About NAMI On Campus High School (NCHS)
NAMI On Campus High School (NCHS) Clubs are student-led clubs that raise mental health awareness and reduce stigma on campus through peer-led activities and education. Student Leaders will be empowered with toolkits, materials, templates, and resources to make running the club a fun and educational process. The Club is open to all students – those with mental health conditions, those with family members with a condition, or students who are interested in the field or in advocacy. It is not a support or therapy group.
The purpose of NCHS Clubs is to:
- Be supportive of students who are living with mental illness
- Provide information on school and community resources
- Encourage people to recognize early signs of mental illness
- Encourage students who are having mental health issues to get help
- Work to end the stigma that surrounds mental illness
- Create an inclusive, safe, and supportive school environment
- Let students know there is help available if they need it
If you have any questions, please feel free to give us a call at 916-567-0163 or email us at nchs@namica.org
How to Start a Club
How to Start a Club:
Step 1: Click here to download the NCHS Information Packet
Step 2: Once you’ve reviewed the NCHS Info Packet, complete the Online Interest Form to let NAMI CA know you would like to form a club!
Step 3: NAMI CA will receive your completed Interest Form and connect you to your local affiliate. Clubs must attend an Orientation Webinar prior to submitting their Online Club Application.
Step 4: You’re almost ready to complete the Online Club Application! NAMI CA will provide that to you during Step 3, but here is a preview of what you’ll need to have ready in order to complete it:
- A group of at least 4 students (with at least 50% being in class levels besides senior)
- An adult Advisor that is committed to helping lead the club, is comfortable talking about mental health and is on-campus during school hours
- The approval of your school principal
- The approval of your local NAMI Affiliate (we will help connect you during this process)
- Register for a NCHS Training- you can attend after submitting application, you just need to show that you will attend
Confirmation that your school has distributed the Parent Mental Health Awareness Letter (enclosed in the Info Packet)
Step 5: Once your Online Club Application is completed, you can turn it into NAMI CA for review. We will take a look and make sure everything is there, and then send a notification when a club has been approved and provide Advisor and Student Manuals.
Step 6: After you have attended a NCHS Training, we will send you the NCHS Certificate recognizing your club as an official NCHS Club!
If you have any questions along the way, please feel free to give us a call at 916-567-0163 or email us at nchs@namica.org
NAMI On Campus High School Town Hall Series
NAMI California is hosting NAMI On Campus High School (NCHS) Town Halls to give NCHS Club members the opportunity to share their experiences and impacts that their club has made in their high school community. Each Town Hall will cover different aspects of operating a NCHS Club, such as recruiting new members, managing social media and other platforms for outreach, and developing campus-wide events. These events are open to the public and will be recorded for future viewing.
If you are interested in learning more about this program from the students’ perspective, join us for one of our upcoming sessions!
You can watch the recordings below: