NAMI-NYC Metro is engaged in outreach to diverse racial and ethnic communities in New York City, in order to eliminate mental health disparities among racial and ethnic minority groups. According to data from the New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH), African-American and Latino New Yorkers are more likely to suffer from mental illness than other New Yorkers.
We are committed to fostering collaborative relationships in these and other communities to raise awareness, combat stigma and enable better access to mental health resources.
Current multicultural programs include:
Sunrise Club - offers psychoeducation programs for the Asian-American community at Hamilton Madison House Jackson Heights Queens, which are simultaneously translated into Mandarin, Cantonese, and Korean.
Sakhi - NAMI-NYC Metro provides mental health workshops for this domestic violence organization that serves the South Asian community across all five boroughs.
Muslim Mental Health Professionals - are partnering with NAMI-NYC Metro to conduct outreach into the Muslim American community.
Spanish-language programs include:
For information in Spanish, click here. Por información en Español, haz clic aquí.
| Support Group for Parents of Children & Adolescents |
| Facilitators: |
Mary Ann Cerón, Nancy Parker, and Deniece David |
| Date and Time: |
First and third Saturday of each month; 12:30 - 2:30 pm |
| Location: |
NAMI-NYC Metro - 505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1103 (at 35th Street) New York, NY 10018 |
| Description: |
This peer-run and bi-lingual (Spanish) self-help group offers support and practical information in a welcoming environment. Participants can share their experiences and learn how others cope. The support group ends with a half-hour of breathing and relaxation techniques, led by Elizabeth Plapinger of the Breathing Project. Lunch is provided. Child-care is not available. |
Instructions for
First Time Attendees: |
Interested parties feel free to attend. Please contact the Helpline with questions. |
|
Japanese-language programs include:
|
| Japanese Family Support Group: "Kazoku no Tsudoi" |
| Facilitators: |
Eiko Kijima and Masako Kageyama |
| Date and Time: |
Fourth Monday of each month; 6 to 7:30 pm. |
| Location: |
NAMI-NYC Metro - 505 Eighth Avenue, Suite 1103 (at 35th Street) New York, NY 10018 |
| Description: |
Support, sharing of coping strategies, and practical information for Japanese speaking family members of individuals with mental illness. |
Instructions for
First Time Attendees: |
Interested parties must speak to the facilitator before attending the group. Please contact Eiko Kijima and Masako Kageyama by e-mail. |
Family-to-Family Course
The Family-to-Family course is a twelve-week NAMI National program developed by a psychologist who is also the parent of an adult child with mental illness. The weekly classes are taught by a trained family member and provide information and practical skills in a supportive environment. Course topics include: how diagnoses are made; medication updates; developing empathy for your family member's experience; letting go of guilt; self-care; and how to communicate more effectively with your family member. For current and upcoming course schedule, click here.
Peer-to-Peer Course
The Peer-to-Peer course is a unique, experiential learning program for people with any serious mental illness who are interested in establishing and maintaining their wellness and recovery. The course was written by Kathryn Cohan McNulty, a person with a psychiatric disability who is also a former provider and manager in the mental health field and a longtime mutual support group member and facilitator. The Peer-to-Peer course is free and consists of nine two-hour sessions and is taught by a team of three trained "Mentors" who are successfully living with a mental illness. Participants come away from the course with a binder of hand-out materials, as well as many other tangible resources: an advance directive; a "relapse prevention plan" to help identify tell-tale feelings, thoughts, behavior, or events that may warn of impending relapse and to organize for intervention; mindfulness exercises to help focus and calm thinking; and survival skills for working with providers and the general public. For current and upcoming course schedule, click here.
If you or your community would like to become involved in outreach, please contact Noelina Arciniegas by e-mail.
Relevant Articles
La Opinion, No está loco, está enfermo