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AUGUSTA — Eight Youth Mental Health First Aid courses have been scheduled in the Western Mountains area with support from a NAMI Maine grant.
Upcoming courses by NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, are Monday, June 25, at Mollyockett School in Fryeburg and on Thursday, June 28, in Wilton.
The affiliate is also in the process of scheduling a NAMI Suicide Awareness/Prevention program in Rumford and has had several requests to schedule adult Mental Health First Aid courses.
NAMI is the nation’s largest grass-roots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Its main role is to create awareness, education and advocacy and to support individuals, families, friends and caregivers of persons living with mental illness. The organization’s Maine office is in Augusta and it has several smaller state affiliates, including NAMI Western Mountains. This affiliate covers Oxford and Franklin counties. Western Mountains affiliate is organized to bring NAMI’s role of creating awareness, education, support and advocacy.
Except for a small number of paid staff at the state office, all other workers are volunteers, and all workers, paid or not, have experience with mental health problems.The affiliate’s mission includes reporting on local issues and needs, as well as bringing NAMI’s resource information and programs to the local area to help address local needs, do local outreach and support an annual NAMI Maine walk team to raise funds. All of NAMI’s programs are free to participants and supported by fundraising efforts and grants.
NAMI Western Mountains has registered a NAMI team for the annual walk on Sept. 23 at Southern Main Community College in South Portland. The team keeps 50 percent of teh money it raises to help with needs in its area and all money stays in Maine. Go to www.namimaine.org for more information and to donate or register to walk. (Please specify team Western Mountains to support this area.)
One of five people are affected by mental health problems. NAMI welcomes calls and email suggestions for what programs, events and information are needed.To get information or request specific programs in the Western Mountains, call Dottie at 207-364-2197 or email dotadams2020@gmail.com and Sue at 207-418-7904 in Oxford Count and in Franklin County call Louise at 207-592-9933.
For more information on the Mental Health First Aid courses and to register, go to www.namimaine.org, choose “calendar” and scroll down or call NAMI Maine at 1-800-464-5767; 1 is the helpline where a volunteer will discuss any mental health issue; otherwise, stay on the line and an operator will help.
