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What a Difference a Friend Makes:
Mental Health Campaign Teams with
Chemical Dependency Alliance
One in five people experience a mental illness, and one in ten face a chemical dependency problem in any given year. Many people struggle with both these issues, which are then called co-occurring disorders.
Given the impact of these statistics, Nassau’s first collaborative public awareness initiative for recovery both from mental illnesses and substance abuse has launched, sponsored by the Nassau County Department of Mental Health, Chemical Dependency and Developmental Disabilities Services:
1. The local What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign supplies everyday tools to support friends living with mental illnesses in the recovery process and encourages young people to seek help for themselves and friends who may have an emotional problem that is too big to handle alone; and
2. A new Website built by the Nassau Alliance for Addiction Services (NAFAS) bears a related theme, “You’re never alone on the road to recovery.”
As local partners of the national What a Difference a Friend Makes campaign, the Nassau Coalition of Voluntary Mental Health Agencies Inc. can provide free copies of the 17-page booklet, which explains what mental health is, how to break down stigma that creates a barrier to recovery, and specific ways that friends can help just by expressing interest and concern for someone diagnosed with a mental illness. Click on the link above to find which service provider is located near you.
A key collaborative goal of community leaders in both the mental health and chemical dependency arenas is to deliver the right resources to the people who need them most – those who have co-occurring mental and substance use disorders, and their loved ones. For more information on What a Difference a Friend Makes or to talk with a mental health professional, call 516.504.HELP (4357). You can reach the Nassau Alliance for Addiction Services through the County hotline at 516.481.4000 or at their Web address, www.nassaualliance.org.
For helpful ideas on how you can become the difference a friend makes, watch our public service video and listen to the radio announcement.
For the Brochure Click here
For the Spanish Version Click here
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