NAMI NEW JERSEY

"An extra level of safety and compliance"

NAMI New Jersey is one of 48 State Organizations of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a statewide nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness. Founded in 1985 by a group of concerned New Jersey family members who had loved ones with mental illness, NAMI NJ has steadily grown and has a team of dedicated volunteers in 19 local Affiliates covering all of New Jersey’s 21 counties. Through education, support, advocacy, and public awareness programs, NAMI NJ fosters understanding about mental illness, confronts stigma often associated with mental disorders, advocates for public policies that benefit those affected by mental illness, and promotes research into the causes, treatment and recovery of mental health disorders.

“I first came into contact with YPTC at my former organization as a staff member, where I worked on a project with a YPTC professional. It was a great experience,” recalls Meredith Masin Blount, Executive Director. “When I got my new role at NAMI New Jersey I wanted an assessment of where our financials were. I knew YPTC could look at our situation, and translate it into a way that I as a non-finance person could understand. They gave us a great assessment, we took it to the Board, and they loved it!”

YPTC was initially scheduled to work once a month, but the role quickly grew into a weekly assignment. “They’re very responsive,” she adds. “Even though they come in every week, if we ever have any questions we can shoot them an email and they give us a quick answer or a heads-up about what’s coming up. Even though they’re not a full-time employee they’re always available to us.”

The Board of Trustees particularly appreciates YPTC’s providing an outside eye looking at the organization’s finances. “YPTC gives us an extra level of confidence that we’re doing what we need to do, and that they’ll tell us if there’s anything else we should be doing. It’s an extra level of safety and compliance. They help us understand. They look at so much and tell us which areas we need to focus on. It’s great.”