The NAMI@Emma student club at the Emma Willard School in Troy, New York,  has been honored at the New York State Office of Mental Health’s ‘What’s Great in our State 2016’, an event which celebrates the people and programs making a difference in the field of children’s mental health. The award was presented on May 3, 2016, in Albany.

“The members of NAMI@Emma are showing the world that young people can make a difference in the pursuit of mental health awareness,” said New York State Office of Mental Health Commissioner Dr. Ann Marie T. Sullivan. “All of the honorees of this year’s event are making exceptional strides to bring children’s mental health awareness and treatment to the forefront of the healthcare discussion. We thank each and every one of them for their hard work and commitment to the cause."

NAMI@Emma Club at Emma Willard School in Troy, New York is the first high-school level club with the National Alliance on Mental Illness, or NAMI. The NAMI@Emma club has participated or hosted a number of peer-run programs and events to further mental health advocacy and decrease stigma in New York State.

“NAMI@Emma is honored to be recognized by the Office of Mental Health for children’s mental health awareness,” said NAMI@Emma Founder and President Katherine Wallace. “We are working hard to enhance the mental health curriculum in secondary schools through peer-led discussions and events to foster understanding and empathy for those living with mental illness. We are excited that this club model will be spread to other schools in the Capital Region to continue eradicating stereotypes that are often formed during young adulthood.”

NAMI@Emma was honored by the Office of Mental Health for its extraordinary commitment to children’s mental health issues and the overwhelming success of their program during its first year of creation.

‘What’s Great in Our State’ is an annual event hosted by the New York State Office of Mental Health, the New York State Council on Children and Families, and a number of children’s mental health advocacy organizations which celebrates individuals and programs that are successfully advancing the cause of children’s mental health in New York State. The event features a reading of Governor Andrew Cuomo’s announcement proclaiming the week as Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a ceremony recognizing people and programs creating positive change in the children’s mental health system, and an art show featuring artwork created by children receiving services from New York State’s mental health system.

Children’s Mental Health Awareness Week, a national event, seeks to raise awareness about the importance of children’s mental health and to show that positive mental health is essential to a child’s healthy development from birth.