The mission of NAMI Greater Bloomington Area is to improve the total quality of life for the families of persons with severe mental illness and their ill family members through support, education, advocacy, research, and improved community services.
NAMI Greater Bloomington Area will accomplish its mission through the following:
– To provide opportunities for learning
– To provide opportunities for restoring self-esteem
– To provide opportunities for giving of ourselves
– To provide outreach and support to families in crisis
– To provide opportunities for educating the public and educating families
– To provide opportunities to participate in research
– To advocate for better public policy
– To advocate for improved community services
– To solicit and receive funds in support of our mission
NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness) is the largest grassroots organization in the country, made up of over 220,000 families and over 1,100 local and state affiliates. The national organization, NAMI, is located in Arlington, VA. Our state affiliate, NAMI Indiana, is located in Indianapolis. Our local affiliate, NAMI-Greater Bloomington Area, serves Bloomington and the surrounding areas.
One or our functions here at NAMI-GBA is to provide information to people who are experiencing mental illness themselves or with a friend, family member, co-worker, etc. If you, or someone you know, are in need of help or guidance, some local resources and contact information is below. You may also contact any of our board members, many of whom have been directly involved in their own care and treatment or the care and treatment of their mentally ill loved ones.
Resource Information:
For all emergencies: Call 911
Information Referral Network: Call 211
If you or someone you know are thinking of suicide,
call 1-800-273-TALK(8255).
Bloomington Hospital: 812-336-6821
Emergency Room: 812-353-9515
Crisis Care Center: 812-353-9449
Stress Care Center: 812-353-9250
Landmark Psychiatric and Counseling Services: 812-353-3450
Indiana State Police, Bloomington Post: 812-384-4624
Monroe County Sheriff: 812-349-3332
Bloomington City Police: 812-339-4477
Indiana University Police: 812-855-3075
Indiana University Health Service: 812-855-4011
Indiana University Counseling and Psychiatric Service: 812-855-5711
Centerstone (formerly the Center for Behavioral Health): 812-339-1691
Meadows Hospital: 812-331-8000
Catholic Charities: 812-332-1262
Mental Health America: info@mha-monroe.com
MHA Directory of Mental Health Providers: www.mha-monroe.com/directory
Mental Health Association Indianapolis: 800-555-6424
NAMI Indiana: 800-677-6442, www.namiindiana.org/
NAMI Greater Bloomington Area: 812-369-3119
Family Support Group Facilitator: Daunna Minnich: daunna@aol.com
DBSA Support Group: www.dbsabloomington-in.org
Indiana Department of Mental Health and Addictions: 317-232-7800
The following documents are available on the Nami-GBA website at namibloomington.org;
1. NAMI Indiana: What to do in a Psychiatric Crisis in Indiana
2. What to do in a Psychiatric Crisis in Monroe County, Indiana
3. IU Health Bloomington Hospital Release of Information Form
4. Bloomington Meadows Hospital Release of Information Form
The NAMI-GBA Board of Directors is a dynamic and hard-working group of people who are committed to improving the lives of our members of our community who have a mental illness, as well as their family members and friends. We are some of those family members and consumers ourselves!
Please feel free to contact any of us with your ideas or concerns, or to seek help or advice, or even to share some of your experiences.
If you are interested in serving the affiliate by joining the board, please contact us at 812-369-3119 or e-mail us at info@namibloomington.org.
Meet the Directors:
Executive Board:
President Emeritus Jill Bolte Taylor, Ph.D. is the national spokesperson for the Harvard Brain Bank. She has a brother diagnosed with schizophrenia. Contact her at drjill@drjilltaylor.com.
President Jill Giffin is the department administrator for Germanic Studies at Indiana University and has a brother diagnosed with schizo-affective disorder. She is a graduate of NAMI’s Family to Family class. She is a Support Group Facilitator and has served on NAMI-GBA’s family panel at CIT training sessions for the community’s police officers. Also, she is a member of the Family Advisory Committee to Centerstone. Contact her at jillleathgiffin@yahoo.com.
Treasurer Paul Fogelman
At-Large Directors:
Christine Talley Haseman is a local attorney with a particular interest in increasing the availability and ease of access to mental health care and mental health services in our community. Christine has experience assisting clients and their families who are addressing issues caused by mental illness, and also has personal experience supporting a family member that suffers from mental illness.
Laura Jesseph is a NAMI-GBA Family to Family class instructor and has been a family support group facilitator. She also is our “Brain Pages” Newsletter editor. Laura is a mother, grandmother, videographer, and musician. Contact her at ljesseph@aol.com.
Jan Owens
Michelle Pratt
Jan Reeves is interested in the justice system and mental illness. Jan serves on the Be Well advisory board. Contact her at jabbeyw@sbcglobal.net.