NAMI Lake County Illinois is affiliated with NAMI nationally

NAMI's National History

NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health.

A portion of your local annual membership supports the state and national infrastructure of NAMI across the country. We are stronger together.

You can learn more at: https://nami.org/Home

Today, we are an association of hundreds of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.

NAMI National charters each State Chapter to train affiliates in their signature evidence-based support groups and education classes

How NAMI impacts National Level Policy & MH Supports

NAMI Supports

NAMI mental health programs focus on family-to-family and consumer-to-consumer support and interaction through support group meetings.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Program is a peer-based mutual support group program for individuals facing the challenges of recovering from any serious mental illness.

NAMI Educates

Our education programs ensure hundreds of thousands of families, individuals and educators get the support and information they need.

NAMI provides training and educational materials for families, persons with mental illness and professionals.

NAMI offers an annual educational conference.
Family-to-Family education
Basics education
Peer-to-Peer mentoring
In Our Own Voice presentations
Ending the Silence presentations

NAMI Advocates

NAMI brings the need of persons with mental illness and their families to the attention of legislators, service providers, medical staff, and the general public. NAMI

Protects the rights of persons living with mental illness.
Presses for added community support services.
Shapes the national public policy landscape for people with mental illness and their families.
Provide grassroots volunteer leaders with the tools, resources and skills necessary to save mental health in all states.

NAMI Listens

Our toll-free NAMI HelpLine allows us to respond personally to hundreds of thousands of requests each year, providing free referral, information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many.

NAMI Leads

NAMI works with reporters on a daily basis to make sure our country understands how important mental health is.

Public awareness events and activities, including Mental Illness Awareness Week (MIAW), NAMIWalks and other efforts, successfully combat stigma and encourage understanding.