Community Training Presentations

NAMI DuPage offers community training presentations in an effort to help people grow their understanding of mental health conditions, how to respond to signs and symptoms, practical ways to connect people to mental health resources, and more!

Hosting a NAMI-led presentation is extremely valuable for yourself and your community, especially since:

Mental Health Conditions are more common than cancer, diabetes & heart disease
1 in 5 individuals will face a mental health condition in their lifetime
The stigma surrounding mental health is the #1 reason why people don’t seek treatment for their mental health conditions (less than 30% of people with a mental health diagnosis seek medical treatment.)

If you are interested in hosting, fill out our presentation request form at least 60 days prior to the desired presentation date(s).

Presentation Request Form

Mental Health Essentials

NAMI Family
& Friends

NAMI PD C.O.N.N.E.C.T.

Mental Health Essentials

Our Mental Health Essentials presentation offers specialized presentations that offer a variety of basic information about mental illness. In this training, you can expect to learn more about:

Signs and symptoms of mental illness
Prevalence of mental illness in our society
Importance of discussing mental health conditions
How to help someone connect to appropriate people and resources
Ways to help lower stigma
Speakers who live with mental health conditions & how they live in recovery
Providing hope for those in recovery

Presentations can range from 1 to 2 hours long, with as many as 3 speakers (depending on the presentation length.) For presentation pricing please contact Meredith at [email protected]

Presentation Request Form

For more information, please contact Jessica Schneider (Program Support Coordinator) at [email protected].

NAMI Family & Friends

NAMI Family & Friends is a free seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. While similar in nature to the topics discussed with the Mental Health Essentials presentation, this presentation also provides an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support. Led by those with lived experience of supporting a family member with a mental health condition, we will also be discussing the following topics:

Understanding diagnoses, treatment and recovery
Effective communication strategies
The importance of self-care
Crisis preparation strategies
NAMI and Community Resources

Presentation Request Form

For more information, please contact Nancy Leguizamon (Director of Family Support Services at [email protected].

NAMI PD C.O.N.N.E.C.T.

Our NAMI PD C.O.N.N.E.C.T. program offers a variety of presentation options for first responders and security staff in DuPage County. Through these sessions, we provide an overview of what mental illness is and how to best interact with or approach someone who is exhibiting symptoms of a mental illness during a call. C.O.N.N.E.C.T. is the acronym used when referring to this program, since it teaches the following, important steps that are necessary for a successful approach:

Clear Instructions
Open Listening
Non-Confrontational Space Awareness
Negotiable/Non-Judgmental Responses
Encouraging Resources
Communicating Empathetically
Trust Building Conversations

For over 35 years, NAMI DuPage has consistently been a leader in developing innovative, responsive programming, and we are working diligently to provide local police officers with the support they need to effectively handle calls involving a mental health crisis.

For more information, please contact Eric Metcalf (Director of Peer Support Services) at [email protected].

Slide 1

Testimonials

“[It was] great to hear the perspective of a person who has overcome their illness and is doing really well. [It was] very encouraging to me and made me more hopeful of my loved ones’ recovery”

– Mental Health Essentials Participant #1

Slide 1

Testimonials

“I will remember the speakers’ personal stories and how I became emotionally attached to them. Understanding what they went through and the obstacles they had to overcome.”

– NAMI PD C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Participant #1

Slide 1

Testimonials

“[I learned] how to build more meaningful relationships with patients and gain trust and work as a team.”

– Mental Health Essentials Participant #2

Slide 1

Testimonials

“The most impactful part of the presentation was how honest and real their stories were, so impressive.”

– NAMI PD C.O.N.N.E.C.T. Participant #2