimore NAMI Mental Health Education Classes

May 11, 2022 by Nova Getz

This summer, we’re excited to launch our free, in-person NAMI Mental Health Education Courses at Southwest Partnership! Our trained NAMI volunteers bring peer-led programs communities all over Baltimore. With the unique understanding of people with lived experience with mental health conditions, these 8-week courses provide outstanding free education, skills training and support.

NAMI Family-to-Family

NAMI Family-to-Family is a free, 8-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people living with mental illness. It is a designated evidence-based program that includes presentations, discussion and interactive exercises. Research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to an individual living with a mental health condition.

Click Here to Register

What You’ll Gain

NAMI Family-to-Family provides critical information and strategies for taking care of the person you love.

In the program, you’ll learn about:

How to manage crises, solve problems and communicate effectively
Taking care of yourself and managing your stress
Developing the confidence and stamina to provide support with compassion
Finding and using local supports and services
Up-to-date information on mental health conditions and how they affect the brain
Current treatments, including evidence-based therapies, medications and side effects
The impact of mental illness on the entire family

Register for a Class

Dates: June 18th – August 13th | 2:00pm – 4:00pm

To register, click here or contact our HelpLine at (410) 435-2600 or email info@namibaltimore.org.

NAMI Peer-to-Peer

NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a free, 8-session education program for adults who are looking to better understand their mental health condition and journey toward recovery. Taught by a trained team of people who’ve been there, the program includes presentations, discussion and interactive exercises.

Click Here to Register

What You’ll Gain

NAMI Peer-to-Peer will help you:

Create a personalized relapse prevention plan
Learn how to interact with health care providers
Develop confidence for making decisions and reducing stress
Understand the impact of symptoms on your life
Access Baltimore-area resources to assist you in maintaining your journey toward recovery.

Register for a Class

NAMI Peer-to-Peer will be held in-person at Southwest Partnership. Space is limited and advanced registration is required.

NAMI Peer-to-Peer
Dates: June 19th – August 14th | 4:00pm – 6:00pm

To register, click here or contact our HelpLine at (410) 435-2600 or email info@namibaltimore.org.

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LOUDER Playlist

April 15, 2022 by Nova Getz

Each of the artists featured on this playlist is living with, or lived with a mental health condition. Thanks Sheppard Pratt for sponsoring our LOUDER event and the creation of this playlist! We hope you enjoy these tracks, and find inspiration in the musicians’ stories, which you can read below.

Mental-Health-Music-Playlist Download

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Feature in Baltimore Magazine

February 3, 2022 by NAMI Staff

NAMI Metro Baltimore is proud to be featured in the February 2022 Issue of Baltimore Magazine! You can read more about mental health in the workplace, criminal justice system, and more by checking out our feature below.

If you would like to read the rest of the Magazine, visit their website by clicking here.

Baltimore-Magazine-Feature Download

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A Letter on Virtual Programming Through February 2022 from Executive Director, Kerry Graves

January 19, 2022 by Kerry Graves

To Our Dedicated Volunteers, Program Participants, and NAMI Friends,

The Fall of 2021 brought us some hope, as we relaunched in-person programming with great success. But, if this pandemic teaches us one thing, it will be flexibility. We have pivoted, swiveled, and salsa danced around each scenario thrown in our path – and unfortunately it is time to do so again.

We have made the tough decision to temporarily suspend our in-person support groups through February, 2022. Our staff have been closely monitoring trends in COVID-19 data and are following the advice of public health officials. While it has been so special to bring community members back together in a physical space, we feel it is important to do our part to protect the health and safety of our participants and volunteers.

We know that our support groups and classes are essential for many to manage and maintain their mental health and wellness, and that this decision will have a big impact on the people who count on us. As such, we want to make clear that the support groups that were in-person will be made available through Zoom.

To view our updated support group offerings and how to access them, please click here or visit www.namibaltimore.org/support-groups

All support groups will be held virtually in January and February 2022. In mid-February, we will re-evaluate the state of public health and determine how groups will operate in March and April 2022. We are so grateful for your patience and flexibility as we are trying to create the best experience for our participants and volunteers.

I know you, like me, are exceedingly weary over this ongoing pandemic and the constant changes. At the same time, I am increasingly hopeful over the elevated voices around mental health. The conversations are happening all around us – in the media, in schools, in the workplace, and yes, even in line masked-up at the grocery store. The buzz around mental health that initiated in 2020 at the onset of COVID-19 has become a roar. 2022 might be off to a rough start, but we will persevere and we will get louder!

Yours in Health,

Kerry Graves

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Webinar Series for Faith Leaders

January 12, 2022 by NAMI Staff

Click the image above to purchase a ticket.

Gain insight into how you can support the mental health of your community at this educational web series hosted by NAMI Metro Baltimore.

The Mental Health Education Conference for Faith Leaders offers participants the opportunity to gain a better understanding of topical issues pertaining to mental health and the effects of stigma. Faith community leaders will learn new strategies for supporting their congregation’s mental health needs by effectively “Putting their Heads Together”.

Participants will hear from fellow faith leaders, experts in the mental health field, and peers and family members whose lives have been impacted by mental illness.

Check out our presentation line up below!

May 5th: Dr. Que English “The Kids are not OK: Mobilizing Faith and Community Leaders to address Youth Behavioral Health”

May 12th: Rev. Kevin Wayne Johnson “Suicide Prevention: Why It Matters and How You Can Help”

May 19th: Rabbi Ilan Glazer and Rev. Jermine Alberty “A Conversation About Recovery”

May 26th: Rev. Pamula Yerby-Hammack, Robin Schaffer, and Dr. Sharlene Allen-Milton “Putting Our Heads Together” Panel

Click Here to Get Your Ticket

Join our newsletter to stay in the know about other NAMI Metro Baltimore Events!

Past Faith Conferences

NAMI Metro Baltimore’s annual conference for faith community leaders took place virtually in 2021 and was a 3-part webinar series to help educate and support faith leaders. Participants learned new strategies and gained tools to help support the mental well-being of their congregations.

This educational program has passed, however you can view recordings of the Webinars of your interest by clicking the links below. Be sure to click the play button on the bottom of the screen in the new window.

Mental Health Stigma | July 22nd

A discussion led by Rev. Bryce A. Jones will define social and perceived mental health stigma and the factors that cause stigma. Participants will learn how to help reduce mental health stigma in their congregations.

About the Presenter: Rev. Bryce A. Jones graduated from the Samuel DeWitt Proctor School of Theology at Virginia Union University with a Masters of Divinity. Ordained in the Gospel ministry at New Friendship Baptist Church in Baltimore, Rev. Jones currently serves as the Minister of Urban Affairs and Political and Community Outreach.

Vicarious Trauma |July 29th

Rev. Bryce A. Jones joins us again to discuss the emotional, mental and physical toll that is often imposed on faith leaders. Participants will learn how to identify and define vicarious trauma, and more importantly how to strengthen themselves and their organization against compassion fatigue and burnout.

You can watch a recording of the Webinar by clicking here!

Congregational Depression Assistance Program |August 5th

Dr. W. Dan Hale of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center will lead a discussion to inform participants of a congregational mental health training program and how faith organizations can get involved.

About the Presenter: Dr. W. Dan Hale is a clinical psychologist who serves as special advisor to the President of Johns Hopkins Bayview Medical Center and director of the hospital’s Healthy Community Partnership. He is the coauthor of Healing Bodies and Souls: A Practical Guide for Congregations.

You can watch a recording of the Webinar by clicking here!

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Upcoming Ending the Silence Presentations

December 15, 2021 by NAMI Staff

NAMI Ending the Silence is an hour-long, free presentation led by two leaders: one who shares an informative presentation with key statistics and facts on mental health conditions, and a young adult with a mental health condition who shares their journey of recovery.

Audience members can ask questions and gain understanding of an often-misunderstood topic. Through dialogue, we can help grow the movement to end stigma so people seek support, sooner.

NAMI Ending the Silence Will Teach You…

Warning signs and symptoms
How to reach out and support a student in distress
Where to seek mental health support
Healthy coping strategies
Local mental health resources
A young adult’s journey towards recovery

Upcoming Presentations for Parents and Guardians

Click the presentation of your interest to RSVP on Zoom.

For Parents and Guardians

For School Faculty & Staff

For questions, contact Volunteer and Outreach Manager Sarah Arndt at sarndt@namibaltimore.org or call our HelpLine at (410) 435-2600.

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August Mental Health Forum: Healing Us Together

July 26, 2021 by Nova Getz

Every quarter, NAMI Metro Baltimore hosts Mental Health Forum to raise awareness and start conversations about mental health in the Baltimore Community. The Healing Us Together (HUT) project is a co-designed community-based intervention project by BHSB, Ministers Conference of Baltimore and Vicinity, and community leaders being used as a mitigation strategy for people to begin to heal from the historical and current effects of exposure to traumatic events in Baltimore.

Date and Time: Wednesday, August 18th, 2021 | 5:00pm – 6:00pm

At the end of this interactive session, participants will be able to:

Describe the step-by-step approach for the development of the HUT project
Discuss how HUT advances the 7 healing centered commitments and 7 principles of Kwanzaa to engage communities in community conversations about moving from trauma to healing
Identify key aspects of the HUT S.E.L.F. (Safety, Emotions, Loss, Future) Community Conversations curriculum to engage people in conversations
Create ways to become involved and/or collaborate with HUT

This session is free and open to the public! Register and receive reminders by clicking the button below.

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Support Group Schedule

July 12, 2021 by NAMI Staff

As it becomes safe to hold in-person programming, NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore has resumed a few of its support groups at Sheppard Pratt and Christian Temple. We will continue to offer virtual support groups as well, on an alternating schedule.

We will follow all safety protocols set in place by both the Baltimore City and County Health Departments and our partners to ensure the safety of participants.

Click the support group of your interest to learn more and register!

Space is limited, so advance registration for in-person support groups is required.

If you have any questions, please reach out to our staff via email at info@namibaltimore.org, or call our HelpLine (Available Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm) at (410) 435 – 2600.

We look forward to seeing you again!

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