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Building Community, Taking Action
October 1 7, 2006
What is Mental Illness?
Mental illnesses are disorders of the brain that can often profoundly disrupt a persons thinking, feeling, mood, and ability to relate to others. Mental illnesses include such disorders as bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, anxiety disorders including Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder, and other severe and persistent mental illnesses.
What is Mental Illness Awareness Week?
Established in 1990 by Congress, the first week of October is designated as Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW) in recognition of NAMIs efforts to raise mental illness awareness. Bipolar Disorder Awareness Day (BDAD) is held each year on the Thursday of MIAW to encourage further understanding and promote early intervention and treatment for this mental illness.
MIAW and BDAD are NAMIs premiere pubic awareness and public education campaigns that link the organization nationally to the organizations over 1100 local affiliates across the country.
Over the past 16 years, MIAW has become a tradition in NAMI. It presents an opportunity for all three levels of NAMI national, state and local to work together in communities across the country in meeting the NAMI mission through a variety of outreach, educational, and advocacy efforts.
MIAW 2006 Theme Building Community, Taking Action
Real recovery from mental illness requires community action, understanding and teamwork. Recovery is possible because of improved science, better community supports, and reduced stigma, but significant barriers still remain. Services are at risk, there is minimal insurance available for those who work, and stigma, though less today than when MIAW was founded, is still prevalent.
MIAW Resources
NAMI National offers technical assistance to all state and affiliate organizations planning activities during Mental Illness Awareness Week.
● Online - Visit the NAMI Web sites dedicated section on Mental Illness Awareness Week at www.nami.org/miaw for MIAW and other resource information to assist your efforts, including links to other NAMI resources supporting such activities as multicultural outreach, outreach to families of children and adolescents, and faith outreach.
● By phone The NAMI Leadership Institute will be conducting MIAW Teleconference Series, look for topic and call-in information in Friday Facts or contact your NAMI Leadership Consultant. For contact information, visit www.nami.org/leaders.
● In person At this years NAMI Convention attend the MIAW workshops and visit the MIAW booth in NAMILand in the exhibit hall. For convention registration information go to: www.nami.org/convention.
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