NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS

                                                         Email:  namiorangeny@warwick.net         
                                                     Website:  namiorangeny.org
                                                 Telephone:  845-956-NAMI (6264)                                                                               Toll-free:   1-866-906-NAMI (6264)
                                        InstagramInstagram:  NAMI Orange NY
                                     facebook icon FaceBook:  NAMI Orange County, NY 
                                     facebook icon FaceBook:  NAMI Orange Discussion Group

      *Contact us if you wish to be added to our email database to receive meeting announcements

ADVOCACY:
 3 digit Crisis Hotline for Suicide Prevention

Would you be interested in becoming a NAMI Orange board member?
If so, contact Dhanu at 845-294-2749
or email namiorangeny@warwick.net
to learn about the application process


Upcoming Events/Outreaches

See details
of upcoming NAMI
meetings and courses by clicking links below:


UPCOMING COURSES:

 

On-going  Meetings:

NAMI Connection
Click link

*Offered online through
NAMI-NYS
Tuesdays, 5 pm

NAMI Connection
a peer-led support group for adults living with a
mental illness.
No fee, no registeration
PLEASE NOTE: 
unfortunately these meetings held in Goshen will not be able to resume until a later date, but online is available-
see above

*******

Check out NAMI Connection in Sullivan County


For ongoing monthly Family Support Group Meetings, click here

MON, MARCH 16 ORMC: CANCELLED

TUES, APRIL 7 GOSHEN: CANCELLED 


CANCELLED
NAMI Orange Education Mtg.
Mon., April 13
6:15-8 p.m.
Recovery-based
Cognitive Behavior Therapy
RSVP Requested

NAMI In Our
Own Voice

Monday, May 4
6:30-7:30 p.m.

Goshen Public Library


2020 NAMI National Convention
July 15-18
Atlanta, Georgia


NAMI Presentations:

Both programs are arranged by request

Click on links below for details

  -Ending the Silence
is an in-school presentation designed to teach middle and high school students about the signs and symptoms of mental illness, how to recognize the early warning signs and the importance of acknowledging those warning signs. Through this classroom presentation, students get to see the reality of living with a mental health condition.
*3 types of presentations are available: for students, for staff and also for families


-In Our Own Voice
trained presenters who are in recovery from mental illness share compelling personal testimonies about their experiences of living with and dealing with the challenges posed by mental illness.

 

Contact Us

 

Mailing Address:     NAMI Orange
                                  PO  Box 637
                                  Middletown, NY 10940

Email:                   namiorangeny@warwick.net

Telephone:           845-956-6264  or  toll-free 1-866-906-6264
                              Call 24/7; someone will return your call within 24  hours

Website:               www.namiorangeny.org

FaceBook:           NAMI Orange County, NY

FaceBook:           NAMI Orange Discussion Group

Membership

If you would care to make a donation

FOUR MEETING LOCATIONS:

Orange County Department of Mental Health
Melville Room
30 Harriman Drive, Goshen, NY 10924

2nd Monday of the month, 6:15 - 8 p.m. (unless otherwise posted)  followed by chat, refreshments and library access. Occasionaly, due to holidays, meeting date has to be rescheduled. Please RSVP by email or leave a message at 845-956-6264 if planning to attend.

Exceptions: No EDUCATION meetings held in:
   -January
   -February
   *July
   -August
   *December
To summarize: Education Meetings are held during 7 months -
from March through June and September through November
and they are open to the public.

*July picnic held at Fancher-Davidge Park for members, family and NAMI Orange invited guests only (date/time TBA); *December holiday party for members, family and NAMI Orange invited guests only (Location and time to be announced)

2020: October Candlelight Vigil: Monday, October 5 - changed from second Monday to avoid Columbus Day and to celebrate Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW)

 

First Presbyterian Church
33 Park Place
Goshen, NY 10924
    • NAMI Connection
      Please note these meetings are not yet able to be resumed. Watch for future announcements.

    • NAMI Family Support Group
      First TUESDAY of the month, 6:30-8:30 p.m.

    • NAMI Family-to-Family Course: 
      some courses are scheduled in Goshen and some are scheduled in Newburgh.

    • NAMI Basics
      some courses are scheduled in Goshen and some are scheduled in Newburgh; anaother option is to register to take course on-line from NAMI national organization when it is offerred.

         December  - party for members, family and NAMI Orange invited guests only (date/time to be announced)

 

  ORANGE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER
                    707 East Main Street
                   Middletown, NY 10940

                      

                  NAMI Family Support Group
                             Conference Room # 7
                    3rd Monday of every month, 7 p.m.

           

   St. Francis of Assisi Church
                   145 Benkard Avenue
                   Newburgh, NY 12550

            NAMI Family-to-Family Course
          Some courses are also offered in Goshen


       

     NAMI Signature Programs that can be           scheduled at your school or facility:    

Contact Dhanu at 845-294-2749


 

History of NAMI Orange

NAMI Orange County, NY -  previously known as NAMI-AMICO, Inc. and as AMICO (Alliance on Mental Illness in the County of Orange), began as a small group of dedicated families who had a family member hospitalized at Middletown Psychiatric Center.

At that time, families who were looking for support had nowhere to turn. Family support programs were non-existent in Orange County. One family, devastated by their son's diagnosis of schizophrenia, asked the hospital if there would be a way to meet other families who also had a family member with a mental illness.

In 1984, Linda Weiser, a concerned family member, joined MPC to bring together families of MPC's patients for the first time. It started as a small group but quickly grew into AMICO. In 1985, these families joined other families throughout the state and became an affiliate of the newly formed "Alliance on Mental Illness of New York".

AMICO's bylaws written by the original families stated that the intent of AMICO was to provide support for families and friends of people with mental illness, advocate for better services, foster research, work to change stereotypes and overcome the stigma associated with chronic mental illness. Also at this time, AMICO and the Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc. formed a collaboration to help and support families.

In the eighties, many AMICO members found there was little help available to families when there was a crisis. They advocated for a mobile mental health team that would come to "them" when needed. Another family, concerned because no housing program seemed to meet the needs of their family member, advocated to meet this need with non-conventional housing. These advocacy efforts brought Mobile Mental Health and the "Home To Stay Program" to Orange County. Families have also worked together with providers at the county meetings to provide, promote and improve mental health services for their loved ones. NAMI-AMICO was given a designated seat on the County's Community Services Board.

The name AMICO was changed to NAMI-AMICO in September, 1998 when all state affiliates became part of the National Alliance on Mental  Illness (NAMI).

In 2005, as part of an initiative sponsored by NAMI-NYS, NAMI-AMICO became incorporated. The name was again changed in 2016 to NAMI Orange County, NY to be in keeping with NAMI's requirement that all affiliates have as a part of their name the community that they serve.

In addition to our monthly education meetings, our organization is currently providing several programs on an on-going basis. The first six programs listed are NAMI Signature Programs in which the facilitators/presenters/instructors have received specific NAMI training in order to be credentialed:

   -Family To Family: a 12 week (one night/week) NAMI educational program structured to help families and significant others who are caregivers understand and support people with a serious mental health condition while maintaining their own well-being
   -NAMI Basics:  a 6 week (one night a week) NAMI educational program for parents and family caregivers of children and teens who are experiencing symptoms of a mental health condition or whom have already been diagnosed 
   -NAMI Connection: Weekly peer-led support group for people living with a mental health condition   (Currently on Hold) 
   -NAMI Family Support: Monthly structured support group for families, friends, partners and/or caregivers of loved ones with a serious mental health condition. Offered in 2 locations: Goshen and ORMC in Middletown.
   -In Our Own Voice: people with mental health conditions share their  compelling personal stories as an interactive presentation to groups in the
community  
    -Ending the Silence: An in-school 50 minute presentation designed to teach middle and high school students about the signs and symptoms of a mental health condition, how to recognize the early warning signs and the importance of acknowledging those warning signs
    -Families Helping Families: a team of NAMI Orange volunteers that provides information to the families of patients in the Behavioral Unit at Orange Regional Medical Center
   -NAMI Orange Outreach: Distributing information to community, hospitals, libraries and events
   -HELPLINE 845-956-6264:  Call 24/7  NAMI Orange volunteers respond to callers within 24 hours in order to provide information regarding availability of services, support groups, etc.     

NAMI Orange has representation on the following committees:

  • Orange County Dept. of Mental Health Community Services Board (CSB) Advisory Board to the Commissioner of the Department of Mental Health
  • Joint Membership of Health and Community Agencies (JMHCA)
    Consists of directors of most health agencies in Orange County, both medical and mental health, substance abuse, etc.
  • Housing Consortium
    Takes care of housing especially for homeless persons, secures funding, etc. Works closely with homeless shelter: HONORehg
  • Single Point of Access (SPOA):
    Committee that places persons with mental health illness in different levels of housing and or programs. Also sets up persons with levels of care management and peer support
  • Crisis Intervention Training (CIT):
    Orange County initiative to train police officers and probation departments on how to interact and communicate with a person with mental illness if there is a call or incident requiring law enforcement
  • Criminal Justice Advisory Boards
    Committees that are working on policies on how to perform law enforcement and direct persons to get the correct treatment when there is an illness
  • Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Hospital:
    Participates in Incident Review Committee to provide feedback from a family's perpective

 

*NAMI Orange is very grateful for the office space provided to us by
Rehabilitation Support Services, Inc.       

       Mailing Address: NAMI Orange, PO Box 637, Middletown, NY 10940

       Email: namiorangeny@warwick.net

       Telephone: 845-956-6264  or toll-free  1-866-906-6264

       Website: www.namiorangeny.org  

        FaceBook:  NAMI Orange County, NY

        Facebook: NAMI Orange Discussion Group

Meeting locations listed above.

 

 


 

 

BACKGROUND of NAMI-AMICO, Incorporated

NAMI-AMICO Incorporated, previously known as AMICO (Alliance on Mental Illness in the County of Orange), began as a small group of dedicated families who had a family member hospitalized at Middletown Psychiatric Center (MPC).   At that time, families who were looking for support had nowhere to turn.  Family support programs were non-existent in Orange County.  One family, devastated by their son's diagnosis of schizophrenia, asked the hospital if there would be a way to meet other families who also had a family member with a mental illness.  In 1984, MPC brought together families of their patients for the first time.  It started as a small group but quickly grew into AMICO.  In 1985, these families joined other families throughout the state and became an affiliate of the newly formed "Alliance on Mental Illness of New York".

AMICO's bylaws written by the original families stated that the intent of AMICO was to provide support for families and friends of people with mental illness, advocate for better services, foster research, work to change stereotypes and overcome the stigma associated with chronic mental illness.  Also at this time, AMICO and the Mental Health Association in Orange County, Inc. formed a collaboration to help and support families.

In the eighties, many AMICO members found there was little help available to families when there was a crisis.  They advocated for a mobile mental health team that would come to "them" when needed.  Another family, concerned because no housing program seemed to meet the needs of their family member, advocated to meet this need with non-conventional housing.  These advocacy efforts brought Mobile Mental Health and "The "Home To Stay  Program" to Orange County.  Families have also worked together with providers at the county meetings to provide, promote and improve mental health services for their loved ones.  NAMI-AMICO was given two designated seats on the County's Community Services Board.

The name AMICO was changed to NAMI-AMICO in September, 1998 when all state affiliates became part of the National Alliance on Mental  Illness (NAMI).  In 2005, as part of an initiative sponsored by NAMI-NYS, NAMI-AMICO became incorporated.

In addition to our monthly meetings, our organization is currently providing several programs on an on-going basis:
    -Family To Family:  a 12 week (one night/week) NAMI educational program structured to help caregivers    nnunderstand and support individuals with serious mental illness while maintaining their own well-being
    -NAMI Connection: Weekly support group for individuals living with a mental illness
    -In Our Own Voice:  trained individuals living with a mental illness share their compelling personal nnstories as an interactive presentation to groups in the community
    -Families Helping Families:  a team of NAMI-AMICO volunteers that provides information to the families nnof patients in the Behavioral Unit at Orange Regional Medical Center
   -HELPLINE (845/956-6264):  NAMI-AMICO volunteers respond to callers in order to provide information nnregarding availability of services, support groups, etc.

Over the years, our group of families has become Orange County's Voice on Mental Illness. Our current office is located at 30 Matthews Street, Goshen, NY.

Mailing Address:  NAMI-AMICO, PO Box 637, Middletown, NY 10940
       Email:  namiamico@warwick.net
       Telephone:  (845) 956-6264  or toll-free  1 (866) 906-6264
       Website: www.namiamico.org
       Meetings held at 73 James P. Kelly Way (formerly known as County Highway 108), Middletown, NY