Health Care Advocacy Across the Lifespan: What Parents of Children with Disabilities Need to Know

Mental Health Resources for South Asian Families

SAMHAJ – A Multicultural Mental Health Outreach Program by NAMI NJ

SAMHAJ (South Asian Mental Health Awareness in Jersey) seeks to provide support, education and advocacy for South Asians affected by serious mental illness. South Asians of Asian Indian and Pakistani origin, as well as those from Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Nepal, Bhutan, and the Maldives are welcome to seek support and information from SAMHAJ. Program Contact:  Anu Singh, Program Coordinator, 732-940-0991, E-mail samhaj@naminj.org

SAMHAJ provides:
• Support for families and individuals affected by mental illness through support groups, and referrals to bilingual and culturally competent mental health services. We offer a supportive environment to help you and your family to learn to navigate the often complicated mental health system. Our South Asian staff members are fluent in Hindi, Punjabi, Urdu and Kannada.
• Educational workshops and lectures from experts on issues that are important to your family’s journey towards recovery. Workshops cover subjects such as psychiatric medication, social security disability, rehabilitation and vocational training, coping with caregiver stress and anxiety, children’s mental health and many more topics.
• Workshops for mental health providers, other social service agencies and schools seeking to learn more about the rapidly growing South Asian community in New Jersey in order to provide culturally competent services.
• Volunteer opportunities for people interested in giving back to the community through service.

SAMHAJ Self Help Groups

SAMHAJ self-help group for South Asian families in New Jersey: This is a group of family members of individuals with serious mental illnesses that meets once a month for support and information. The group meets on the 1st Thursday of the month at the NAMI NEW JERSEY office, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902.

SAMHAJ Peer Support group meeting for mental health consumers: This group is for individuals of South Asian descent who are coping with serious mental illnesses. The group also meets on the 1st Thursday of the month at the NAMI NEW JERSEY office, 1562 Route 130, North Brunswick, NJ 08902.

For more information please contact Anu at 732-940-0991 or e-mail samhaj@naminj.org

Intensive Family Support Services

The Intensive Family Support Services (IFSS) Program is a range of supportive activities designed to improve the quality of life for families with a mentally ill relative. Family members and professionals work collaboratively to provide each family with the knowledge, skills and supports they identify as useful to the family's overall functioning and sense of control. Families choose from an array of services that are most relevant to their circumstances and may change over time. There is an IFSS Program in every county. Services are available to any family, free of charge and regardless of whether or not the ill family member is receiving mental health services. Please go to the following link to access information about the IFSS programs: http://www.naminj.org/support/iffs.html

NAMI BASICS Education Program

NAMI Basics is the new signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years. All instruction and course materials are free to class participants. For more information on the NAMI BASICS program please contact Alicia Stevenson, NAMI Basics, Program Coordinator at 908-892-4299 or e-mail basics@naminj.org

NAMI NEW JERSEY Family to Family Education Program

Family-to-Family Education is a peer family education program designed to foster learning, healing and empowerment among families of individuals with serious mental illness.

The NAMI NEW JERSEY Family-to-Family education (formerly the "Journey of Hope") course is a 12-week program for families of individuals diagnosed with serious mental illness. The curriculum focuses on three major psychiatric illnesses (schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and major depression), and emphasizes the clinical treatment of these illnesses. The curriculum also presents the knowledge and the skills that family members need when faced with the problems of mental illness.

There is no fee to participants. For more on Family-to-Family programs near you please contact the NAMI NEW JERSEY office. Please call 732-940-0991 or e-mail ftof@naminj.org.