Mental Health Training
NAMI Chicago offers professional development opportunities for groups interested in increasing their knowledge of mental health. We customize each training to the audience’s interest and needs. Here are some of the topics we may be able to include:
Mental health signs and symptoms
Mental health resources
Workplace stress and wellness
Compassion fatigue
Self-care
Mental health in your faith community
Personal story from someone living with a mental health condition
Education
NAMI Chicago also offers mental health education to school communities through our Ending the Silence and NAMI Chicago Chat programs.
Ending the Silence for Students educates young people on the signs and symptoms of mental health conditions, reduces stigma and teaches positive coping skills. Ending the Silence for Parents and School Staff teaches caregivers to recognize the warning signs of mental health conditions in youth, sharing tools to effectively communicate concerns and partner across family and school communities.
Ending the Silence is for students, parents and staff within Chicago schools. The student presentation requires at least 50 minutes; the parent and staff presentations require at least 90. If you think your group may qualify, please fill out the training request form above.
NAMI Chicago Chat is a one-hour interactive mental health promotion program for children ages 10-13 that includes knowledge about mental health, their own emotions, coping strategies and safe connections. This program is being offered in-person.
Mental health programs for youth younger than high school age are limited in the Chicago area, even though 50% of adults with mental health conditions experience symptoms by age 14. Reaching children in the pre-teen years helps them identify emotions, take care of themselves and seek support early when they are struggling. NAMI Chicago Chat is interactive and age-specific, engaging children through drawing, reading, videos and conversations that provide peer-to-peer engagement.
“I was most impressed with your attentiveness to participants and depth of knowledge about mental illness and ways congregations can respond. I feel we’ve had wonderful groundwork laid for future work on supporting those in our midst who struggle with mental illness.”
“I think that it’s okay to have a mental health condition because you can get help and find loving and caring people.”
NAMI Chicago engages in CIT training by providing officers with education about mental health symptoms and conditions, and bringing in individuals with lived mental health experience to reduce stigma and give feedback through telling their personal stories and providing role-play training. Learn all about our CIT work below!