What is NAMI?
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is a nonprofit, grassroots, self-help, support, and advocacy organization of consumers, families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and anxiety disorders.
Founded in 1979, NAMI has more than 210,000 family members and consumers who seek equitable services for people with severe mental illnesses. There are 1,200 state and local affiliates of NAMI. All of these groups work on the national, state, and local levels to educate about severe brain disorders, support increased funding for research, and advocate for adequate health insurance, housing, rehabilitation, and jobs for people with serious psychiatric illnesses.
San Luis Obispo County Affiliate (NAMI SLOCO)
NAMI SLOCO is a 501 (c) (3) charitable, non-profit, tax-exempt organization of consumers as well as families, and friends of people with severe mental illnesses. Members provide educational and emotional support for each other and advocate for better understanding, treatment and care of people with mental illness. Extensive training is provided by NAMI for those members leading support groups and classes. NAMI SLOCO is affiliated with the NAMI California and NAMI National.
NAMI SLOCO Welcomes
All who are trying to understand or live with the mental illness of a relative, a friend, or themselves.
All who wish to support better treatment and a better life for the mentally ill.
All who are ready to join our rapidly growing network of support and help us achieve these goals.
NAMI SLO County Mission Statement
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI is dedicated to providing support, advocacy, and educational resources for those with a mental illness and family, friends and loved ones of those with mental illness
Commitment to Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
At NAMI, we believe a diverse, inclusive, and equitable allliance is one where all employees, volunteers and members — regardless of gender, race, gender identity, ethnicity, national origin, age, sexual orientation, education, disability, veteran status or other dimension of diversity — feel valued and respected.
We are committed to providing informed, authentic leadership for cultural equity and modeling diversity and inclusion for the entire NAMI alliance. We shall:
See diversity, inclusion and equity as connected to our mission and critical to ensure the well-being of our staff and the NAMI Alliance we serve.
Identify and dismantle inequities within our policies, systems, programs and services and continually update and report the organization's progress.
Explore potential underlying, unquestioned assumptions that interfere with inclusiveness.
Advocate for and support board-level thinking about how systemic inequities impact our organization’s work and how to address that them in a way that is consistent with our mission.
Practice and encourage transparent communication in all interactions.
Lead with respect and tolerance.
We expect all leaders and employees to embrace this notion and to express it in workplace interactions and through everyday practice.
We are committed to a nondiscriminatory approach and to providing equal opportunity for employment, participation and advancement in all programs and worksites.
To share problems and concerns, as well as the means for overcoming them, at regular monthly NAMI meetings.
To assist each other and provide moral and emotional support in times of crisis.
To help all who are affected by mental illness, either directly or indirectly.
To educate ourselves and to provide information about mental illness to our community.
To advocate legislation which can improve the quality and the availability of treatment for those with severe mental illnesses and to provide legislative updates regarding mental health issues.
To promote research into the causes and cures of mental illness, and to help raise funds for that purpose.
To monitor public and private mental health facilities.
To help eradicate the stigma associated with mental illness