NAMI Family & Friends is a free 90-minute or four-hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. It’s also an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support
The seminar is led by trained people with lived experience of supporting a family member with a mental health condition. They will walk you through the following topics.
“Hearing personal experiences and how relatable my experiences are to them was very helpful. Hearing specific strategies to communicate and specific traits that people with mental illness have. Know that the illness is what can cause “cruelty” and poor decisions rather than the person.”
“I have a better understanding of how mental illness impacts the person affected…it was nice to hear the stories of the instructors and their paths. The handbook (eBook) given has a lot of helpful information which I did not know about.”
Some NAMI affiliates have already started offering this seminar. However, if it isn’t already available, contact your local NAMI Affiliate about starting NAMI Family & Friends.
NAMI Family & Friends Companion eBook
The NAMI Family & Friends companion eBook provides important information about mental health conditions including: conditions and diagnoses, treatment and recovery, crisis planning, resources and more. You can download it for free in multiple languges below:
The NAMI Family & Friends companion eBook is also available for direct download as a PDF in the following languages:
NAMI HelpLine is available M-F, 10 a.m. – 10 p.m. ET. Call 800-950-6264,
text “helpline” to 62640, or chat online. In a crisis, call or text 988 (24/7).
