A Bridge Between Academia and NAMI
A Presentation at Brandeis University
Dr. Ken Duckworth, NAMI’s Medical Officer and author of NAMI’s You Are Not Alone book, spoke at Brandeis University in Waltham on March 26th. Ken reached out to volunteers from local NAMI affiliates to join him to help sell signed copies of the book and be available to answer questions about NAMI for audience members. He was invited by the university’s Heller School for Social Policy and Management and The Institute for Behavioral Health. Ken lives in Boston and has been traveling the country promoting the book.
The Brandeis based audience included professors, college administrators, health care policy executives, academic researchers, social policy directors, and behavioral health care providers, among other titles. Ken’s resume includes roles in many of those fields. For the book, Ken interviewed 130 NAMI members and had conversations with behavioral health professionals.
That night in Waltham, Ken served as a bridge between academia and the NAMI community. The subheading of the book is, “with advice from experts and wisdom from real people and families.” For the evening’s audience he rephrased it as, “evidence based research balanced by experienced based evidence,” a wink and a nod to the training and orientation of many in the room.
Ken explained that the idea for the book had been in his mind for many years, and he pitched some version of it to multiple people. He actually signed up for three different writers’ workshops but didn’t make much progress. Then the pandemic hit and his thoughts and energy became focused. The book has sold 50,000 copies, and Ken proudly announced that it is a bestseller at Target, reaching just the people he hoped to reach.
Key themes around “what helps” that Ken learned from his conversations with individuals living with mental health conditions include persistence, acceptance, love/connection, faith, work, turning pain into purpose, and connection to NAMI. From family members he learned about recognizing limits of responsibility, communication strategies, finding other families to feel less alone, turning pain into purpose through advocacy, and connection to NAMI.
He noted that everyone who participated in the book wanted to help someone. That’s NAMI!
The NAMI members from the Central Middlesex and Newton-Wellesley affiliates pictured below with Ken are Tom Scurfield, Lori Krinsky, Steffi Karp, Jackie Rohan, Nancy Stanton, Tanya Trevett, Ruth Kandel, and Suzi Newman.
Get the Book
Thru personal stories the book discusses questions such as: What does it mean when different doctors give me different diagnoses? What if my insurance company won’t cover my treatment? Will I have to be on medication my whole life? Will I ever feel better? It also explores how families and friends are often left in the dark about how best to help their loved ones, from dealing with financial and logistical issues, to handling the emotional challenges of loving someone who is suffering. It includes practical guidance on dealing with a vast array of mental health conditions and navigating care.
Additional information about the book and the companion podcast series along with options for purchase are available here: youarenotalonebook.org.
