Previous participants of the NAMI@UMB "Journey Through Schizophrenia" event hosted in collaboration with local nonprofit SeizingPsych, Inc. and the University Student Government Association can testify that one of the special components of this event is an honest, interactive discussion about mental illness and family and professional responsibilities and decisions. This month, the event returns for a second year in a virtual capacity to ensure accessibility and safety across campus and the greater Baltimore community.
Interactive, Important, and Now Online
NAMI@UMB and SeizingPsych realize the importance of continuing their endeavors to promote wellness, educate the community, and generate spaces for open and honest conversation. As such, last year the organizations engaged in strides to repurpose and rediscover this journey so it could be delivered in a safe way. Key to this process was maintaining the interactive exercises and sincere and empathetic conversation and experiences the event is known to foster while offering participants the opportunity to engage safely from their home or workplace. This goal was first realized last spring and kicked off during National Public Health Week as a part of the Wellness Hub programming initiative.
What Can You Expect?
This year, "Journey Through Schizophrenia: Families Living with Mental Illness" will be offered through Zoom, but will retain the interactive exercises and discussion that participants return for year after year. In addition to a directed exercise in empathy and understanding psychosis, educational information about schizophrenia, mental health, and the lived experience of mental illness, and open discussion, which have been foundational components of the workshop, this year will provide participants with insights into the impact of COVID-19 on families living with mental illness. While COVID-19 has been a stressful life experience for most of the world, the stress of the fear of illness, the necessity of immunosuppression, and isolation impacts individuals and families living with severe mental illness in its own way. These stresses can rattle even the most treatment-compliant clients while posing dangerous risks for the mental wellness and health of many people with no previous risks. This year’s event will feature a special focus on the role of COVID-19 in mental health. The hosts look forward to hearing your stories and experiences.
How Can You Be a Part of It?
Join NAMI@UMB on Feb. 28 at 6:30 p.m. Register through UMBengaged at https://cglink.me/2nF/r1488053.
You can also follow NAMI@UMB and SeizingPsych on Instagram and Facebook, respectively, to stay updated on the events.