NAMI CCNS is proud to introduce “Ending The Silence”, a program especially designed for high school audiences and typically presented in the freshman/sophomore health classes during the mental health portion of the curriculum.
This interactive program which provides key resource materials for students, seeks to inform them about the basic signs and symptoms of mental illnesses and reduce the stigma through personal stories.
The informational and interactive power point is the first part of the presentation and the personal story is the second. The last few minutes of the class are for evaluation and Q & A. “Mood Pencils” are used as incentive for students to ask questions. These change color with the heat from your hand and have the NAMI CCNS contact information on them. The students also get a brochure from SAMHSA, “What a Difference a Friend Makes”.
There have been students who have seen the presentation and directed their parents to our Parent Support Group and Parent Education Class.
With Ending the Silence, we have a great educational tool for students. Evaluations from the past year and a half have been overwhelmingly positive with student comments like the following, after one high school presentation.
“I would like to thank you for coming in and talking to my school. Your program helped better educate me, and it gave me the courage to talk to my parents about my brother. He’s been seeing a “feelings doctor” and he’s ten. I sadly don’t think it’s working, so I sat my mom down and talked to her about medication. She’s going to take him to the doctor. Thank you for better educating me and giving me the courage to speak up.”
That says it all!
For more information regarding Ending the Silence, please contact our office at 847-716-2252 or admin@namiccns.org