The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) is the nation’s largest grassroots organization dedicated to improving the lives of persons living with serious mental illness and their families. Founded in 1979, NAMI has become the nation’s voice on mental illness.
With organizations and affiliates in every state, NAMI effectively provides advocacy, research, support, and education about serious mental illness. Members of NAMI include consumers, families and friends of people living with mental illnesses, mental health providers, students, educators, law enforcement, public officials, politicians, members of faith communities, and concerned citizens.
When NAMI was incorporated as a 501(c)3 nonprofit agency in 1983 it was known as the National Alliance for Mental Illness. The monthly newsletter and Family Support Line were created in the 1980s and we also started holding monthly meeting sat the Family Service Agency at that time.
In 1996, the first NAMI Kauai members were trained and began providing Family-to-Family education classes.
Today, NAMI Kauai depends on the hard work of a dedicated group of volunteers to provide a telephone Help Line, education programs, support groups, as a well as a quarterly newsletter, and monthly general education meeting.
1. Promote Empowerment
Promote the empowerment of consumers and their loved ones to pursue wellness in their lives as they define it and to advocate for themselves within the mental health system and in the design of their treatment plan/health maintenance plan.
2. Work Towards Unity
Work towards achieving unified delivery of mental health services, easily accessible to all, in the place of the existing multifarious, disjointed and over-complicated systems.
3. Remove Stigma
Advocate for public understanding and acceptance of mental illnesses as no different from physical illnesses and disability, thereby removing stigma.