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TAMI |
Talking About Mental Illness (TAMI) Coalition of Durham |
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The TAMI Coalition of Durham is an alliance of community agencies, school
boards, youth, people with mental illness and other community members. These
organizations work together to build awareness, understanding and compassion
about mental illness and mental health issues. The goal of the program is to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness. It provides youth with the opportunity to hear the stories of individuals who have been affected by mental illness and discover “they are just like everyone else.” TAMI organizes Stomp Out Stigma Summits, a day-long gathering of student ambassadors who are taught about mental illness through a series of presentations by professionals and mental health survivors. These presentations focus on giving the ambassadors the tools necessary to build strong “anti-stigma” teams within their schools. The Summits are a collaborative effort by the TAMI Coalition of Durham, which includes:  Canadian
Mental Health Association – Durham BranchCentre
for Addiction and Mental HealthCommunity
MembersDurham
Catholic District School BoardDurham
District School BoardDurham
Family Court ClinicDurham
Mental Health ServicesMood
Disorders Association of Ontario-Durham BranchPinewood
Centre of Lakeridge HealthResources
for Exceptional Children and YouthThe
Youth CentreWhitby
Mental Health CentreSchools partner with TAMI to provide classroom education to students on mental health and mental illness before and after the community presentation. Stomp Out Stigma Summits is the winner of the 2007 Minister’s Award for innovation in Health Promotion, and one of eight “IBM Leading Practices Awards” announced at the Ontario Hospital Association’s HealthAchieve 2007 conference. Established in 2002, the Coalition delivers TAMI programs in the community free of charge. To date, the Coalition has spoken to more than 5000 students at 35 high schools across Durham Region. |