NAMI Utah Programs Newsletter

Spring 2024

Hello from NAMI Utah Programs!

Starting in May we are offering an in person Connection support group that provides mental health support for anyone interested. It will be held at our state office (3269 South Main St., #230 in Salt Lake City) from 7-8:30pm on the first and third Mondays of the month (starting May 6^th).

I want to acknowledge volunteer Steffi Lietzke for her efforts in coordinating this group. It took several months, but she was determined. If you’ve been waiting for an in-person group now is your chance. Please help spread the word!

And if you would like to coordinate an in-person support group in your community let me know. Steffi is doing it, so can you!

Sincerely,

Robin Holcomb

Programs Director

Meet Volunteer

Steffi Lietzke

My name is Steffi and I was diagnosed with a mental illness as a teen. I started going to NAMI support groups at the Sandy library in 2019 and have missed them ever since COVID started. I'm excited to be starting an in person Connection Support Group with NAMI Utah in Salt Lake this spring. I was inspired to help coordinate this after reflecting on my own mental health journey and realizing how much I missed going to NAMI groups in person. I love getting involved in my community and I'm passionate about bringing mental wellness and support to everyone.

Steffi coordinates our new in person Connection support group

Connection Support Groups

Connection support groups, for anyone looking for support with their mental health, are more than just support groups. For many they are a lifeline, a place to find community, and a place where close feelings of connection develop and flourish. We often hear people referring to others in our groups as “family.” Join us for one or more of our five online Connection support groups offered weekly, and at our in-person group starting in May.

Facilitating NAMI’s Connection support groups isn’t easy. Our volunteer peer facilitators never know what situation is going to arise, and how people are going to respond. They are rigorously trained, and also attend quarterly support meetings. NAMI Utah is lucky to have such a dedicated team of volunteers.

Connection support volunteers at our our quarterly support meeting for facilitators in March.

Walk with Us on May 18!

The annual NAMI Walk is not only an important fundraiser, but it provides an opportunity to be in a place where hundreds of people have a personal connection to mental illness. Consider forming a Walk team, and do what you can to raise money which allows us to offer classes, support groups, presentations and mentoring free of charge. If you can’t do that, come anyway! Walk with us on this journey of bringing mental health awareness to our community, in a space where we’re reminded, we are not alone.

Learn More Here

More Questions? Contact Tina Jones, Walk Manager

NAMI Con 2024

NAMI’s national conference brings together hundreds of people from around the United States each year to learn and gain inspiration around mental health.

This year’s convention will be in Denver, Colorado from June 4-6th.

Learn more here!

Letter of Gratitude

Dear NAMI Utah,

We have just completed the 8-week NAMI Family-to-Family peer education program for family members of adults with mental illness. Our teachers were Sherri Corwin and Shyrel Petersen.

During a time of great anxiety and confusion about the health and welfare of a family member with mental illness, we started attending, in November 2023, a Family Support Group at the Utah State Hospital in Provo, Utah. It was a respite for us to attend those meetings. Our facilitators were Sherri Corwin and Angela Petersen. The many members of our support group, like us, came to receive guidance about steps we can take to remain hopeful and positive about the role we play in the care of our loved ones. Sherri and Angela encouraged us to attend the Family-to-Family course.

In class, each week we learned something new about mental illness. Our past perceptions of mental illness have changed, and we see that as we have changed our attitudes, we are developing a closer relationship with our loved one that has resulted in trust, patience, and empathy between us. Sherri and Shyrel are committed to helping people like us find joy in growing through our experiences with our loved one. We now have skills that we use to encourage other family members to support each other through the vicissitudes of life.