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What to expect at a NAMI Connection group:
1. Who leads the meetings?
NAMI Connection meeting are led by trained
facilitators who are peer/consumers living in recovery.
2. Who attends the meetings?
Anyone over the age of 18 who lives with mental
illness, regardless of diagnosis.
3. What are the goals of this type of meeting?
To provide a safe space for people to confront
the challenges that are common to people living with mental illness. To share experiences as learning opportunities and to
support each other on the path to recovery.
4. What is NAMI?
NAMI is the National Alliance on Mental Illness, the
nation’s largest grassroots organization for people with mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has
affiliates in every state and in more than 1,100 local communities across the country.
5. Will the people in this meeting tell me how
to take medication?
In this group, we do not tell anyone what to
do.
6. Do providers know about this kind of meeting?
NAMI support groups are endorsed by many well
respected physicians and healthcare organizations. For more information, please visit our website at www.nami.org.
7. Are non-consumers/peers allowed to go in?
The group structure is designed to provide
the greatest possible feeling of safety for all participants. For many that means that only people who have suffered
psychiatric distress can possibly understand. Most groups do not want others to
attend.
8. If not, are they hiding something?
Sometimes, yes. People are entitled to
confidentiality. Their jobs, relationships or status in the community could be lost or seriously damaged if their illness
is unwittingly revealed. Other than that, we have nothing to hide.
9. Do doctors take part in this?
They refer patients to us. Other than
that, no.
10. Is there any help
for family members?
Definitely. NAMI was founded by concerned
family members and continues to offer family support groups, similar to this one, as well as a 12 week education course called
Family-to-Family. For information on these and more NAMI programs, check out the website at www.nami.org, call the HelpLine at 1-800-950-6264 or Veterans and family members may contact Candy
True at ext. 4116 or Louise Will-Wallace at ext. 6395.
