Programs Manager Zuleima Flores-Abid (left) and Data Coordinator Jonathan DuFresne
On January 22, NAMI California’s Programs Manager Zuleima Flores-Abid and Data Coordinator Jonathan DuFresne had the opportunity to attend and present a NAMI On Campus High School (NCHS) Club workshop at the 2019 California Student Mental Wellness Conference in Sacramento. The conference was hosted by Wellness Together, in partnership with the California Department of Education. There were more than 900 educators and mental health service providers from across California to hear from the leading voices in student mental wellness.
During the workshop conducted by NAMI California, Flores-Abid and DuFresne were able to discuss how the program and club creation supports and empowers high school students and staff around mental health awareness and stigma reduction. They also shared how the clubs are student-led groups on high school campuses, where students can talk openly about mental health and wellness, learn ways to support friends or family member who have a mental illness and educate others on campus about mental health and wellness. By the end of the workshop, teachers and educators were able to talk away with valuable information on NCHS and how the clubs impact high schools campuses at large.
“In my perspective, it was a great opportunity to share valuable information to educators,” said Flores-Abid. “It was great to see hundreds of people acknowledge mental health as an important topic and I think we were successful in reaching out and connecting to them.”
To learn more about NAMI On Campus High School Clubs, contact Programs Manager Zuleima Flores-Abid at zuleima@namica.org.