NAMI Family Support Groups are free, confidential, and facilitated by NAMI-trained peers for family members, caregivers, and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness.  Participants gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar circumstances.  NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to be heard and to get what they need.

The group relies on basic principles that are read at every meeting:
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• See the individual first, not the illness

• Recognize mental illnesses are brain disorders

• Aim for better coping skills

• Find strength in sharing experiences

• Reject stigma

• Not judge anyone’s pain

• Forgive ourselves and reject guilt

• Embrace humor as healthy

• Accept that we cannot solve every problem

• Work for a better future in a realistic way

• Never give up hope