In the next four months, Monthly Mission Offerings will focus on mental wellness and the non-profits dedicated to improving the lives of the mentally ill and their families. They advocate, educate, support, and raise public awareness about mental illness. And they remind us that without treatment, the consequences for people and society are staggering, as we have just witnessed with the mass shooting at Michigan State University.

Mental health professionals stress that treatment is available. Yet, the stigma of weakness and poor access to services have created barriers. The need is evident when Michigan spends over three billion a year on public behavioral health care services. One in four adults have suffered from some form of mental illness. Ten percent of children and adolescents have a serious mental disorder. Major Depressive Disorder is the leading cause of disability for women and children in the world.

In March we will learn about NAMI (National Assoc. of Mental Illness), a grassroots mental health organization with affiliates in every state and over 1,000 communities. We are fortunate to have Kevin Fischer, Director of NAMI Michigan, speak to us on March 5. His role is linking national resources with local chapters and coordinating family and consumer involvement to influence state policy. He will talk about Faith-Net, an inter-faith network of NAMI and emphasize NAMI’s mission to erase the stigma of mental illness that creates a barrier to public awareness and treatment.

Our local chapter is NAMI Metro, serving Oakland, Wayne, and Macomb counties, which provides education, support and advocacy. Families in Action groups, a ten-week class available on Zoom, are an invaluable resource for parents of mentally ill children. Their website includes a Help Line and Mental Health 101 seminars. They have advocates on the federal, state, and local levels for equitable public and private sector policies, and they sponsor a NAMI Walk to raise funds and awareness.

Your contributions will help increase the mental health awareness, support, and advocacy available in NAMI programs.