Spring Break has flown by, and I can't believe there are less than 3 months left of school (although I must say I am grateful junior year is coming to a close). I'm looking forward to planning events for May, as it is Mental Health month.
I have written and was very hopeful about getting Hakeem Rahim to speak at Emma as the headliner for this month, but recently ran into some roadblocks. For one, I recently learned that Mr. Rahim's fee is $3000. Since NAMI is a non-profit, and NAMI@Emma, being a first year club, has $0, we have a major financial barrier. It would take a lot of bake sales to raise that kind of money. I also had some trouble effectively communicating the urgency of scheduling a speaker given our tight school schedule. While I had first proposed having a speaker in December, given the scheduling of Emma Talks at school and NAMI NYS's reorganization, it was difficult to have the two collaborate to find a time when Mr. Rahim is available. At this point, I feel it is much too late in the school year to plan a major, mandatory speaking event, which does sadden me, although I do have some other plans for May that I am very excited about. I believe that next year if I begin planning even earlier and am more assertive about getting responses we will be able to get a major speaker on campus. Instead I am hoping to take a service orientation to the Mental Health Month in order to help the Albany community and to make sure that club members feel that they are a vital part of the club. I plan on running a clothes drive for an organization (possibly the Equinox House) that works with the mentally ill homeless populations in Albany, and possibly making a trip to one of these organizations to cook a meal with other club members. In May we will also be participating in the NAMI Ribbon Campaign. In the mean time I am starting to work on compiling resources for the club toolbox that can be given to other schools to spread the club. I have a meeting with NAMI NYS and the Commissioner of the Office of Mental Health next month to talk about a partnership surrounding the NAMI high school club's promotion, and I also hope to see if I can intern at the OMH in August.
1 Comment
Jon Calos
4/7/2016 07:18:06 am
Great March posts!
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Mental illness is nothing to be ashamed of, but stigma and bias shame us all. -Bill Clinton
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