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NAMI Central Georgia Announces New Residential Housing for the Mentally Ill

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Warner Robins, Ga., May 14, 2024

NAMI Central Georgia, the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is proud to announce the grand opening of its new residential housing for the mentally ill on May 17, 2024. The facility, Georgetown, will provide a safe and supportive environment for residents who are living with mental health conditions.

The new housing project was funded by NAMI Central Georgia and a Community Development Block grant made possible by the City of Warner Robins. This project and the work of NAMI Central Georgia has rallied support from the Georgia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Disabilities (DBHDD), Governor Brian Kemp who has made mental health a priority in his administration, and Georgia Representative Todd Jones (R) who helped to write HB1013 (Georgia Mental Health Parity Act).
Pictured left to right: Mayor LaRhonda Patrick, Todd Jones (R) - Georgia State Representative, Meredith McGowan - Behavioral Health Hospital Transition Specialist, DBHDD Region 6, William Baggley - Outside Sales Rep, Griffin Lumber, Angela Holt - Middle Flint Health & Wellness, CEO, Herschel Vandiver - NAMI Central Georgia, Treasurer, Mariette Clardy-Davis - NAMI Central Georgia, 1st Vice President 8. Tonja Simmons Lee - NAMI Central Georgia, Board President 9. Brian Wise - Haven Hope House, Supervisor, Paula Watkins - Executive Director, CEO, Shelley Milton - 2nd Vice President, Rhett Thompson - NAMI Central Georgia Board Member, RN BC Psychiatric Nurse, Wade Yoder - Peach County Commissioner

DBHDD has awarded NAMICG $500,000.00 from a budget allocation passed by the state and approved by the Governor to continue to offer a range of mental health services to residents and the community, including:

  • Work study programs
  • Educational opportunities
  • Case management
  • Peer services
  • Medication management
  • Psychiatric resources
  • Transportation
  • Life Skills
  • And so much more
“We are thrilled to open this new residential housing for the mentally ill, which will fill a critical gap in our community. Many people with mental health conditions face homelessness, unemployment, isolation, and stigma. This facility and our ongoing efforts to create a mental health housing complex will offer them a place to call home, where they can access the services and support they need to recover and thrive,” said Paula Watkins, the Executive Director of NAMI Central Georgia.
 
“We are grateful to DBHDD and Governor Kemp for their generous funding and their commitment to improving the mental health system in Georgia. We also want to thank our staff, donors, and partners who have worked tirelessly to make this project a reality. Together, we are creating hope and changing lives,” she added.
Pictured left to right: Todd Jones (R) - Georgia State Representative, Paula Watkins - Executive Director, CEO, Tonja Simmons Lee - Board President, Stephen Smith - Director of Peer Services, Engineer, William Baggley - Outside Sales Rep, Griffin Lumber
The grand opening of the new residential housing for the mentally ill took place on May 17th The event featured remarks from Georgia House of Representative Todd Jones (R), NAMI Central Georgia Board Chair Tonja Simmons Lee, NAMI Central Georgia Executive Director and CEO Paula Watkins.

About NAMI Central Georgia

NAMI Central Georgia is the local affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization. NAMI Central Georgia provides education, advocacy, and support for people living with mental health conditions and their families in Bibb, Crawford, Houston, Jones, Monroe, Peach, Twiggs, and Wilkinson counties. NAMI Central Georgia is the ONLY NAMI affiliate that provides mental health housing and wrap around services. NAMI National also operates a helpline, a resource center, a family-to-family program, a peer-to-peer program, support groups, and a crisis intervention team. To learn more, visit www.namiofcentralga.org or www.nami.org.

NAMI Teen & Young Adult (T&YA) HelpLine

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NAMI has officially launched the new NAMI Teen & Young Adult (T&YA) HelpLine, a free, nationwide peer-support service providing information, resource referrals, and support to teens and young adults. It provides a safe space for young people to connect with peers who understand their struggles and offers them resources and information that help.

It’s been a rough few years – the pandemic and other world events have affected many teens and young adults’ mental health. More than 4 in 10 youth felt persistently sad or hopeless in 2021, and 1 out of 3 students experienced poor mental health. The NAMI T&YA HelpLine Specialists are young adults with firsthand knowledge of mental health challenges who are experienced, well-trained, and available by phone, text, or chat to provide resources and guidance so no one needs to go through their mental health struggles alone.

Text “Friend” to 62640
Chat at nami.org/help
Call 1-800-950-6264
Monday – Friday, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET

Talk to us. Teens and young adults should reach out to the NAMI Teen & Young Adult (T&YA) HelpLine:

  • If you’re feeling sad, anxious, lonely or angry
  • if you’re having trouble sleeping
  • If you’re going through a difficult time in your life
  • if you or someone you know just feels “off”
  • If you or someone you know has questions about mental health

We’ve been there and we can help. The T&YA HelpLine listens, offers support and provides hope. You are not alone.

The NAMI T&YA HelpLine is not a hot line, crisis line or suicide prevention line. If you or someone you know is experiencing a crisis, please chat, call or text 988. The NAMI T&YA HelpLine does not provide mental health counseling, advice, personal advocacy or referrals to individual mental health providers or lawyers. The NAMI T&YA HelpLine does not provide individual casework, legal representation or any type of individual advocacy.

Message and data rates may apply. Message frequency varies. Reply STOP to opt-out. Reply HELP for help. See our Terms of Service and Privacy Policy for more information.

Welcome to Georgetown!

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After many years of planning and preparation, NAMI Central Georgia officially finished completion on a new mental health housing building called Georgetown. The new building will house an additional 7 residents bringing NAMI Central Georgia’s housing capacity to 24 residents. Our goal is to expand on our long-term, transitional, and semi-independent housing catering to the needs of the mentally ill and all of the challenges it brings by offering complete wrap-around services to include medication management, meals, work-study programs for individuals that qualify, educational programs, outings, and a NAMI barbershop, plus so much more!

The city of Warner Robins partnered with us to complete our latest housing project. Not only will Georgetown be used as a housing facility, but also as a centralized location for peer support, forensic support, case management, and life skills to name a few. If you or someone you know is looking for quality care, a caring staff, and wrap-around services that are person-centered to support the life that your loved one deserves then click this link to apply for housing TODAY!