National Alliance on Mental Illness:
NAMI and Mental Illness Awareness Week

By Amy Tilley, PsyD
Chief Clinical Officer, Desert Star ARC

In 1990, in collaboration with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), Congress established the first full week in October as Mental Illness Awareness Week. This important declaration was made to bring more education and awareness to mental illness This dovetails nicely with National Recovery Month, nationwide, and the Celebrate the Art of Recovery Expo (CARE) that was held last month in Mesa! Each year, the expo provides wonderful opportunities for support and education for the Phoenix valley.

Did you know that NAMI (www.nami.org) was founded in 1979 by two mothers who had children diagnosed with schizophrenia? They met to provide support for each other and share ideas on how to support their children with severe mental illness. This small, two-person meeting grew into a nationwide organization, and the largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to bettering the lives of persons living with mental illness. According to their website, the organization is present in all 50 states, Washington DC, Puerto Rico, Guam, and American Samoa, and has 600 local affiliates within communities. Their mission is: “NAMI envisions a world where all people affected by mental illness live healthy, fulfilling lives supported by a community that cares.” They value hope, inclusion, empowerment, compassion, and fairness (NAMI.org).

They offer much more than just support meetings. Part of their platform is peer driven, and they established Peer-to-Peer in 2010, a course that participants attend to learn how severe mental illness affects all aspects of their personal and professional lives. Topics covered include relapse prevention, mindfulness exercises, and how to effectively communicate with your mental health care provider to get your needs met.

NAMI has a HelpLine (1-800-950-NAMI) and a text line: Text “HelpLine” to 62640, (10am-10pm ET). Peer-support driven outreach to provide information, support, and resources for persons living with a mental health condition, their loved ones and caregivers, and mental health care professionals. These peer support people do not provide mental health counseling or referrals to mental health care professionals. They are trained to listen, share their own experience, strength, and hope, and offer resources to help benefit the person on calling for support.

NAMI helped publish two books in the last two years, after the COVID-19 pandemic exposed many shortcomings in the mental health and behavioral healthcare system (You Are Not Alone: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Mental Health—With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real People and Families (2022); You Are Not Alone for Parents and Caregivers: The NAMI Guide to Navigating Your Child’s Mental Health—With Advice from Experts and Wisdom from Real Families (2024)). COVID-19 left many Americans isolated, spending too much time at home, experiencing personal and professional losses, and presenting with increased symptoms of mental illness. The books include true stories from people with lived experience who are willing to share their journey with the world.

NAMI is a great addition to your own recovery journey. Make it a part of your recovery “toolbelt.” The services are free and there are many support meetings available for you and your family and friends. The organization has been in existence for 45 years and continues to be a strong advocate for all persons in recovery. Share this great resource with anyone you know. Remember—you are not alone. Recovery is not a solo journey.

It takes a village and a strong network of supportive family, friends, and professionals. Ask for help because you are worth it.  

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