National Alliance on Mental Illness
About
NAMI OC (National Alliance on Mental Illness On Campus) at UNCW is a branch of a national organization advocating for the quality of life for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. Our mission is to improve the lives of students who are directly or indirectly affected by mental illness, increase awareness and mental health services on campus, and eliminate the stigma students with mental illness face. By joining us as a member, you can gain access to information about mental health from professionals, learn how to actively advocate for mental health, and learn what resources are available to you as a UNCW student and within the Wilmington community. We also provide areas of involvement through our various programs, including but not limited to our Youngish Peer Support Groups and Ending the Silence (ETS) educational presentations. Further points of interest for future providers and advocates include networking, learning about current research and how you can assist, gaining leadership experience, etc. As many of us with NAMI OC hope to be future providers, we make it a goal to provide as many resources to you as possible to develop your CV's and career, as well as to be active advocates.
NAMI OC Meetings are held on the 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month from 6-7 pm in TL 1006. These meetings provide resources on campus and off campus, information on mentorships/internships, and Q&A-based lectures from NAMI and other mental health professionals.
Spring '25 Meeting Dates from 6-7pm in TL 1006:
1/21: ABA, Challenging behavior, and Caregiver navigation | Dr. Emily Baxter
2/3: Psychotic symptomatology and research | Dr. Sally MacKain
2/17: Disability Resource Center
3/10: Neurodegenerative/neurodevelopmental disorders and TBI | Dr. Todd Peterson
3/17: Anxiety, stress, and trauma disorders | Dr. Kaitlyn Schuler
3/31: Neuropsychology and the Professional Journey | Dr. Juan Serrano
4/14: Graduation party, shirts, cords, and awards
Spring '25 Monthly Outings/Events
January 29th | 4-6pm | Burney Center - Involvement Carnival!
February - TBD
March 17-22nd - Campus Wellness Week
April 7th | 6-7:30pm | Clock Tower Lounge of Fisher - Echoes of the Mind
April 26th | 9:30am-1pm | Empie Park - Healthy Kids Day
May - TBD
NAMI Peer/Family Support Groups: Gain community involvement and vital skills that can help you develop professionally and personally. Here you can learn to be a support group facilitator and team up to lead group conversations related to mental health. Information about where these groups are located are here: https://namiwilmington.org/ This program is available to those who attend three club meetings and at least two peer support groups to sign up. If you have any questions you can reach out to the following email: namiocuncw@gmail.com
Youngish Peer Support Group: Youngish is our on-campus peer support group geared towards anyone aged 18-35 living with mental health challenges. We meet every 1st and 3rd Thursday from 5:30pm-7:00pm. Meetings are often held in Fisher Student Center as well as on Zoom (ID: 861 9427 0173). Peer support groups are closed meetings for those experiencing mental health challenges or those with a mental health diagnosis. For more information on how to join, or if you have any questions please email namiocuncw@gmail.com
Ending the Silence (ETS): Ending the Silence is an adolescent oriented program aiming to providing information awareness about mental illness. This program consists of two presenters; one of which presents a general PowerPoint, while the other provides a meaningfully testimony. By initiating these conversations, we hope to provide preventative information at an early age, while also targeting those students who may need to take the first step in recovery. You can help save the lives and recovery of these young people through this awe inspiring program! Reach out to learn more about how you can get involved as a presenter!