Photo Credit: Briana Tozour

Who is NAMI Greater Kansas City?

Our Mission

• Our mission is to promote mental wellness, build acceptance in our community, and give hope to people affected by mental illness through advocacy, education, and support.

Our Vision

A City of Mental Wellness

• Mental illness may always be with us, but that doesn?t mean we can?t live healthy, productive lives. Pain is inevitable; suffering is optional. We envision a city where everyone is empowered to live to their maximum mental wellness. It looks different for different people. We are dedicated to helping people find their path to wellness.

Our Goals

• To engage in advocacy and public policy activities that affect mental illness on the local, state, and national levels.
• To encourage the community?s understanding and acceptance of mental illness.
• To offer support to those whose lives are impacted by mental illness.

NAMI Greater Kansas City is a volunteer-based, membership-based nonprofit dedicated to improving the quality of life and recovery for people with mental illness and their families through support, education, and advocacy. We provide persons living with a mental illness a safe place to share feelings and get the needed information. Together we raise our voices to bring about positive change in the mental health system.

Below are the signature programs offered FREE of charge by NAMI Greater Kansas City. All of the money that we raise helps us to purchase needed resources and send individuals for training so that we can continue providing training to our community.

Support Groups

• NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group: is a free, peer-led support group for any adult who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition.
• NAMI Family Support Group: is a free, peer-led support group for any adult with a loved one who has experienced symptoms of a mental health condition.

Classes

• NAMI Family-to-Family: is an 8-session educational program for family, significant others, and friends of people with mental health conditions. It is a designated evidence-based program. This means that research shows that the program significantly improves the coping and problem-solving abilities of the people closest to a person with a mental health condition.
• NAMI Peer-to-Peer: is an 8-session educational program for adults with mental health conditions who are looking to better understand themselves and their recovery.
• NAMI Homefront: is a 6-session educational program for families, caregivers, and friends of military service members and veterans with mental health conditions.
• NAMI Basics: is a 6-session education program for parents, caregivers, and other family members who provide care for youth (ages 22 and younger) who are experiencing mental health symptoms.

Presentations

• NAMI In Our Own Voice: presentations change attitudes, assumptions, and ideas about people with mental health conditions. These 40-, 60-, or 90-minute presentations provide a personal perspective of mental health conditions as leaders with lived experiences talk openly about what it?s like to have a mental health condition.
• NAMI Holding Hope: Holding Hope is a family presentation program, delivered by family members of individuals living with mental health conditions. These presenters share their personal stories of supporting a loved one living with a mental illness.
• NAMI Stigma Free: provides the tools and resources to help expand awareness, build caring culture, and improve access to support, ensuring that mental wellness is prioritized for everyone. In this presentation we explore how to recognize and address mental health challenges while creating an environment where every individual feels values and supported. Join us in leading the way toward a Stigma Free future!
• NAMI Sharing Hope: is a community-driven initiative that embraces and celebrates cultural identity and empowerment. It is a place for Black/African Ancestry and immigrant communities to gather, listen and support each other on the path to mental wellness and healing.
• NAMI Family & Friends: is a 90-minute or 4-hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. It is also an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support.

And more to come ...