The purpose of NCHS Clubs are to educate and increase the awareness of students, teachers, faculty, and school administration about mental health and wellness. NCHS clubs support students living with mental illness, provide information on school and community resources, encourage people to recognize early signs of mental illness, and encourage students with mental health issues to think about getting help. NAMI works to end the stigma that surrounds mental illness by creating an inclusive, safe and supportive school environment, and letting students know there is help available if they need it.
Students will benefit by expanding their awareness of mental health and wellness, learning about the various mental conditions, and meeting and working with other students on campus and students from other NCHS Clubs in your area. They will developing leadership skills, learning how to run meetings, prepare agendas, promote campus activities and hold events, having a positive impact on their peers, and reducing stigma and discrimination against mental illness on campus. Club members will benefit from knowing that they have helped make having a mental illness more acceptable in their school, being a positive role model to other students, participating in an extension of NAMI, the largest grassroots nonprofit organization that provides support and resources to people with mental health conditions and their families, and gaining valuable experience in working with other people and adults.
If you are interested in the Orchard View School NCHS CA chapter, contact Glenn Brassington ([email protected]) or Ondrejka Yaconelli ([email protected]).