A Note From Our Executive Director
During this holiday season, I am grateful to be part of the NAMI Maine community. Over the past five years, I have met so many outstanding, committed, and passionate individuals. Each one of them bringing their own perspective, gifts, and lived experience into our community. Mental health impacts us all and as a group, our ability to raise awareness, enhance the skills to be helpful, support one another, and build more effective social service systems cannot be underestimated. Together we are changing the world.
Each one of us has our own story to tell. Finding your voice and your message is both rewarding and challenging. If you are ready to embark in that process, please consider attending the upcoming Speaker’s Bureau training in Hallowell. Click here to register.
We each struggle on how best to support those we love. Have you attended Family to Family? If not, please click here to learn about spring classes. And, if you have attended Family to Family- would you like to share what you have learned with other family members and loved ones by teaching the course? Email Tonya to learn about the upcoming teacher training.
Support is important for all of us and so oftentimes overlooked. If you are a person living with a mental health challenge or a person who loves someone who does, we invite you to attend a NAMI Maine support group in your community. Don’t have one in your community and want to start one? Contact us today!
Talking about mental health can feel overwhelming. Looking for a way to start the conversation? Consider hosting a Mental Health First Aid in your community by contacting Michael today.
Are you ready to testify this spring to help rebuild Maine’s mental health system? Be sure to email Mae to get connected to our policy work.
Stigma is a nice word for discrimination. Help NAMI Maine battle the ignorance and bias that cast judgement on those of us who openly share that we have a diagnosis by becoming a Stigma Warrior today. Join us to combat stigma. Your recurring monthly gift connects you to NAMI Maine’s work in a very meaningful way.
Thank you for allowing me to be a part of this amazing group of committed volunteers and staff. I am grateful for each one of you.
Happy Thanksgiving!
Jenna
Calling All Certified Peer Support Specialists!
The Waterville Peer Recovery Center is looking for a part-time staff member! This position is 20 hours per week. We’re looking for a CIPSS who is positive and forward-thinking, with good boundaries and communication skills. Interested? Contact Elaine for more information!
Holidays Can Be Hard For Those Left Behind
The holiday season is a time for togetherness; shared family meals, traditional foods, and activities that go back generations or are invented year by year. We get together with our family of origin or our family of choice for fun, sharing, and food. If you have lost a loved one through death or family breakup, the holidays can become more defined by who is not there than who is around the table. Many families have suffered significant losses that dampen the celebrations. This Holiday Toolkit from the National Alliance of Grieving Children provides tips on celebrating the season while remembering those we love.
