Monday, December 10th- Holiday Party
NAMI members came out to celebrate the holidays with good food and good conversation. 
It was enjoyed by all!

Monday, February 28th- "Share & Care"
NAMI members and new families came together to discuss their concerns, receive support, and get new ideas from others.  Family members also shared what went well to produce successful outcomes.

Monday, November 26th- Mental Illness & the Criminal Justice System
Our featured guest speaker was Manuela Garcia, coordinator of Collaborative Justice Services (CJS), a program of the Mental Health Association of Essex County.  We are aware that there are far too many individuals in our correctional system whose only realy crime is that they suffer from severe and persistent mental illness.  We have heard countless stories from our families about how their loved one's mental illness has gotten them entangled in the correctional system.

Monday, April 28th- "Out of the Silence"

A New Jersey teen has "stepped out of the silence" to help her peers deal with the challenges and stigma of mental illness.  Caitlin Carey, founder of "Out of the Silence,"
http://stepoutofthesilence.org, a virtual community and advocacy group, will be talking about her new initiative at the April 28th meeting of NAMI-Essex.  "We tend to rely on peers for support in everday situations," said Caitlin.  "However, the stigma attached to mental illness makes it difficult to reach out to friends, so, many teenagers who are trying to cope with an illness such as depression or anxiety feel isolated."