NAMI Honors California Volunteer for Exceptional Service and Dedication

NAMI Honors California Volunteer for Exceptional Service and Dedication

Posted on June 20, 2005

Austin, TX — NAMI (National Alliance for the Mentally Ill) has presented its annual 'Outstanding NAMI Member' Award to William (Bill) Harwood of Santa Ana, California.

The award is the highest honor that NAMI gives to one of its own. It was established to recognize exceptional efforts by volunteers who serve the NAMI movement. Harwood has earned the gratitude of the NAMI National Board and of consumers and family members in California for his outstanding leadership in the Family-to-Family Education Program.

"Bill has served as both a teacher and trainer for the program, and perhaps most importantly, as a mentor for others in his state and across the country," said NAMI Executive Director Mike Fitzpatrick.

More than 1,500 family members, consumers of mental health services, health care providers, researchers, and business leaders from around the country are attending NAMI’s convention, four days of workshops and activities focused on the theme, "On the Frontier of Recovery."

More 2005 Convention Coverage

With more than 210,000 members, NAMI is the nation’s leading grassroots advocacy organization solely dedicated to improving the lives of persons with severe mental illnesses including schizophrenia, bipolar disorder (manic-depressive illness), major depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and severe anxiety disorders. NAMI’s efforts focus on support to persons with serious brain disorders and to their families; advocacy for nondiscriminatory and equitable federal, state, and private-sector policies; research into the causes, symptoms and treatments for brain disorders; and education to eliminate the pervasive stigma surrounding severe mental illness. NAMI has more than 1,200 state and local affiliates in all 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, American Samoa, and Canada.