For a description of the "Ask the Professional" lecture series click here.
This program is open to the public and is free of charge.
Join the fun. Food! Music! Conversation!
Hope to see you. Please RSVP by June 12 so that we will have an accurate count for ordering food.
Call 201-634-2750.
We are planning our next "Family To Family" Education Course.
This course is designed for family members of persons with serious and persistent mental illnesses. A fall class is planned to begin Sept 3, 2008. Check here later for an exact date. Please call us if you are interested in registering.
For a description of the course and contacts click here.
NAMI Bergen County has many volunteer opportunities, large and small. We invite you to become active in our organization. We help ourselves when we help others. Current opportunities are described below. They can be tailored to meet your availability and interests.
Social activities committee member. This committee organizes and runs social activities for consumers with the goal of ameliorating the isolation associated with mental illness and fostering friendship. Our goal is to run two events a month, one outdoors and one indoors. About 8 hours of time per event is spent in identifying a venue, preparing an announcement, preparing food and attending the event. Committee members can work on as few or as many events as they choose. A nice way to get involved is to organize and lead one walk.
Newsletter. Beginning in 2008 we need an editor for our newsletter which has historically been published quarterly. There is considerable flexibility in this activity. It can be done by one person or it can be shared by two or three people. It lends itself to being done at home. It is great for those who enjoy researching, writing and editing. Facility with either Word or Publisher program is necessary. We estimate 20 +/- hours of work per issue for one person, less if the job is shared.
Beginning in Sept. 2008 we need one or more people to lead the “Ask the Professional” lecture series. The leaders identify possible speakers, invite them to speak, prepare the announcement, attend the lecture to introduce the speaker and facilitate community building. If interested, you can work with the current leader to get a feel for what’s involved. This activity can be done by one or more people. For example, you might wish to commit to one lecture and see if you enjoy this work.
We need someone to market anti-stigma ribbons. Best results would probably come from contacting other NAMI state and local affiliates by letter or email. Shipping will be done from the NAMI Bergen County office so the volunteer doesn't have to package ribbons or go to the post office. This job is nice in that once it can be done from home at any time and once the ribbons are sold, the job is done.
Volunteer Outreach Program to assist visiting family members of inpatient loved ones at the Bergen Regional Medical Center’s psychiatric units. This program is open to NAMI Family-to-Family education course graduates who offer family members visiting at Bergen Regional guidance and information to help them cope with the trials of confronting serious and persistent mental illness. Volunteers commit to two hours per month on a weekend day or evening at the Bergen Regional Medical Center.
NAMI Website Maintenance. We could use an individual with strong web design skills to work with our web master to maintain and enhance our web site.
We are a volunteer organization and will succeed if people are doing things they enjoy and value. So, bottom line, you tell us what appeals to you (which may be something not listed above) and we will do our best to give you a meaningful experience.
To volunteer, call our office.
The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Bergen County 304 Valley Boulevard, Room 30, Wood-Ridge, NJ 07075 201-635-9595 www.namibergen.org