The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions affected by mental illness. NAMI DKK serves DeKalb, Kendall, and southern Kane counties. This Dunham Fund grant will provide funding throughout 2015 to support NAMI DKK’s education and support courses offered at no charge for those affected by mental illness in NAMI DKK’s service area.
Courses include NAMI Basics for parents and caregivers of the mentally ill; Wellness Recovery Action Plan for individuals in recovery; Ending the Silence, an in-school presentation about mental illness; Parents & Teachers as Allies, an in-service course for school professionals and parents; and In Our Own Voice, a speaker series to illustrate the individual realities of living with mental illness and to eliminate the stereotypes associated with the mentally ill. Support groups include NAMI Connection Recovery; NAMI Family Support; and Saturday Coffee Meetings, all of which are offered in both English and Spanish.