National Alliance on Mental Illness

Walk (or Run) the NAMIWalk on May 3!

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If it’s May, that means it’s Mental Health Awareness Month, a time to celebrate and honor the providers, caregivers, educators, advocates, and other dedicated souls who aid mental health and wellness in our community.

More than 250 mental health champions including 50 teams and countless individuals will participate in the annual NAMIWalk fundraiser for the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). It takes place at the Large Pavilion in Ithaca’s Stewart Park on May 3 from 1-4 p.m. This year’s goal is to raise $50,000.

2024 NAMIWalk in Stewart Park

Click here to be a sponsor, become a fundraiser, donate to a team, or sign up to join the NAMIWalk

The event is an occasion for those affected by mental health to share community and draw strength from solidarity. Despite the serious subject matter, the annual NAMIWalk is a joyful event.

The event includes a 1-mile walk, a 5K “fun run,” games in the Kids Zone, massages by Attuned Life, snacks, and music by DJ Anthony. NAMI and other local mental health organizations staff information tables sharing resources available in the local community.

This year’s walk includes a raffle of locally donated items, which include: massages, gift certificates for local restaurants, wine, gift baskets, Science Center tickets, Strong Museum passes, New York Mets tickets, and sporting paraphernalia from local teams. 

“The most meaningful part of bringing people together for a common cause is the sharing of stories. Being vulnerable and open connects people who are experiencing similar hardships, making us feel less alone,” said Sandra Sorensen, NAMI Finger Lakes executive director.

Sorensen, who lost her husband Michael to suicide, said that while raising funds is crucial for NAMI programs, NAMIWalk’s real success is making a huge statement about fighting the stigma that prevents many from seeking help.

“The cause is really near and dear to my heart, as I have a lot of lived experience caregiving for people who have mental health issues. My Michael did not feel safe in talking about or receiving the help he needed for his bipolar disorder because he feared stigma, shame, and professional ramifications,” she said.

The NAMIWalk funds programs such as peer-led support groups for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. NAMI operates a HelpLine where experienced volunteers answer calls for support and mental health resources. The number is (607 252-6264).

“NAMIWalks is one of our most important events of the year, helping us raise both awareness and critical funding to keep all of our education and support programs free to the community,” said NAMI Finger Lakes Program Manager Jason Hungerford.

He said that donations have enabled the organization to expand its programming and make a major impact over the past year. For example, he said, NAMI has offered additional Family-to-Family mental health education classes, a Sharing Hope conversation series for people who identify as Black or of African ancestry, and training of 60 additional first responders in NAMI’s Overwatch Peer Support.

Hungerford said that NAMI Finger Lakes aided some 290 individuals through three unique support groups that meet twice a month. The organization has also reached more than 1,300 students and community members through mental health education and awareness presentations like Ending the Silence.

Sponsors of the 2026 NAMIWalk include Segal & Sorensen, Cayuga Health, Tompkins Community Bank, Wegmans, Cornell University, Guthrie, Cayuga Landscape, Excellus, del Lago Resort & Casino, Beginnings Credit Union, Finger Lakes Grassroots Festival, Howard Hanna, and Copper House Coffee.

NAMI Finger Lakes is one of some 600 local affiliates of the national organization, a grassroots mental health organization founded in 1979 dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI says its mission is to educate, support, advocate, listen and lead to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones.

Helping Families Cope with Mental Illness

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Are you dealing with a mental health challenge in your family? An extremely valuable and life changing in-person summer course in Ithaca is now open for registration with the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

NAMI’s eight-session Family-to-Family program will run on Wednesday evenings from 5:30–8:00 p.m. from July 23 through September 10.

Click here to REGISTER for the free course.

The course is for family members, partners or friends with a relative or loved one with a mental health condition, even if the condition is not diagnosed. It is taught by trained family members of people with a mental health condition.

The course offers insights into the impact mental health conditions have on the entire family, combats discrimination, and promotes healing.

It is designed to help family members and friends understand and support their loved one while maintaining their own well-being.

Participants improve their self-care and communication skills, learn problem-solving techniques, and how to better advocate for their family member.

Among the skills participants learn:

  • How to solve problems and communicate effectively
  • Taking care of yourself and managing your stress
  • Supporting your loved one with compassion
  • Finding and using local supports and services
  • Up-to-date information on mental health conditions and how they affect the brain
  • How to handle a crisis
  • Current treatments and therapies
  • The impact of mental health conditions on the entire family

Multiple research studies have shown that participants in the NAMI Family-to-Family course:

  • Demonstrate significantly greater overall empowerment as well as empowerment within their family, the service system and their community
  • Possess greater knowledge of mental illness
  • Maintain higher rating of coping skills
  • Experience lower ratings of anxiety related to being able to control conditions
  • Have higher reported levels of problem-solving skills related to family functioning.

For more information, email: support@namifingerlakes.org.

Click here to REGISTER

On May 3, Let’s Walk with NAMI!

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May is Mental Health Awareness Month, an opportunity to celebrate and support the providers, caregivers, educators, advocates, and other dedicated souls who aid mental health and wellness in our community.

Ithaca Walking for NAMI in 2024

That’s why 200 or so mental health champions will participate in a fundraising walk for the Finger Lakes chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) at Ithaca’s Stewart Park on May 3 from 3-6 p.m.

Click here to be a sponsor, become a fundraiser, donate to a team, or sign up to join the NAMI Walk. This year’s goal is to raise $50,000.

The NAMI Walk funds programs such as peer-led support groups for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness.

NAMI Finger Lakes also offers an array of peer-led programs that provide free education, skills training, and support. It operates a HelpLine where experienced volunteers answer calls for support and mental health resources. The number is (607) 273-2462.

Just as important, the event is an occasion for those affected by mental illness to share community and draw strength from solidarity.

“Engaging with NAMI, talking to my friends about mental health, and being part of a greater community of trusting, stigma-breaking people has made me feel ‘not alone,’” said Sandra Sorensen, the chapter’s executive director.

“My team walks in memory of my late husband Michael, who died by suicide in May of 2021. Michael was afraid of stigma and lived a life hiding from his mental health issues,” she said.

In-person Walk registration begins at 3 p.m., and the event provides a 1-mile walking route and a fun 5K route for runners.

Despite the serious subject matter, the annual NAMI Walk is a joyful event that includes lawn games and face painting for kids of all ages. NAMI Finger Lakes is joined by local mental health partners who set up information tables about mental health resources available in the community.

“I have been profoundly moved by the support NAMI Finger Lakes has been able to give to so many people,” said Meggin Rose, a chapter board member.

“I have talked with many, many people who have told me that they no longer feel alone, that they now have hope and are acquiring the tools they need to navigate their own, or their loved one’s mental health challenges.”

One of this year’s walkers is Hayden Plattus, a NAMI volunteer through a course at Cornell University. “Having seen first-hand the challenges of providing mental health support, I became determined to raise funds for NAMI and spread its resources to more families,” she said.

Sponsors of the 2025 NAMI walk include Segal & Sorensen, Cayuga Health, Tompkins Community Bank, Wegmans, Cornell University, CFCU Community Credit Union, Guthrie, and Cayuga Landscape. 

NAMI Finger Lakes is one of some 600 local affiliates of NAMI, a national mental health organization founded in 1979 dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI says its mission is to educate, support, advocate, listen and lead to improve the lives of people with mental illness and their loved ones.

Meet Ithaca’s Mental Health Champions

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Mental health leaders in Tompkins County provided information about community services during The Sophie Fund’s 9th Annual Ithaca Cupcake Baking Contest on October 19.

Participating organizations included: Be Kind Ithaca; Free Hugs Ithaca; American Foundation for Suicide Prevention Greater Central New York; Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service; Mental Health Association in Tompkins County; National Alliance on Mental Illness Finger Lakes; Advocacy Center of Tompkins County; Ithaca Free Clinic; and Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force.

Ithaca Free Clinic’s Norbert McCloskey briefs Cornell students about his agency’s work

Speaking at the Awards Ceremony, Norbert McCloskey, executive director of the Ithaca Free Clinic, which provides healthcare to individuals regardless of ability to pay, expressed gratitude for the support the agency receives from the community.

“I have had the honor for number of years now to work with an organization that does all that it can to make sure that people can access the healthcare that they need. We’re able to do that because all of our services are provided by community volunteers—everyone from MDs all the way down to the kind lady who comes in once a week and waters our plants,” McCloskey said.

Ithaca Free Clinic

McCloskey noted the connection between healthcare and mental health.

“Nothing really creates anxiety in the life of an individual than being ill and not being able to see a doctor, not being able to get the care that they need. Whether that care is primary family practice care, or acupuncture, or herbalism, or chiropractic, or occupational therapy, or seeing an optometrist to get the  eyewear that they need in order to live a full and productive life.

“You probably wouldn’t be surprised to know that a significant number of people who come to our doors do suffer from a variety of mental health conditions. We are able to help them recognize that, and then steer them toward this vast array of organizations that we have  in our community to get help that they need to live full, productive, happy, and joyful lives.”

Tiffany Bloss, executive director of the Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County, said that her agency has been able to expand its services beyond its role as a local call center for the national 988 Suicide Prevention and Crisis Lifeline.

Suicide Prevention & Crisis Service of Tompkins County

She told the Awards Ceremony audience that SPCS now handles calls from 16 other New York State counties in addition to Tompkins County. She said her agency also launched a 24-hour “warm line” for people who are not in crisis yet need a person to talk to, as well as a 24-hour LGBTQ peer support line.

“It is so incredibly necessary. We need to have everyone talking about mental health all the time,” she said.

Bloss pointed people to SPCS’s newly redesigned website, “an incredible resource for mental health.”

“We really just want to get the word out and get people talking about mental health and suicide. Make it not a scary topic. We need to look at it like we look at our physical health,” she said.

Tompkins County Bullying Prevention Task Force

Mental Health Association in Tompkins County

American Foundation for Suicide Prevention — Greater Central New York

National Alliance on Mental Illness — Finger Lakes

Advocacy Center of Tompkins County

Be Kind Ithaca & Free Hugs Ithaca

Group Support in Tompkins County

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To me, the philosophy behind mental health support groups aligns with Platonic wisdom: inquiry, dialogue, and collective reasoning leads to knowledge, truth, and justice. Struggling alone can be much more difficult than sharing lived experience with peers in a mutually beneficial atmosphere, according to Melanie Little, director of Training and Peer Education at the Mental Health Association in Tompkins County.

Team members at the Mental Health Association in Tompkins County

“We have a lot to learn from each other,” said Little. “Your lived experience is expertise, and that is mutually beneficial. It’s really empowering because we can help other people.”

Peer support groups are commonly facilitated by people who themselves have lived experience with mental health conditions and are trained to assist others. They are known as certified peer specialists. Group therapy, on the other hand, is more often provided by licensed therapists with specific therapeutic interventions.

As a peer specialist, bi-weekly facilitator, and group therapy veteran, I strongly believe that group support particularly and significantly builds confidence in attendees. Knowing that others go through similar experiences confirms our struggles as real, validates that we matter, and promotes greater peace with a society that may rarely seem to understand. Peer interaction cultivates a mutual emotional safety net, enabling participants to see past the stigma, to reclaim their lives.

Group programs vary tremendously in material, style, and message. Most fit into one of several categories. Psychoeducational groups educate people about their condition, offering effective coping skills. Cognitive-Behavioral Group Therapy helps people to recognize patterns of thought that negatively influence emotions and behaviors. Skills development is meant to increase overall function in the world. Support groups entail people converging on similar problems, assisting each other through feedback. Interpersonal groups focus on social skills.

According to the American Psychological Association, group therapy is at least as effective as individual therapy. Cited research suggests that expanding group therapy initiatives in the US would save more than $5.6 billion, and free the schedules of about 34,500 therapists for individual therapy. The research found group therapy effective for a myriad of mental illnesses, including those marked by anxiety, depression, mood cycling, psychosis, substance abuse, and eating disorders. Robust effects on alliance and cohesion were highlighted.

Overall, group therapy is an excellent option for those who want to surpass the limits of individual therapy, or those who would stand to benefit from a peer experience. Little said that it’s particularly valuable because “we can feel so much shame, so much isolation.”

Many support group options are available in Tompkins County.

The Mental Health Association in Tompkins County offers several free group programs. Psychosocial Support, for adults with mental health challenges, promotes rehabilitation within the community, helping people forge strong bonds with peers. Peer Support/Advocacy also serves adults, consisting of casual and structured activities, both in individual and group form work. The focus is on mental health recovery, goal planning, learning skills, progress monitoring, self-help and self-advocacy, hope, and community participation. Family Peer Support Services assists the guardians of children and adolescents who have mental health challenges. Goals include empowering caregivers to make informed decisions, reducing familial stress, educating about mental health, and helping navigate child-serving systems. Emotional support, advocacy, service coordination, and recreation events are furthermore offered. The Mental Health Association also maintains a social drop-in program at its offices in Center Ithaca. Staffed by peer specialists, the program is a welcoming environment for peers to come together, converse about shared experiences, learn about resources, enjoy snacks and a hot beverage, and do collective activities like games and crafts. For more information, go to www.mhaedu.org.

The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Finger Lakes chapter offers a program called the NAMI Family Support Group, free peer groups for those adults who seek to help loved ones with mental illness, facilitated by people who have gone through this experience themselves. Other free peer support services offered by NAMI Finger Lakes include the Partner and Spouse Group and Psychosis Support Group. For more information, go to www.namifingerlakes.org.

Tompkins County Whole Health operates Personalized Recovery Oriented Services (PROS), a group option serving adults with “severe and persistent mental illness” including those with substance use disorders. Groups are led by peers or professional clinicians. The program seeks to provide greater quality of life, reduced hospitalization, and personal goal attainment. Some groups are discussion-based, others self-focused. PROS services include Community Rehabilitation, Intensive Rehabilitation, and Ongoing Rehabilitation and Support. Services are covered by Medicaid or otherwise are a maximum of $60 per month. For more information, go to www.tompkinscountyny.gov/health/pros.

Family & Children’s Service of Ithaca provides mental health and related social services. Groups include Caregiver Support Group, Kinship Caregivers Support Group, Grandparents Support Group, and more, depending on the time of year. Family & Children’s accepts Medicaid, Medicare, and private health insurance. It offers additional discounts based on family and income, and its services are free to those unable to pay. For more information, go to www.fcsith.org.

The Advocacy Center of Tompkins County provides support, advocacy and education for survivors, friends, and families of domestic violence, and sexual assault. Peer support services include Knowledge is Power, Survivor Empowerment Group, and Survivor Support for College Students. For more information, go to www.actompkins.org.

—By Ben Komor

Ben Komor has been a certified peer specialist for over eight years and, among other functions in the mental health realm, served as an advisor to the Tompkins County Crisis Negotiation Team. He is a graduate of Ithaca High School, and holds a BA in Human Development and an MS in Health.