Nami Cook County North Suburban

Public outreach and education: Nami staff and volunteers perform outreach through educational lectures, presentations and distribution of brochures and other materials to inform the public about mental illness and the services provided by Nami ccns. These activities, sponsored by Nami ccns but also at the invitation of other organizations, are primarily conducted in the seventeen townships of the Nami ccns catchment area. During the year, 2,444 people attended our support groups, 469 individuals attended our education classes, and 491 people attended our in our own voice presentations. The Nami ccns email list has 7,302 subscribers. Overall, there has been an increase of 22% in unique website visits in the last year. Public outreach and education efforts increase awareness of and participation in Nami ccns programs, generate memberships, and foster financial donations to support the agency mission.

Support groups: support for individuals with mental illness encompasses basic individual support groups, connections, a support group for younger individuals with a serious mental illness who are working or in school, and sundays at one, a social support group where individuals meet to participate in activities. In any given month of 2021, there were seven different individual support group meetings with a total of 2,444 individuals receiving peer support. Participation is anonymous and people can drop in or out as they choose.

Family education: educational programming for any family member or loved one caring for someone affected by mental illness includes two Nami national courses, family to family and basics for families. Family to family is an evidence-based, 12-week course for anyone dealing with an adult who has a serious mental illness. Basics for families is a 6-week course for parents of school age children with mental health issues.