2 · NAMI MISSISSIPPI
Letter from the President of the Board
Mississippi 2618 Southerland Street Jackson, MS 39216 601-899-9058 • 800-357-0388 Fax: 601-956-6380 • namims.org
TABLE OF CONTENTS
President’s Letter 2 2022 Conference Proposals 3 Interns and Volunteers Needed 4 NAMI Pine Belt 6 NAMI Vicksburg 7 NAMI Oxford 8 NAMI Central Mississippi 9 2021-2022 Board of Directors 9 2021 State Conference Overview 10-11 2021 Minority Mental Health Conference Overview 12-13 Education 15 Advocacy 15 NAMIWalks 2021 16 Open Up Mississippi Update 17 Calendar of Events • Support Groups 18 Membership 19 BOARD OF DIRECTORS Mary Harrington, President & Oxford Affiliate Representative Megan Hamm, Vice President & Four Rivers (MS) Representative Harriette Mastin, Secretary and At Large Marcus Ginn, Treasurer and At Large Sharon Turner-Davis, At Large Christiane Williams, At Large Thomas Carson, Peer Leadership Council Representative Auvergne Williams, Central Mississippi Affiliate Representative Shan Abbott, Coastal MS Affiliate Representative Patricia Battle, Meridian Affiliate Representative Mavis Creagh, Pine Belt Affiliate Representative Kim Benefield, Tupelo Affiliate Representative Jenny Drake, Vicksburg Affiliate Representative STATE OFFICERS Sitaniel J. Wimbley, Executive Director Joy Amerson, Account Manager Kawanna Jenkins, Education Outreach Volunteer Cyntavia Newton, Public Health Intern Latasha Willis, Peer Community Outreach Specialist OPEN UP MISSISSIPPI Laykin Register, State Level Youth Engagement Coordinator Yasmine Ware, Graphic Designer AFFILIATES Central Mississippi Four Rivers (MS) Pine Belt Vicksburg Meridian Oxford Coastal MS (Developing) Tupelo (Developing) The NAMI Mississippi newsletter is funded by donations from members and partners, and is published to inform, educate and strengthen the community of individuals and families affected by serious mental illness. The articles and opinions within are not necessarily those of the NAMI Mississippi organization. Content is not intended to endorse any political candidates, viewpoint, treatment or medication.
J
une 30 marked the end of the fiscal year for NAMI-MS, providing us with the perfect opportunity to look back at our accomplishments and to look forward to our bright future. One of the most impressive accomplishments of the past year was the tremendous number of classes and presentations we held all over the state. From July 1, 2020 through June 20, 2021, we offered an impressive 50 classes, compared to only 9 during the prior fiscal year. That’s an astounding 555% increase! While we are indebted to all our teachers, two instructors deserve special praise. Jenny Drake and Deloris McGee together taught an amazing 17 Family and Friends classes this year, reaching 288 participants. What a dynamic pair of dedicated women! Not only did we hold a record-setting number of classes, but we also dramatically increased the number of teachers trained, from 11 last year to 49 this year, more than a three-fold increase. With these additional individuals being trained, we are well-poised to spread NAMI’s message of hope throughout our state. As I look ahead to this year, I’m energized by a number of initiatives. One of the most exciting ones is the implementation of a 988 nationwide number of suicide prevention and mental health crises, which will be available across the country by July 2022. Calls to the 988 number will be routed to regional crisis call center
Not only did we hold a recordsetting number of classes, but we also dramatically increased the number of teachers trained... hubs designed to connect people to services, which may include dispatching mobile crisis teams. Communities that have mobile crisis teams staffed by mental health professionals and peers saw a drastic reduction in the need for law enforcement involvement in mental health crises. It is my fervent hope that the implementation of 988 will prevent many of the tragedies that currently occur when mental health crises are treated like criminal offenses. Whether we look backwards or forwards, NAMI’s reassurance that “you are not alone” can bring hope and comfort to each of us.
Mary Harrington, President NAMI Mississippi Board of Directors
