NAMI METRO SUBURBAN INC
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Mission Statement
NAMI Metro Suburban’s mission is to improve the quality of life for individuals, families, and communities that have been affected by mental illness by providing advocacy, support, and education in the western suburbs of Cook County, Illinois.
About This Cause
NAMI Metro Suburban is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). There are over 600 NAMI affiliates nationwide, including 20 in Illinois, all of which operate under the guidance of NAMI National and its programming, but operate as separate fiscal entities. With nearly 30 years’ service, NAMI Metro Suburban provides mental health prevention, education and recovery supports to over 18,000 youth, residents and community members across the region. NAMI Metro Suburban was formed in 1993 when five mothers saw a need for support for those suffering with mental illness, establishing the NAMI Metro Suburban Recovery Drop-In Center (DIC). It is the oldest free-standing, peer-operated facility in Illinois. Located in Oak Park, the DIC continues to offer a safe setting for community members with mental illness. It houses a comprehensive program of support and opportunities that include elements of small group work, peer support, socialization activities, life skill-building, and evidence-based job placement strategies. Since its founding, the DIC has played an essential role in the mental health recovery of community residents, and has been illustrative of our commitment as a peer-driven organization, rooted in offering support, dignity and self-determination for individuals with mental illness. NAMI Metro Suburban's Living Rooms are no-cost, approachable alternatives to the emergency room and first-time point of care for individuals experiencing for individuals experiencing an increase in their mental health symptoms. Through the Living Rooms, our staff work with guests to gain immediate stabilization and subsequently work to move guests beyond one-time drop-in support for urgent mental health care to ongoing peer counseling, promoting long-term wellness and recovery. NAMI Metro Suburban’s Adult Mental Health Recovery Programs offered through the DIC and Living Rooms work closely with the organization’s numerous education and advocacy programs to support individuals with mental illness, their families, and the greater community. For individuals, we offer one-on-one and group support across all programs (e.g., IPS Employment Program, WRAP and Connections), and in the hospital setting (Hines VA Medical Center and MacNeal, Riveredge, and Madden Hospital). For families, we offer group support and education programs (e.g., Family Support, Family-to-Family, Education and Advocacy Series). For the community, we offer education through in-school presentations (e.g., Ending the Silence, Stress Less: Resilience for School Success) and advocacy throughout western Cook County region (e.g., Speakers and Panel Bureau, and Community Wellness Center). As part of community initiatives, NAMI Metro Suburban also offers Mental Health First Aid (MHFA) throughout the Cook County region, including with teacher associations and first-responder organizations, furthering the institutionalization of MHFA into these professional and academic systems. Overarching in the NAMI Metro Suburban mission is offering peer-run services to individuals, family members and the community, with three current programmatic pillars: Adult Mental Health Recovery, Family Support and School & Community-based Education and Advocacy. Central to NAMI Metro Suburban is offering advocacy, education and support to all who reside in the west suburbs of Cook County, especially those who may lack information or face barriers to care. NAMI Metro Suburban believes in the power and transformational change that occurs peer from peer to peer, from one family member to another, with the assurance of understanding, wisdom and empathy.