About NAMI

This non-profit organization represents persons with mental illness and their families. It offers them support, education, and advocacy. Our members support each other in coping with their own illnesses or the illness of a family member, and work together to learn more about mental illness and available services and treatments. We also work to encourage the provision of support services, to promote legislation beneficial to people who have mental illness, to educate the community about mental illness, and to eliminate the stigma of mental illness.

 

Description

We have support groups for individuals with mental illness in Marshfield, Stevens Point, and Wisconsin Rapids. We also have support groups for family members that meet in Marshfield and Stevens Point. We hold monthly meetings where we cover educational topics with guest speakers, tapes, activities, and lively discussions. These meetings are free and open to the public. Recent topics have included suicide prevention, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement officers. Some of our members have been trained to give presentations to local organizations and/or to lead 9-week classes for "consumers" (persons with mental illness) and 12-week classes for family members. We try to offer these classes free of charge to area residents once a year. Finally, through library displays and other programs, we strive to raise public awareness of mental illness, combat stigma, and help people find resources. We keep our membership apprised of news and activities through a monthly newsletter.

 

History

The National Alliance on Mental Illness, a grassroots organization, was founded in Madison, WI in 1981. Since then, NAMI has built a large national organization that has thrived primarily through the efforts of its volunteers. The organization has three tiers: NAMI national, NAMI state, and city or county-based local affiliates. We are the Portage/Wood county affiliate.