The New Jersey Mental Health Institute, Inc.
(NJMHI) in collaboration with NAMI
NEW JERSEY (formerly the National Alliance for the
Mentally Ill of New Jersey) proposes to achieve consensus for the
implementation of NAMI national’s exemplary practice, the Family-to-Family
Education program, in eight urban communities spanning six different
counties in the State of New Jersey. The program will be geared to
Hispanics, the fastest growing and largest ethnic minority group in
our state and nation, and be made available for the first time ever
in this state in Spanish. The overall goal of the project is: to
build consensus for family education and support for families of persons
with mental illness in eight cities, primarily urban communities,
spanning the six highest Hispanic populated counties. The NJMHI intends
to accomplish this by sensitizing the community to the needs of persons
with mental illness and their families particularly as they relate
to the educational needs of families. Secondly, it will achieve this
by introducing an educational and supportive approach to informing
families about mental illness.
To achieve consensus in urban communities within
the Hispanic community, the NJMHI and NAMI NEW JERSEY will work closely
with numerous key stakeholders such as the State of New Jersey Division
of Mental Health Services Office of Multicultural Services; the State
of New Jersey Department of Community Affairs Center for Hispanic
Policy, Research and Development; the Hispanic Directors Association;
local community-based Hispanic organizations; local religious groups
within the targeted communities; and local mental health providers
within the targeted communities. The project will also use a five-stage
readiness to change model. With the model, it will assess how prepared
each community is to accept family education in the form of the Family-to-Family
through the use of key informant interviews, focus groups, stakeholder
meetings and other meetings. By involving each community in consensus
building activities, it will strive to create a climate of acceptance
regarding mental illness.
The NJMHI and NAMI NEW JERSEY are committed
to providing education and support to the Hispanic families of persons
with mental illness. This project will enable us to build consensus
to engage Hispanic families of persons with mental illness in an educational
project in areas that historically have had few resources for information,
education and support. Support for the stress and burden Hispanic
families experience is truly needed. We believe that our project
will be a positive outlet for Hispanic families in our targeted communities,
and among other things bring them education, relief, and empowerment.
Program Contact Person:
Henry Acosta, MA, MSW, LSW
Project Director
Changing Minds, Advancing Mental Health for
Hispanics
(609) 838-5488, ext. 205 – Telephone
(609) 838-5489 – Facsimile
hacosta@njmhi.org – E-mail
