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A newly created student organization is now offering peer-led support group sessions to individuals who are affected by mental illness.
The group is a Rutgers chapter of an organization called National Alliance on Mental Illness, which bills itself as the nation's voice on mental illness.
The chapter at the University, its leaders say, is concerned with spreading awareness about mental health issues afflicting students in the Rutgers community.
The organization looks to help those who are facing a mental illness and provide support to students whose family or friends have been diagnosed with some form of mental illness.
NAMI-Rutgers is affiliated with the national nonprofit organization of the same name. NAMI-Rutgers has been active at the University level but will be recognized officially by the group as a permanent student organization in the spring.
"We're really trying to do as much as possible for the Rutgers community this semester, and although it's challenging to start a whole new organization from scratch, we have really been able to get a lot done," said Lindsay Plaza, a Douglass College junior and an officer at NAMI-Rutgers.
"We have high ambitions and goals that we've set for ourselves, and it'd be really great to see those all being accomplished."
The peer-led group sessions are offered multiple times a week and are confidential. The discussion often begins with a distinct topic. Students then share or update the group on how their situation and are given the chance to discuss any new or outstanding issues troubling them. Further discussion on these issues is encouraged and expected to occur.
On NAMI's Web site, the national organization grade U.S. states on how well its healthcare institutions care for residents with serious mental illness. Overall, New Jersey received a "C," an average gained from its B minus in infrastructure, C plus in information access, C in services and in supports.
According to NAMI's Web site, New Jersey spends $125.60 per capita on mental health, which makes it 9th in the nation in that category. It spends a total of more than $1 billion on mental health, putting it 4th in the nation in that category.
At NAMI-Rutgers, the discussions at the beginning of the group session include topics - such as The Road to Recovery, Dealing with Stigma, Being Your Own Patient Advocate, Planning Ahead for Difficult Times, Medication Management and Relationships.
"Since college students deal with a variety of different mental illnesses and issues, we selected topics that we felt were relevant to the experience pretty much across the board," said Stacy Hollingsworth, president of NAMI-Rutgers and a Rutgers College junior.
She said the topics are explained in detail in the discussion leader's training manuals and are applicable to students facing different kinds of illnesses.
A personal experience and understanding of the issues of mental illnesses is considered a beneficial qualification for being a discussion leader.
"It's one thing to read about what it's like for people who suffer from mental illness, but it's another thing to have lived it," Hollingsworth said. "They can relate to what other students in similar situations are going through and do so in a compassionate and nonjudgmental fashion."
Students who were considered qualified underwent specific support group leader training covering a range of different topics, she said.
Hollingsworth said leaders are equipped with the understanding of the role of a support group leader in order to structure the support group meetings.
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