Provider is a staff development program is for healthcare providers, administrative staff, operational staff and students working directly with people affected by mental illness. It’s an experience that equips participants with a deeper understanding of mental illness and the confidence to serve individuals and families in a collaborative manner.

Each of the NAMI Provider program’s three instructors live locally and have direct experience with mental illness. It’s led by an individual living well in recovery, a family member and a mental health professional with lived experience.

NAMI Provider is offered as a 15-hour program spread over five sessions or in a four-hour seminar. The time commitment is intentionally robust to cover a lot of meaningful material.

What You’ll Gain

Past participants have reported improved attitudes, beliefs and behavior in partnering with individuals and families experiencing mental illness, among other benefits:

• An understanding of lived experience paired with an evidence-based curriculum

• A deeper knowledge of the recovery and medical models for empathetic, compassionate care for people affected by mental illness

• Deeper insights into individual and family perspectives

Peer to Peer is a free, eight-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery.

NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a safe, confidential space. The course provides an opportunity for mutual support and growth. Experience compassion and understanding from people who relate to your experiences. This is a place to learn more about recovery in an accepting environment.

NAMI Peer-to-Peer helps you:

• Set a vision and goals for the future

• Partner with health care providers

• Develop confidence for making decisions

• Practice relaxation and stress reduction tools

• Share your story

• Strengthen relationships

• Enhance communication skills

• Learn about mental health treatment options

HomeFront is a free, 6-session educational program for families, caregivers and friends of military service members and veterans with mental health conditions.

Based on the nationally recognized NAMI Family-to-Family program, NAMI Homefront is designed to address the unique needs of family, caregivers and friends of those who have served or are currently serving our country. The program is taught by trained family members of service members/veterans with mental health conditions.

NAMI Homefront teaches you how to:

• Learn to care for yourself, including managing your stress

• Support your family member with compassion

• Identify and access federal, state and local services

• Stay informed on the latest research and information on mental health, including posttraumatic stress disorder, traumatic brain injury, anxiety, depression and substance use

• Understand current treatments and evidence-based therapies

• Navigate the challenges and impact of mental health conditions on the entire family

• Manage a crisis, solve problems and communicate effectively

Family to Family is a free, 8-session educational program for family, significant others and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidenced-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.

NAMI Family-to-Family is taught by NAMI-trained family members who have been there, and includes presentations, discussions and interactive exercises.

NAMI Family-to-Family not only provides information and strategies for taking care of the person you love, but you'll also find out that you're not alone. Recovery is a journey, and there is hope.

The group setting of NAMI Family-to-Family provides mutual support and shared positive impact—experience compassion and reinforcement from people who understand your situation. Sharing your own experience may help others in your class. In the program, you'll learn about:

• How to solve problems and communicate effectively

• Taking care of yourself and managing your stress

• Supporting your loved one with compassion

• Finding and using local supports and services

• Up-to-date information on mental health conditions and how they affect the brain

• How to handle a crisis

• Current treatments and therapies

• The impact of mental health conditions on the entire family

NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. Gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar experiences.

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.

Free of cost to participants

Designed for adult loved ones of people with mental health conditions

Led by family members of people with mental health conditions

60-90 minutes long and meets weekly, every other week or monthly (varies by location)

No specific medical therapy or treatment is endorsed

Confidential

NAMI Family Support Group will help you:

Aim for better coping skills

Find strength in sharing experiences

Not judge anyone’s pain

Forgive ourselves and reject guilt

Embrace humor as healthy

Accept that we cannot solve every problem

Understand that mental health conditions are no one's fault and can be traumatic experiences

Connection (Peer to Peer Support Group) is a free, peer-led support group for any adult who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition. You will gain insight from hearing the challenges and successes of others, and the groups are led by trained leaders who've been there.

NAMI’s support groups are unique because they follow a structured model to ensure you and others in the group have an opportunity to be heard and to get what you need.

• Free of cost to participants

• Designed for adults (18+) with mental health conditions

• Led by people with mental health conditions

• 90 minutes long and meets weekly, every other week or monthly (varies by location)

• No specific medical therapy or treatment is endorsed

• Confidential

What You’ll Gain

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you can gain hope and feel a sense of connection. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community. You'll benefit from other's experiences, discover your inner strength and empower yourself by sharing your own experiences in a non-judgmental space.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group will help you:

• Aim for better coping skills

• Find strength in sharing experiences

• Not judge anyone's pain

• Forgive ourselves and reject guilt

• Embrace humor as healthy

• Accept that we cannot solve every problem

• Understand that mental health conditions are no one's fault and can be traumatic experiences

NAMI Ending the Silence is an engaging presentation that helps middle and high school aged youth learn about the warning signs of mental health conditions and what steps to take if you or a loved one are showing symptoms of a mental health condition.

NAMI Ending the Silence is offered in-person by NAMI affiliates across the country and is also now available online when an in-person presentation is not available.

NAMI Ending The Silence In Person

Ending the Silence is a free, evidence-based, 50-minute session designed for middle and high school students. Your students will learn about mental health conditions through a brief presentation, short videos, and personal testimony from a young adult who describes their journey to recovery.

NAMI Ending the Silence presentations include two leaders: one who shares an informative presentation and a young adult with a mental health condition who shares their journey of recovery. Audience members can ask questions and gain understanding of an often-misunderstood topic. Through dialogue, we can help grow the movement to end stigma.

Ending The Silence Presentations are …

• Free of cost to schools and communities

• NAMI Ending the Silence for Students: 50-minute presentation designed for middle and high school students that includes warning signs, facts and statistics and how to get help for themselves or a friend. Research has shown that NAMI Ending the Silence for Students is effective in changing middle and high school students’ knowledge and attitudes toward mental health conditions and toward seeking help

• NAMI Ending the Silence for School Staff (in person only): 1-hour presentation for school staff members that includes information about warning signs, facts and statistics, how to approach students and how to work with families

• NAMI Ending the Silence for Families (in person only): 1-hour presentation for adults with middle or high school aged youth that includes warning signs, facts and statistics, how to talk with your child and how to work with school staff

NAMI Basics is a 6-session education program for parents, caregivers and other family who provide care for youth (ages 22 and younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms. This program is free to participants, 99% of whom say they would recommend the program to others.

The in-person course is taught by a trained team with lived experience raising a child with a mental health condition. They know what you’re going through because they’ve been there, too.

By participating in NAMI Basics, you’ll realize that you are not alone. You’ll find support and shared understanding—compassion, reinforcement and empathy from people who truly get your situation. And don’t forget: Your experiences may also help others in the course. Together, you will all learn that recovery is a journey, and there is hope.

NAMI Basics Covers:

- The impact mental health conditions can have on your entire family

- Different types of mental health care professionals, available treatment options and therapies

- An overview of the public mental health care, school and juvenile justice systems and resources to help you navigate these systems

- How to advocate for your child’s rights at school and in health care settings

- How to prepare for and respond to crisis situations (self-harm, suicide attempts, etc.)

- The importance of taking care of yourself

Much, much more