Interested in learning how you can be part of the movement to create policies that help people impacted by mental illness? Join our upcoming virtual SMARTS for Advocacy Classes.
Dates and Modules:
Tuesday, February 2nd – Telling Your Story
Tuesday, February 9th – Contacting Your Policy Maker
Tuesday, February 16th – Meeting Your Policy Maker
*Space is limited. Please be sure to register in advance!
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Are you interested in learning about memory loss and healthy aging? Do you currently care for someone at risk for or currently living with dementia? Then this informative mental health forum is for you!
Ashley Scott, MHA from Johns Hopkins Alzheimer’s Disease Research Center will provide information about memory loss and dementia, risk factors, and preventative measures one can take to lower their risk of dementia. After her presentation, there will be breakout sessions for attendees to connect with one another and discuss their thoughts around the topic.
Come with your questions! There will be time for Q&A after the presentation.
*If you wish to call in, or know someone who does not have access to Zoom but would find this presentation helpful, please call our HelpLine (410) 435-2600 for call-in details.
*Space is limited. Please register in advance!
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Our friends at The Van Dyke Family Foundation are matching your online donations to NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore! They’ll match donations up to $10,000 from now until the end of the year.
Wondering why you should donate? NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore provides free mental health support to the 1 in 5 individuals in Baltimore living with a mental health condition, and their families. Below are some numbers about the our impact, and you can learn even more about the work we do by checking out our Annual Report.
188: individuals enrolled in our education classes for families, peers and parents.
134: support group meetings were held in-person and online for peers and family members.
435: individuals reached through workplace presentations provided to local employers.
Your donation will help us reach even more individuals, and keep providing free mental health programs to our community here in Baltimore.
Thank you for supporting mental health!
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There is often little opportunity to ask a psychiatrist a wide range of questions. Time with the doctor in an office visit is often limited and restricted to the most immediate pressing issues. This open Q&A will allow you to ask questions to a psychiatrist: diagnostic concepts, current treatment and alternatives, navigating the mental health system, and meeting longer term rehabilitation goals.
Dr. Mark Komrad, previously the host of a nationwide radio talk show about psychiatry, will join us in a virtual, open mic format. Come with your questions!
Dr. Komrad is a recipient of the National Exemplary Psychiatrist Award from NAMI. He is a psychiatrist on the clinical and teaching staff of Sheppard Pratt Hospital and the Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, a Clinical Assistant Professor of Psychiatry at the University of Maryland, and is on the teaching faculty of Oceania University of Medicine in Samoa.
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NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore is proud to release our 2020 Annual Report. This year has been anything but ordinary—it’s been difficult, stressful and unprecedented. It’s been a strain on the mental health of so many of us. It would have been so easy to explain away a less than stellar year for NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore. But, here’s the thing: 2020 was a great year for us and our community members.
Truly! A lot of wonderful things happened in our community—we provided more than 8,500 service touch-points to community members affected by mental health conditions. Here’s just a few great things:
Want even more good stuff? You’ve got it! Check out the entire Annual Report below.
And there’s more—no matter what the future has in store, we’ll be there. We’ll keep growing our virtual support, adapting quickly and expanding our programming—just like we’ve done since March—because in the midst of all of this we’ve increased our work, reached more people and seen more success. We’ve done it for you, for your family, for your friends, for your community—and NAMI Metro Baltimore will be there every step of the way providing essential education, advocacy and support. That’s our promise to you.
Can we ask for a favor, in return? Consider making a donation to our annual campaign. We rely on donations from individuals like you to continue to support the 20% of our community living with a mental health condition. Every bit helps, and we appreciate you making the most generous donation that your circumstances allow.
With your help, there isn’t anything that can stop us from reaching our potential. We’ll do it together.
With thanks and best wishes,
Your NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore Crew
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In the wake of COVID-19, mental health conditions are on the rise: one in three people say the pandemic has left them feeling anxious or depressed, and there’s been sharp increase in suicidal ideation; with 24% of people ages 18-24 considering suicide. In a typical year, 1 in 5 college students are impacted by mental health conditions, and we all know this year has been anything but typical.
It’s more important than ever to bring awareness and reduce stigma surrounding mental health. NAMI Metro Baltimore is proud to pivot our I Will Listen Campaign to a virtual model, reaching all fourteen college and university partners across Baltimore City and County.
I Will Listen is a mental health awareness campaign that takes place October 4-10, Mental Illness Awareness Week. The campaign features personal stories, workshops, music, trivia, support groups and guided conversations where participants will learn more about mental health, what stigma is and how to overcome it.
At each event, students will receive information about mental health resources on campus and in the community. The overall goal of the I Will Listen Campaign is to help students reach out for mental health support when they need it.
I Will Listen was created by NAMI New York City in 2013 as a campaign encouraging listening with an open mind, and without judgement, at school, in the workplace, and in the community. NAMI Metro Baltimore activated the campaign locally in 2016. In 2019, the campaign reached more than 3,100 students, faculty, and staff on 12 college campuses.
How can you help? Start by listening.
Listening can be one of the most powerful ways to support someone facing mental health challenges. Take the pledge and learn more at http://iwilllisten.namibaltimore.org/events/. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter for updates throughout the campaign.
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Our team of young adult volunteers is passionate about raising mental health awareness, and starting conversations about it in the community through our digital publication, the NAMI Metro Baltimore Zine!
Our mission with this Zine is to amplify the voices of people impacted by mental health conditions, break stigma, create a safe space emphasizing mental health & wellness, and of course, spread the word on all things mental health. Check out our latest editions below by clicking on the images!
December 2020 Edition
November 2020 Edition
September 2020 Edition
There are several ways to get involved and interact with our Zine! If you have leads for news on anything mental health, contact Nova at ngetz@namibaltimore.org. If you want to share your personal journey with a mental health condition, click here. We also have an ‘asking for a friend‘ section, where we are taking questions about mental health! Please note that we are not doctors, psychiatrists, or therapists. We are answering from a peer perspective.
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On Tuesday, September 29th, guests joined NAMI Metropolitan Baltimore for our first ever virtual Annual Meeting and Awards Ceremony. We celebrated the many ways we continued to reach our community together and unveiled our 2021-2023 Strategic Plan.
We envision a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares. With that vision in mind, our Strategic Plan identifies three key focus areas:
To learn more about our mission to educate and support and build our community, read the full 2021-2023 Strategic Plan by clicking the button below.
The Annual Meeting featured a panel discussion exploring the future of mental health care, and ways that NAMI members can advocate for improved services. Our esteemed panelists included:
We look forward to an impactful year ahead and hope you will consider joining us by volunteering, becoming a partner on a training or anti-stigma initiative, or supporting us with a donation. There is still much work to be done. We are excited to build on this momentum—reaching our potential, together.
Couldn’t make it on Tuesday? No problem! Click the button below for the full video.
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We have all faced new and unprecedented challenges in 2020, as our community and world adapts to COVID-19.
In March, NAMI Metro Baltimore began to respond and do our part to mitigate the spread of the virus. At that time, we knew that our programs could not cease. NAMI’s education programs and support groups provide life-changing help.
We also recognized that our community would need us more than ever as they coped with social distancing and managed their mental health, anxiety and fear.
We didn’t stall. We adapted. We innovated. We worked tirelessly to ensure that our community has access to the care they need.
Our volunteers answered the call. They helped us to launch online support groups within 2 weeks. By mid-June, we began hosting 4 ongoing groups for peers and families. We’ve also hosted virtual NAMI education programs, and have plans to continue offering Family-to-Family and Peer-to-Peer classes throughout the summer.
Below are a few words our support group participants have shared with us about the value of our continued programming.
“I just finished participating in the Virtual Connection Support Group and I wanted to let you to know how helpful it was to me…With the current deadly virus threat and the requirement that everyone stay inside their homes, it is doubly (and sometimes triply) depressing and lonely. For me, this support group was a positive and uplifting experience and I plan to attend every meeting. I’m not always this upbeat but I know that the people I met will help me through, what I call, my dark days. And I will help them.“
–NAMI Support Group Participant
“Everyone was so open and respectful. …The group reminded me of the value of talking about mental illness and hardships in a group setting. I wasn’t expecting this, but sharing my personal experiences and listening to others’ lifted a little weight off my chest. I am so grateful that NAMI offers these resources and connections.”
–NAMI Support Group Participant
We need your support.
We are making a difference. As we continue to do whatever it takes to provide mental health programs to our community here in Baltimore, we ask you to join us. Your donation allows NAMI Metro Baltimore to continue providing our services at absolutely no cost to participants. Your support will help us to continue to adapt, innovate, and meet the challenges of this moment.
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