Who Does What at Your State Office
People
Your state office staff is here to help you strengthen your affiliate. Here are staff members who can help you operate your affiliate more efficiently and provide more and better services—
Insert Your State Affiliate Staff Information Here
Sample Text from NAMI North Carolina:
Membership Development Coordinator Beth Greb is your affiliate’s primary contact with NAMI North Carolina. Beth can help you organize and manage your affiliate, conduct more effective meetings, plan programs and activities, publish a newsletter, recruit new members, solve problems…the list seems endless. She’ll also consult with you on preparing your application to the Affiliate Grant Program for a capacity-building grant to strengthen your affiliate or a community outreach grant to enable your affiliate to sponsor bigger and better programs and projects. Whatever the question, problem or proposed project, chances are Beth has the experience and access to the resources your affiliate needs. She is available for telephone consultation and to conduct workshops and retreats in your community.
Executive Director Beth Melcher, Ph.D., is NAMI North Carolina’s legislative liaison and can help your affiliate respond effectively to government and legal issues. Beth represents our organization as a media spokesperson and member of a number of state committees and boards. She is also your affiliate’s contact for NAMI’s Campaign to End Discrimination.
Young Families Program Coordinator Linda Swann is our resident expert on issues affecting families of children or adolescents with serious emotional disorders or mental illnesses. Contact Linda for help with serving young families through your affiliate or offering teacher training programs.
Family-to-Family Coordinator Matisha Brown can provide your affiliate with the training and support you need to offer the Family-to-Family Education course and/or support groups.
Helpline Coordinator Gloria Harrison is our statewide contact for family members, consumers and professionals who call the Helpline for information, referrals and support. When she receives calls from the area your affiliate serves, Gloria often provides the name and telephone number for your affiliate’s contact so the caller can seek help locally. Gloria can answer your questions about services and resources available throughout the state, and she maintains a long list of sources who can provide additional details.
Director of Development Zanna Cipriani is here to advise you and answer your questions about raising money through community and foundation grants, special events and individual contributions. She also coordinates fundraising activities for NAMI North Carolina and is staff liaison for the Board of Advisors.
Administrative Manager Norma Whitfield manages operations and finances for the state office and handles ongoing communication with the national organization. Norma also organizes NAMI North Carolina’s Spring Conference and Fall Institute and works on NAMI’s Campaign to End Discrimination.
Development and Information Secretary Linda Buzard handles donations, acknowledges gifts to NAMI North Carolina and edits “Clippings.”
Membership Secretary Martha Brock handles dues, keeps track of mailing addresses, affiliates’ membership lists and is the person to contact when your affiliate elects new officers or makes other personnel changes.
Programs
As a service organization, your affiliate’s primary purpose is to bring support, education and advocacy into your community. NAMI and the state office already have in place a number of programs and services for your affiliate, including—
The Campaign to End Discrimination—A nationwide campaign by NAMI to educate people about the neurobiological origins of mental illness. The state office provides support materials to present programs and conduct awareness campaigns in your community.
The Science & Treatment Program—A program supported by the NAMI Campaign to End Discrimination to train volunteers to present informational programs about the nature and treatment of mental illnesses to business and civic groups.
Newsletters—All members of a NAMI affiliate receive the NAMI newsletter, “Advocate,” and the state office newsletter. Many affiliates also publish a newsletter for their members.
Other Resources—Many other educational brochures, booklets, books and tapes are available from NAMI.
Insert Your State Affiliate’s Program Information Here
Sample Text from NAMI North Carolina:
The Affiliate Grant Program—Apotential funding source to help your affiliate strengthen and build capacity or sponsor more ambitious community outreach programs and projects while introducing you to the grant-seeking process and sharpening your proposal-writing skills.
Helpline—A toll-free telephone information and referral service, staffed during business hours by NAMI North Carolina. The Helpline staff provides information to callers including mental health care consumers and their families and friends, to families of children with emotional disorders and to professionals. When someone who lives in your area calls the Helpline, we refer them to your affiliate as a local contact.
Family-to-Family Education—A 12-week course for families of people with severe and persistent mental illness. The course helps participants learn more about the nature and treatment of mental illness, develop coping skills and access services and other resources available to their families. NAMI North Carolina offers free training for volunteer instructors from affiliates throughout the state and provides ongoing funding and support.
Family-to-Family Support—NAMI North Carolina provides a free training program for volunteers who want to lead support groups sponsored by their affiliate. The state office also provides ongoing funding, support and maintenance services for Family-to-Family support groups.
Young Families Network—A referral program to put parents of children with a serious emotional disorder, behavior problem or brain disorder in contact with other parents who are coping successfully with similar problems. NAMI North Carolina is developing a Young Families Network manual offering guidelines and sample materials available for network volunteers.
Young Families Training for Educators—A program to help teachers, guidance counselors, school nurses and school psychologists better understand the nature and treatment of serious emotional disorders and mental illnesses experienced by their students. NAMI North Carolina offers free training to affiliate members who volunteer to participate in this program.
Young Families Mentoring —A program to train and refer parents experienced in coping with a child’s serious emotional disorders or mental illness to serve as mentors to young families whose children have similar problems.
Leadership Academy—A training program offered by NAMI North Carolina to teach interested affiliate members how to be more effective advocates.
The Science & Treatment Program—A program supported by the NAMI Campaign to End Discrimination to train volunteers to present informational programs about the nature and treatment of mental illnesses to business and civic groups.
Campaign to End Discrimination—A nationwide campaign by NAMI to educate people about the neurobiological origins of mental illness. NAMI North Carolina provides support materials to present programs and conduct awareness campaigns in your community.
Spring Conference—A two-day event held annually by NAMI North Carolina, featuring guest speakers, seminars and workshops of interest to members, professionals and the public.
Fall Institute—A one-day educational meeting held annually by NAMI North Carolina focusing on a single topic of interest.
Alerts—NAMI North Carolina’s system of notifying your affiliate about pending legislation that can benefit from your members’ influence and support. The most urgent alerts may be disseminated by email and/or telephone to your affiliate’s designated member who, in turn notifies your members through your affiliate’s telephone tree. When time permits, you may receive alerts by mail. Pending legislation is also featured regularly in NAMI North Carolina’s newsletter.
Newsletters—All members of a NAMI affiliate receive the NAMI newsletter, “Advocate,” and the NAMI North Carolina newsletter, “Clippings.” Many affiliates also publish a newsletter for their members.
Creating a Circle of Caring—The Church and the Mentally Ill—A book by NAMI North Carolina past president Shirley Strobel to help churches minister more effectively to people with mental illnesses.
The NAMI North Carolina Help Book—A comprehensive guide to resources available in our state. The Help Book includes information about various mental illnesses and their treatment, along with guidelines for accessing support services.Other Resources—Many other educational brochures, booklets, books and tapes are available from NAMI.
Call On Us
The state office staff is here to serve you and help you strengthen your affiliate. Please contact us for help with all your affiliate operations, programs, activities and concerns.
Continue to the next section
Return to the previous section
Return to the Affiliate Tool Kit Contents page
Let’s Talk About Your Marketing Communications Goals and Challenges!
If you’re looking for help with writing, graphic design and marketing communications and you like the portfolio samples you see here, contact me to schedule a telephone call to explore the possibilities of a collaboration. Of course, there is no cost or obligation for the call.