NAMI’s education programs reach hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators get the support and information they need. If you need help of any kind dealing with mental illness, please contact us and we’ll get you the information and support you need.
The Need for Mental Health Education for Children and Youth
- 1 in 6 U.S. youth aged 6-17 experience a mental health disorder each year.
- Suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death for people ages 10-34. We need to raise our voices about the need for mental health education.
- 70% of youth in the juvenile justice system have at least one mental health condition. We need to raise our voices about the need for mental health education.
- 50% of all lifetime mental illness begins by age 14, and 75% by age 24.
We need more mental health education and early intervention and prevention. We need to end stigma and provide more mental health education for our youth.
NAMI WLA Support for Youth
NAMI Westside LA offers the free Ending the Silence presentation to local middle and high schools, to educate students, teachers, and parents about mental illness. Ending the Silence is NAMI’s groundbreaking school program designed to give students, teachers, and parents an opportunity to learn about mental illness through an informative presentation.
Our Westside Los Angeles team speaks to middle and high school students about mental illness, including warning signs, facts, and statistics, and we share how they can get help for themselves or a friend. Research has shown that NAMI’s Ending the Silence for Students program is effective in changing middle and high school students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions, and guiding them to seek help.
NAMI WLA Mental Health Education For Adults
The NAMI Westside Los Angeles affiliate also offers classes, programs, and events for the community.
NAMI Westside LA offers NAMI courses for those living with mental health conditions and for family members who want to support them.
- Family-To-Family Class: Free class for family members of those living with mental health conditions. 8-week program designed for families and taught by NAMI-trained family members who have been there. Find out more and register for an upcoming class.
- Family-to-Family Class for Spanish Speakers / De Familia a Familia Clase: Free class for Spanish-speaking family members of those living with mental health conditions. Un programa de educación para familiares y amigos de personas que tienen enfermedades mentales severas.
- Peer-to-Peer Class: Free class for those living with mental health conditions. 8-week class taught by a team of trained peer leaders who have lived experience. Find out more and register for an upcoming class.
- Homefront Class: Free class for family, friends, and significant others of military service members and veterans. 6-session class helps families understand what the service member/veteran is experiencing related to trauma, combat stress, civilian life transition, PTSD and other mental health conditions.
Advocating for More Mental Health Education
No doubt about it: we need more mental health education. In 2021, critical legislation was passed to mandate more age-appropriate mental health education from qualified professionals for millions of California students; read more about the passage of SB224 from California State Senator Anthony Portantino and co-sponsored by NAMI California.
Stay tuned for more you can do to help us push for more mental health education!
More
Youth Guide to Talking About Mental Health