NAMI Family Support Group

 

NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. Gain insight from the challenges and successes of others facing similar circumstances.

NAMI’s Support Groups are unique because they follow a structured model, ensuring everyone has an opportunity to be heard and to get what they need.

– Free of cost to participants
– Designed for adult loved ones (18+) of individuals living with mental illness
– Led by family members of individuals living with mental illness
– Meets weekly or monthly
– No specific medical therapy or medication is endorsed or recommended
– Confidential

 

NAMI Family Online Support Group

NAMI Family Support Group is being offered online, using the Zoom platform. Click here to learn more and register.

We also offer three specialty groups:

Spouse/Partner Support Groups

2nd Thursdays of the month, 7 p.m. ET

Gain support and share with others who can relate to your personal experiences. The group will follow the NAMI Signature Family Support Group Model and will be run by two trained facilitators. Participants must pre-register and be 18 years or older. Attendance will be limited to 15 people. Register here

 

Siblings Support Group

4th Thursdays of the month, 7 p.m. ET

Join us for this special online support group for individuals with a sibling who lives with mental illness. Gain support and share with others who can relate to your personal experiences. The group will follow the NAMI Signature Family Support Group Model and will be run by two trained facilitators. Participants must pre-register and be 18 years or older. Attendance will be limited. Register here

 

Family With a Loved One Who Is In/ Has Been in State Hospital

Thursday, December 8, 2022
6:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. ET

NAMI Family Support Groups are free, confidential and safe groups of families helping other families who live with mental health challenges. In NAMI Family Support Groups, families join a caring group of individuals helping one another by utilizing their collective lived experiences and learned wisdom. Family members can achieve a renewed sense of hope for their loved one living with mental health challenges. Connect with other family members who have or had a loved one in a NJ State Hospital. Contact [email protected] for more information. Register here

 

Find A Support Group

Find the NAMI Family Support Group nearest to you. If a support group isn’t available, contact your local NAMI about starting one. For information about family support groups for African American, Hispanic and Latino, Chinese American, and South Asian adults with lived experience of mental health issues, visit the four NAMI NJ’s ethnic outreach programs.

 

What You’ll Gain

By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop supportive relationships. This group allows your voice to be heard, and provides an opportunity for your personal needs to be met. It encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community. You’ll benefit through other’s experiences, discover your inner strength and learn now to identify local resources and how to use them.

NAMI Family Support Group will help you:

– See the individual first, not the illness
– Recognize that mental illnesses are medical illnesses that may have environmental triggers
– Understand that mental illnesses are traumatic events
– Aim for better coping skills
– Find strength in sharing experiences
– Reject stigma and not tolerate discrimination
– Not judge anyone’s pain
– Forgive ourselves and reject guilt
– Embrace humor as healthy
– Accept that we cannot solve every problem
– Work for a better future in a realistic way

 

What People are Saying

“Using the [NAMI] support group model is so essential to the success of our family support groups. As a group, the collective wisdom covered a lot of possibilities.”

“The most beneficial thing for me was that I am not alone. I found the NAMI Family Support Group at the time I really needed it!”

 

Considering to Volunteer?

NAMI volunteers across New Jersey are being trained in the NAMI Family Support Group Model, so that more families can check out a NAMI Family Support Group for caregiver support! Contact your local NAMI affiliate or a NAMI NJ multicultural program for more information.