Mission and Vision Statement:
NAMI Ozaukee is a Wisconsin nonprofit corporation and a family-based county organization. Its purposes are to provide support, education and advocacy. This includes community awareness and understanding of the issues affecting persons with mental illness and their families. The goal is to improve the quality of life for those experiencing a mental illness and to provide support to their loved ones.
NAMI Ozaukee is a 501C3 Organization. Contributions are Tax Deductible.
NAMI OZAUKEE 262-243-3627 (National Alliance on Mental Illness) Please leave a message.
(MP4 Format approximately 3 Minutes in Length)
What is NAMI?
- NAMI is a unique volunteer, non-profit self-help group composed of families and friends of persons who have experienced mental illness and those persons themselves.
Who belongs to NAMI?
- Parents, relatives, patients, friends and professionals.
- Any person interested in support for mentally ill persons and their families is encouraged to join.
- Although NAMI was founded by family members of mentally ill people, mental health professionals have helped NAMI from the beginning and are most welcome to attend meetings.
What are NAMI’s goals?
- NAMI helps the mentally ill and their families by means of education, support and advocacy. Activities increase community awareness and understanding of the plight of the mentally ill.
- NAMI helps families cope with this frustrating and exhausting illness by providing support and help in obtaining the proper cared for their family member.
What does NAMI do?
- Publishes a quarterly newsletter that keeps citizens informed about NAMI activities, developments in treatment of severe mental illness and services in Ozaukee County and elsewhere.
- Sponsors informational programs with speakers from the mental health professions and governmental agencies that determine mental health services.
- Provides speakers from community groups.
- Provides libraries with books, audio and video tapes on topics related to mental illness.
What do we know about Mental Illness?
- Mental Illness is a Brain Disease and Mental illness is a brain dysfunction.
- Depression, bi-polar illnesses (i.e. manic depression) and the schizophrenias have definite biological components.
- Depression is the most common type of mental illness. It is a long-term feeling of sadness and inability to cope. It affects the body and the mind.
- Bi-polar illnesses occur in episodes. These may be periods of abnormal elation and increased activity or they may be attacks of depression. About 1 – 2 % of the population develops symptoms which require treatment.
- The schizophrenias are more common that people think. While not as common as depression, the schizophrenias show up with high incidence affecting 1 – 2% of the population. They are a group of thought disorders which may be due to a biological predisposition of chemical imbalance. The sufferer will usually be involved with delusions, hallucinations and hearing “voices” during some phases of the illness.
- One out of every 20 people suffer from one of these mental illnesses.
- The experience of mental illness is frustrating and exhausting for both the victim and for us, their family and friends but there is hope and perspective available through NAMI. NAMI is a grass-roots organization of friends and families who help each other by giving support and sharing information.