Guethshina Altena/Staff Writer
Not since the now inactive Active Minds at FIU, has an organization like the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness existed on campus.
The University welcomes its first NAMI club on campus to gather those interested in mental illnesses.
According to the NAMI official website, NAMI clubs are student-led, student-run mental health organizations on college campuses.
Their goal is to raise mental health awareness with fairs, walks and candlelight vigils. NAMI also educates the campus community with presentations, guest speakers and student panels. They advocate for improved mental health services and policies on campus as well as support peers with signature NAMI programs and training from NAMI State Organizations and Affiliates.
The NAMI club at FIU was initiated at the start of the fall semester of 2015 when Suzette Ferretti, a senior psychology major, made the necessary efforts and put in the request for the club to be created.
Once the club was approved by the main organization and the Counsel for Student Organizations, Ferretti became the first president of the club, along with two other e-board members.
The club seeks to unite students from all majors and backgrounds who are interested in the kind of societal issues related to mental illness.
“I have always been passionate about mental illnesses. It is something that has grown up with me because I grew up in a household where you had a problem like that but people did not really talk about it.” Ferretti says.
Ferretti was looking on the internet for organizations that she can get involved with when she came across NAMI and saw that they had a program that is incorporated into college campuses. Surprisingly to her, there was not a NAMI club at FIU before, so she decided to start one herself.
For the future, Ferretti said, “I look forward to the expansion of the club by having more members to share their experiences while spreading awareness.”
“My ultimate goal was always to get involve in my community and be part of something bigger than myself. This is an issue that really spoke to me and I wanted to be a voice for people who feel like they didn’t have a voice,” She says, “So that I could set an example for others and that they would not be afraid to talk about their problems.”
The advisor for the club, Wendy Ordonez also works as the Director of the victim empowerment program and Peer educator. In a way, NAMI club works closely with the CAPS services on campus.
Katherine Perez is a junior, Biology major who took on the responsibility of the CSO representative for the club.
“We are looking to start a NAMI walk at FIU. It is an event that the national organization has and we encourage everyone to participate; it is a great way to raise awareness,” she said.
She believes NAMI will bring awareness and acceptance to mental illnesses. In her opinion, it is crucial for people to understand the implications of issues of mental health.
“At such a stressful time in our lives, we are all experiencing different feelings of anxiety; we might be lost. Some people have been affected by domestic abuse or dealt with suicidal thoughts, so I think that mental illnesses are relevant to everybody,” Perez said.
The coordinator for the club is Jessica Blanco, a junior who majors in biology with a pre-med track and a minor in psychology.
“There are a lot of misconceptions about mental illnesses and we want to help and educate students to get rid of those misconceptions,” Blanco said.
She said, “We cannot let a mental illness define a person. I don’t think an illness should dictate what your life is going to be and with NAMI, we give people the opportunity to see mental illness from another perspective.”
Mabit Gonzalez is a senior Biology major with a pre-med track and a minor in psychology. She has been a member of the NAMI club since August 2015.
“When I went to the first meeting of the club last semester, I went out of my routine and that made my experience a big relief moment.” Gonzalez said. “We talked about a lot of different things and it was very interesting.”
The club meets every third Tuesday of the month. Ferretti encourages students to sign up on OrgSync and follow them on social media to stay updated. Their Facebook page is NAMI at FIU and on Instagram @namifiu.
For more information,students can contact Ferretti at sferr050@fiu.edu.
[image from Flickr]
About Post Author
