ADVOCACY:
NAMI-NYS Legislative Advocacy Week
Feb. 22-26
Would you be interested in becoming a NAMI Orange board member? If so, contact our office at 845-956-6264 or email info@namiorangeny.org to learn about the application process
Upcoming Events/Outreaches
Zoom NAMI Orange Education Meeting
Mon., March 8, 7 pm
Topic: Practicing Meditation
UPCOMING COURSES:
NAMI Families & Friends
1 day presentation
Tues., March 16 only
Register now
Team Up for Hope Webinar Thurs., Mar. 18, 7 pm
"Pandemic Effects on School-aged Children & Teens"
Panel discussion with Q & A
Zoom Youth Mental Health First Aid
Sat., April 10 10 am-3:30
Zoom NAMI Family-to-Family
Sat., Sept 11-Oct. 30 8 consecutive Saturdays 10 am-1 pm
On-going Support Groups:
NAMI Connection*Offered online through NAMI Orange 1st & 3rd Thursdays 7-8:30 pm
Email to register at info@namiorangeny.org
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*Offered online through NAMI Sullivan Mondays, 7 pm
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*Offered online through NAMI capitalregionny Tuesdays, 5 pm
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*Offered online through NAMI Mid-Hudson 2nd Friday of month 6:30 pm
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NAMI Connection a peer-led support group for adults living with a mental illness. No fee, no registration PLEASE NOTE: unfortunately these meetings held in Goshen will not be able to resume until a later date, but online is available- see above
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FAMILY SUPPORT GROUPS (Virtual)
presented by NAMI Orange Click here for details
1st & 3rd Mondays 6:30-8 pm
Register by emailing info@namiorangeny.org or call our office 845-956-6264
with name, phone # and email
For ongoing Family Support Group Meetings, click here for Zoom meetings thru NAMI Sullivan 3rd & 4th Tuesdays 6:30-8 p.m.
NAMI Rockland, click here for support groups including Family Support in Spanish Thursdays: 3-4 pm 845-359-8784 ***** Virtual Support meetings for Parents of Children, Teens and Young Adults Thursdays: 6-7 pm
Virtual Self-Injury Learning Collaborative Thursdays: 4 pm through Mental Health Empowerment Project
COVID 19 Support Group through Garnet Health
3rd Tuesday, starting December 15
5:30-6:30 pm
NAMI In Our Own Voice
CANCELLED UNTIL FURTHER NOTICE
NAMI National Conference
June 30-July 3, 2021
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
Click above link for possible ETS ZOOM presentations
-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.
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Contact Us
Mailing Address: NAMI Orange PO Box 637 Middletown, NY 10940
Email: info@namiorangeny.org
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
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Current meetings are being offered through Zoom
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 (this event has been cancelled); *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)
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First Presbyterian Church 33 Park Place Goshen, NY 10924
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Being offered through Zoom now
- NAMI Connection:
1st & 3rd Thursdays
- NAMI Family Support Group:
1st & 3rd Mondays
- NAMI Family-to-Family Course:
some courses are scheduled in Goshen and some are scheduled in Newburgh, but now as Zoom
- 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)
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Garnet Health Medical Center
formerly known as ORANGE REGIONAL MEDICAL CENTER 707 East Main Street Middletown, NY 10940
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Current meetings at this site have been cancelled until further notice-but now offered through Zoom 1st & 3rd Monday of every month, 6:30 p.m.
NAMI Family Support Group Conference Room # 7 .
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St. Francis of Assisi Church 145 Benkard Avenue Newburgh, NY 12550
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NAMI Family-to-Family Course Some courses are also offered in Goshen and now on Zoom
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NAMI Signature Programs that can be scheduled at your school or facility:
Call 845-956-6264
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History of NAMI Orange County, NY
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 eight programs listed are NAMI Signature Programs in which the facilitators/presenters/instructors have received specific NAMI training in order to be credentialed:
-NAMI Family To Family: an 8 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 Family & Friends: a free 2 hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. It’s also an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support -NAMI Homefront: a free, 6-session program for family, friends and significant others of military Service Members and Veterans. The class helps families understand what the Service Member/ Veteran is experiencing related to trauma, combat stress,civilian life transition, PTSD and other mental health conditions -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. -NAMI In Our Own Voice: people with mental health conditions share their compelling personal stories as an interactive presentation to groups in the community -NAMI 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
- 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
- Mid-Hudson Forensic Psychiatric Hospital:
Participates in Incident Review Committee to provide feedback from a family's perpective
- Garnet Health Medical Center Incident Review Committee
*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: info@namiorangeny.org
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
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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
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