National Alliance for the Mentally Ill of Greater Toledo - NAMI

Helpline: 1-800-950-6264

WHAT IS NAMI?

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of Greater Toledo is part of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) and NAMI-Ohio.

We are a grass roots, family oriented support, advocacy, and education organization, Our goal is to improve the quality of life for children, adolescents an adults who suffer from mental illness/psychological problems and to support their families.

WHAT IS MENTAL ILLNESS?

Mental illness is a term used for a group of disorders causing severe disturbances in thinking, feeling and relating. These disorders result in substantially diminished capacity for coping with ordinary demands of life, Mental illness can affect person of any age-children, adolescents, adults and the elderly-and can occur in any family.

Several million people in this country suffer from a serious, long term mental illness. The cost to society is high, due to lost productivity and treatment expense. Patients with mental illness occupy more hospital beds than do persons with any other illness.

Mental illness is not the same as mental retardation. The mentally retarded have a diminished intellectual capacity usually present at birth, Those with mental illness are usually of normal intelligence although they may have difficulty performing at a normal level due to their illness.

NAMI FAMILY SERVICES

- We provide ongoing Family Support Groups for the families and friends of persons with severe mental illness.
- We provide a twelve-week course on mental illnesses at no cost to families, friends and interested others (Family-to-Family).
- We provide a nine-week course on mental illness/behavioral or emotional disorders relative to children and adolescents at no cost to families and professionals (Hand-to-Hand).
- We provide one-on-one support, education and advocacy for families struggling with mental illness and the mental health system.
- We provide other educational opportunities to create awareness of the realities of mental illness in the community as a whole.
- We provide a strong voice so that the mental health system knows and understands the needs of people who live with mental illness.
- We provide assistance in understanding, co-occurring diagnosis of mental illness and substance abuse.