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NAMI Chicago

Eric Cowgill, CRSS�Recovery Support Provider

eric@namichicago.org

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Guided by the experiences of those living with mental health conditions and rooted in equity, NAMI Chicago educates to fight stigma and discrimination, fiercely advocates for our community, and shares hope, connection and expertise with people on their mental health journey.

Our Mission

Before we get started, we want to introduce you to our organization, NAMI Chicago.
NAMI stands for the National Alliance on Mental Illness, and we are the Chicago-area affiliate. There are NAMIs all over the country that operate independently of one another.
This is our mission. We prioritize lived experience, fight against stigma, and help people navigate the mental health system.
For more information, you can see our website at www.namichicago.org.

Additional notes:

Vision: A world that embraces and prioritizes mental health and mental illness.

Advocacy organization – what we promise to do is to provide a good experience for people as they navigate the mental health system
Focused on individuals, families, and communities
We are inclusive; we don’t specifically focus on diagnosis
We believe stigma is the #1 barrier to mental health care – the work we do is to normalize mental health and address barriers
Hope is at the core of what we do

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Advocate

For policy change at the local, state, and federal levels

Assist

Individuals in residential facilities live independently

Support

Those affected by mental health conditions & their families through support groups

Connect

With thousands of callers each year on our Information & Support Helpline (833-626-4244)

Train

The community on mental health, crisis intervention, and more

Inspire Hope

Healing is possible.

What We Do

Here are some of the things we do to advance our mission and help individuals live in mental health recovery.
Notably, we have a Helpline that we will discuss in just a moment.
Our Support Groups are a free resource you can access virtually at this time. We have a peer support group that’s open to anyone who wants a place to connect and get support, mental health diagnosis or not.
We also have a family support group that is open to individuals who have a loved one who is struggling with their mental health.
You can sign up for both on our website.
We also provide training in the community, to first responders, like the Chicago Police Department, to faith communities, to youth, and many more. We train approximately 20,000 in Chicago per year.
We take everything we learn and use it to advocate for policy change, to make sure everyone has access to the mental health care they need.
We also help individuals with serious mental health conditions live independently in the community.

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Wellness

Our Team

NAMI Chicago Helpline

Provides resources, support, treatment options, etc.

Clinical Support

Gives wraparound coordination and care for individuals with complex needs

Community Outreach

Connects with our community by showing up for events or providing support where needed

Wellness

Provides yoga, breath, and mindfullness practices to first responders and member of our community

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Policy & Operations

Our Team

NAMI Smarts for Advocacy

Our grassroots advocacy program, which teaches community members to use their own experience to foster mental health policy change

Illinois Mental Health Task Force for Youth Mental Health

Focuses on youth diversion from the criminal court system and early mental health intervention

Operations

Our PX and Operations team make sure NAMI Chicago is running smoothly and upholding our mission and vision statements of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion

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Growth & Engagement

Our Team

Development

Building and maintaining relationships with stakeholders

Communications

Flyers, social media, website language

Engagement

NAMIWalks

Mental Health Walk

Light the Darkness

NAMI Chicago Gala

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In Home Recovery Support

Our Team

WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)

A class to provide action plans to those in mental health recovery

Support Groups

Peer support and family support groups led by Ambassadors and NAMI staff

Support Providers

NAMI employees who work 1:1 with individuals who are in recovery, transitioning to independent living, and need additional support

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Training & Education

Our Team

ETS (Ending the Silence)

NAMI National Program, provides mental health awareness trainings to students, parents, and staff

CIT (Crisis Intervention Team)

Crisis Intervention Training for First Responders

External Trainings

Mental Health Awareness
Workplace Wellness
Crisis Intervention & De-escalation
Compassion Fatigue
Practicing and Promoting Self Care
And more!

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Community Support Programs

Our Team

WRAP (Wellness Recovery Action Plan)

A class to provide action plans to those in mental health recovery

Williams / Colbert Consent Decree

Ambassador Program

Ambassador provide peer support to class members in the SMHRFs (Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities) and SNFs (Specialized Nursing Facilities)

Outreach Program

NAMI staff provide 1:1 support and resources to the class members in facilities

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Wellness Plan

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Connects thousands of people each year to mental health care
Helps callers meet their daily needs
Serves as a compassionate listening ear
Aids in crisis response efforts
Partnership with 311 – mental health calls transferred to the Helpline

Before we wrap up for questions, let’s dive back into our Helpline
Our Helpline is Free & confidential – we take calls in Spanish as well. Our Helpline is free no matter how many times you call. We receive about 13,000 calls per year.
You can call if you know exactly what you’re looking for (a therapist close to home) or need someone with advanced clinical training to help guide you – we have access to over 700 resources in our database and can refer you.
You can call for others. For example, you can call for friends & family that you need a bit of assistance supporting.
Call us for food, housing, legal, and any other resources you need
You can also call us to get assistance professionally. We can help game plan with you what the next step is if you’re looking to support a client or community member.

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833-626-4244

www. namichicago.org

info@namichicago.org