As Bloom expands its reach across the state, partnership and collaboration are at the heart of deepening our impact. Over the years, we have found that by working together with like-minded organizations, we can achieve even more meaningful outcomes for the foster care communities we serve. One of our most recent partnerships sought to increase the depth of mental health awareness and education provided to individuals caring for youth in the foster care system.
In honor of September being Suicide Prevention month, Bloom partnered with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) to share their nationally recognized training, Ending the Silence, with more than 75 foster parents and foster care professionals across Georgia. As the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization, NAMI includes more than 700 NAMI state organizations and affiliates who work in the community to raise awareness and provide mental health support and education to those in need.
Through this partnership, we aimed to provide participants with the knowledge and skills necessary to recognize signs of mental health challenges and respond effectively while reinforcing the importance of early intervention. NAMI’s Ending the Silence presentation also allowed participants to hear and learn from someone with lived experience, which further empowers youth by giving them a platform to share their stories.
Beyond this training, Bloom’s partnership with NAMI has raised awareness among foster parents and foster care professionals about the array of additional services provided by the NAMI organization. Some of these services include NAMI Basics, a free education program for parents, and guardians, who provide care for youth experiencing mental health symptoms; NAMI’s Introduction to Behavioral Health and Addictive Diseases, an 8-hour training that provides an overview of behavioral health conditions and addictive diseases; and support groups for families of loved ones experiencing mental health challenges. Bloom is excited to play a role in raising awareness of these programs to promote open conversations around mental health, further reducing the stigma often associated with it.
With mental and behavioral health being the largest unmet health need for children and teens in foster care, finding additional means of support is essential for those individuals serving this population of youth. Bloom’s partnership with NAMI serves to provide an additional layer of support for families to identify and respond to youth experiencing mental health challenges, furthering our commitment to ensure that foster parents and professionals are equipped with the tools they need to support the well-being of youth in the foster care system.
Bloom would like to thank Angel Faison, of NAMI Georgia, and Monique Bell, of NAMI Fayette-Henry Southside Overcomers, for their commitment to helping Bloom expand mental health awareness and support throughout the foster care community in Georgia. This is just the beginning of a partnership we know will make a lasting impact on the well-being of foster youth.
For additional information on the National Alliance on Mental Illness, visit www.nami.org. For more information on NAMI Fayette-Henry, Southside Overcomers, email southsideovercomers@gmail.com.
Written by Katie New, Bloom Clinical Director
