NAMI Brings Mental Illness Awareness to Schools

ENDING THE SILENCE

NAMI DuPage Is Talking about Mental Illness with DuPage-area School Students!

Over 6% of our overall population - roughly one in 16 people - has or will have serious mental illnesses, including major depression, anxiety and bipolar disorders, and schizophrenia. We now know that half of all mental illnesses are diagnosable by age 14, and it follows that many students will exhibit signs and symptoms even before 14. Research tells us that, of school-age children and adolescents, over 12% have a mental illness significant enough to be diagnosable… but only 20% of them are getting the help they need!

Early diagnosis of these illnesses is critical because it leads to earlier treatment, improved outcomes, and earlier recovery. So it is extremely important that we educate teen-age students not only on the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses that they may see in themselves or their peers, but also in how to respond and be supportive in these difficult and sensitive situations.

We can encourage students to respond positively to signs and symptoms of illness in themselves and others, and we can educate them as to what they can do, and to whom they can turn. We also can offer programs to “normalize” mental illnesses, help students to see them as illnesses with biological causes, and work to erase the social stigma that can unfairly isolate individuals with illnesses and delay or prevent proper treatment.

At the same time, through education we can work to correct inappropriate attitudes which lead to a lack of empathy, exclusion and even bullying

NAMI DuPage’s Signature Program: “Ending the Silence” was developed beginning in 2007 by NAMI DuPage staff member Brenda Hilligoss and her husband, Brian Hilligoss, “Ending the Silence” is a program in which local NAMI staff and trained volunteers go into high school health classes, typically two times a year per school, and make 50-minute presentations throughout the day to all the school’s freshman or sophomore classes.

The “Ending the Silence” program utilizes PowerPoint, videos and personal testimony to help students understand the signs and symptoms of mental illnesses, and how to respond if they see these symptoms in themselves or others. There is also great emphasis on normalizing mental illness, encouraging openness and respect, and reducing stigma.

In the last year, NAMI DuPage presented “Ending the Silence” to over 7,000 students at schools including Addison Trail, Community (West Chicago), Downers Grove South, Glenbard East, Glenbard North, Glenbard South, Glenbard West, Hinsdale Central, Hinsdale South, Naperville North, Wheaton North, and Wheaton-Warrenville South.

Here are a few brief excerpts from a glowing review of “Ending the Silence” which we received from Naperville North H.S. this year.

• “NAMI’s main message to our students has been a profound one, to “end the silence” on mental illness! The impact on our community goes well beyond the classroom and into the lives of our teens and their families.

• “At the beginning of our semester, we talk about the leading causes of death in the U.S. for teens, and suicide is the #3 cause of death. This presentation openly discusses the need for teens to seek out help and support when they are struggling, as well as to suggest support for others who show a need for help… not only does the presentation inform students about mental illness, but it acts as a suicide prevention avenue. It empowers the students to take care of themselves as well as others.”

• “The labor of love that NAMI DuPage brings into our classrooms is a valuable asset, not just to Naperville, but to the entire DuPage community!”

And here are some compelling comments from students… comments the likes of which we see many times each year.

• “I learned that friends can help… I went back on my meds.”

• “It helped me understand what my peers and my sister are going through.”

• “It was truly eye-opening and completely changed my viewpoint. Thank you!”

• “I thought about some of the symptoms of bipolar disorder, and decided to go to a psychologist. Thank you!”

NAMI’s follow up evaluations show that 5% to 6% of students who witnessed “Ending the Silence” were moved to seek help for themselves or a friend or family member. Just think of how many hundreds of DuPage-area young people’s lives we are improving, and how many more we will be able to touch in the future!

Since 2008, NAMI DuPage’s “Ending the Silence” program package has been offered at a very reasonable cost of only $299 to other local NAMI affiliates, and already over 20 affiliates have purchased it. “Ending the Silence” was also a highlight presentation at the recent NAMI National Conference held in Chicago.

Steps and Future Directions is understanding the urgent need for earlier education on mental illness in the schools, NAMI DuPage’s Brenda Hilligoss and Aileen Caravelli are currently working on a “prequel” to “Ending the Silence” which will be offered in DuPage-area middle schools starting later this year. The middle school program will be much like the one offered in high schools, but with the message tailored to younger students, and with added emphasis on removing stigma, encouraging respectfulness, and discouraging harmful behaviors such as bullying. Parents, teachers and administrators interested in bringing this program to their DuPage-area middle schools can contact Aileen Caravelli at This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it .

Farther out on the time-horizon, NAMI DuPage would like to establish a program to follow up with high school seniors before they head for college to reinforce the “Ending the Silence” messages, and to look to the needs of local college communities for information and education on mental illnesses that affect a significant number of their students.

The Challenges We Face: Acceptance, and Funding

Acceptance. Getting into local high schools, and soon into middle schools, is not often a simple or straight-forward process. It is more often “bottom-up” through personal connections and referrals than “top down” through district or administrative offices. Funding. Many local high schools appreciate the beneficial impact of “Ending the Silence”, but in these very challenging times, some they feel they can’t afford the very nominal charge of $5 per freshman or sophomore per year. Thus far, NAMI has managed to stay in most of these schools, but this leaves our school program area with a significant budget deficit.

How You Can Support NAMI DuPage’s Presence in Local Schools

Acceptance. You can use your contacts to help open up dialogue with DuPage-area high schools we’re not presently in, and begin looking for middle school contacts and opportunities for the “prequel” we’re developing.

Funding. Even as we develop new funding approaches that we believe can largely fund our high school programs in the future, NAMI DuPage needs to raise a total of $30,000 to support our school programs over the next six months. One remarkably generous family has already made a vital leadership donation of $10,000, and we are appealing to other interested NAMI DuPage supporters to add their financial support. A few options include direct donations, school sponsorship from mental health practices, and school fundraising activities. If you are interested in supporting our school programs, please call Tim Traynor, Development Director, at 630-752-0066, ext. 216.