Youth & Young Adults

All NAMI programs are free, led by trained facilitators with lived experience, and available to the public.

Please call 715-450-6484 or email info@namicv.org the NAMI Chippewa Valley office for questions or to request a presentation.

Elementary

Let's Talk About Mental Illness

by NAMI Wisconsin

NAMI WI Mental Health Chat

Presentation

Let’s Talk About Mental Illness is a new fun and engaging video made for elementary age kids to start the conversation about mental illness!

Mental Health Chat is a program developed by NAMI Fox Valley and is a mental health awareness presentation given to elementary age students. NAMI Wisconsin has been given permission to expand the program state wide. The target population is 4th graders (3rd – 5th) and the presentation is given by someone living with a mental illness or someone who is a family member of someone with a mental illness. The presentation is about 40 – 45 minutes with a curriculum follow-up for teachers provided.

The presentation is given in a fun and caring way with the goals to:

Educate elementary students about mental illness and NAMI
Help elementary students understand that getting medical help for a mental illness is good and similar to getting medical help for a broken arm or the flu
Educate elementary students that one in five people live with a mental illness
Provide positive coping skills for dealing with strong emotions.
Teach students how to help themselves or a friend identify an adult they can talk to if feeling sad/depressed/anxious

Middle & High School

NAMI Ending The Silence

Presentation offered virtually

To request this presentation for your school or classroom, visit

https://ets.nami.org/

NAMI Ending the Silence is an evidence-based, 50-minute session designed for middle and high school students. The virtual presentation is developed to help middle and high school aged youth learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if you or a loved one are showing symptoms of a mental health condition. Your students will learn about mental health conditions through a brief presentation, short videos, and personal testimony from a young adult who describes their journey to recovery. Research has shown that NAMI Ending the Silence for Students is effective in changing middle and high school students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions and toward seeking help.

Raise Your Voice Club

A NAMI Wisconsin Program

Participating Schools near the Chippewa Valley

Chippewa Falls High School

New Auburn School District

Raise Your Voice Club is a new youth movement launched by NAMI Wisconsin that empowers teens to create a new conversation about mental health through education, leadership development and civic advocacy.

The high school years and the transition from high school to college are critical periods in the lives of young people. State and federal priorities have identified a significant need to expand services and interventions for transition-age youth (ages 14 to 24) and provide early intervention. But, a gap remains — giving a voice to the young people themselves. Raise Your Voice Club works to:

Empower young people to speak up and create an open dialogue about mental health
Create a community that works to reduce stigma on campus
Promote acceptance for students living with or who know someone who is living with a mental health condition
Cultivate youth leaders around civic advocacy at the local, state and national levels
Develop youth leadership

College

NAMI On Campus

A club for college students

Participating Schools near the Chippewa Valley

University of Wisconsin - Eau Claire

If you are interested in starting a NAMI on Campus club at your university, please contact the NAMI Wisconsin state office at

(608) 268-6000 or programs@namiwisconsin.org.

College is an exciting time. From being away from home and finding independence to meeting new people and trying new things, every day brings new experiences. There is also a new level of academic responsibility.  Classes are harder and there is always a due date on the horizon. Balancing all of the changes that happen in college can be stressful and challenging.

Those challenges are even more difficult for the 1 in 5 students who also face a mental health condition.  Nearly three-quarters of mental health conditions emerge by age 24, so many college students are facing mental health concerns for the first time and may not know where to go for support.

NAMI knows that some of the best support a student can receive is from peers. When students connect with one another, they can share common experiences and support each other through the transitions. NAMI on Campus helps make those connections happen.

NAMI on Campus clubs work to end the stigma that makes it hard for students to talk about mental health and get the help they need. Clubs hold creative meetings, hold innovative awareness events, and offer signature NAMI programs through partnerships with NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates across the nation.

NAMI on Campus clubs are student-led, student-run mental health organizations on college campuses. NAMI on Campus clubs:

Raise mental health awareness with fairs, walks and candlelit vigils.
Educate the campus with presentations, guest speakers and student panels.
Advocate for improved mental health services and policies on campus.
Support peers with signature NAMI programs and training from NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates.