NAMI Education and Support programs are the heart and soul of NAMI. NAMI Signature Programs provide critical and essential outreach to communities across Southern Arizona. These superb programs allow NAMI Southern Arizona to Educate, Advocate, and Support—and implement NAMI’s mission.
1. Please carefully review the following NAMI National and NAMI Southern Arizona requirements, when becoming a volunteer for our training programs.
All volunteer Teachers/Mentors/Facilitators/Presenters should:
A. Be a NAMI Southern Arizona member in good standing, e.g. membership dues paid
B. Complete a NAMI Southern Arizona volunteer application.
C.Meet the following course-required relationship: 1. Family-to-Family – Be a family member or loved one of someone with a serious mental illness 2.Peer-to-Peer – Be someone living or having lived with a mental illness 3. NAMI Basics – Be a direct (primary) caregiver of a child with a brain or mental disorder who is eighteen years old or less. Teacher should have experience with various systems of care. 4.Family Support Group Facilitator – Be a family member or loved one of someone with a mental illness diagnosis 5. NAMI Connection Support Group Facilitator – Be someone living or having lived with a mental illness diagnosis 6. In Our Own Voice Presenter – Be a peer willing to share their recovery experience
D.Complete the course in which you are interested in (Strongly Preferred)
E.Be willing to:
Complete the entire required training curriculum
Fulfill any course teaching/mentoring/facilitating/presenting commitments within a Two-Year time period.
Be consistent with the principles, practices, and policies of NAMI National and NAMI Southern Arizona as provided before/during/after the training—when finally presenting the NAMI Signature program.
F.Participate in program outreach to assist with organization, publicity, hospitality, etc.
G.Should possess:
Good communication skills
Reading skills (since programs are scripted and are read)
Basic computer skills (MS Office, etc.)
NAMI Southern Arizona’s mission and desire to help families and peers
Energy to complete the task at hand (and a sense of humor!)
Living one's own experience with illness and wanting to teach others are the best and most important qualifications for this type of work.
2. Every teacher/mentor/facilitator:
A. Will not be alone
Seasoned, trained program volunteers from either the affiliate or the state office will assist them in the process
New volunteers will be teamed (whenever possible) with experienced teachers/mentors/facilitators.
Affiliate leaders (e.g. education/support coordinator) will provide the program materials, resources, supplies to perform education/support tasks.
The affiliate will cover all training/program costs and materials
B. Will be appreciated and recognized for his/her contribution of time, talents, emotional energy and physical energy
C. Will make a difference in the one-in-four lives affected by mental illness—by partnering with NAMI Southern Arizona.
Along with your application please include a typed, double spaced, one page essay answering the following question: Why do you want to be a Peer Support Specialist?
Along with your application please include a typed, double spaced, one page essay answering the following question: Why do you want to be a Peer Support Specialist?
