NAMI Chicago

Recovery, Youth, and Prevention: NAMI Chicago works with the Illinois Department of Human Services (DHS) to provide peer-based outreach and engagement for almost 600 individuals per year transitioning out of Specialized Mental Health Rehabilitation Facilities (SMHRFs) and Skilled Nursing Facilities (SNFs) into independent community living. Peer support specialists also provide in-home recovery support to individuals recently discharged from these facilities. Grounded in their lived experience, peer support specialists offer personalized guidance in adjusting to new environments, developing independent living skills, and managing potential stressors. They support individuals in their recovery journey and equip them with the essential skills to integrate into the community and successfully maintain independent living. NAMI Chicago's commitment to peer support also establishes critical roles for peers within the mental health workforce. Through NAMI Chicago's support groups, people connect with others who've been there who know what it's like, and who can offer support without judgment. Support groups also provide a safe space for skill-building opportunities, and a sense of hope that recovery is possible. Three hundred and fifty support groups were held this year with more than 1,700 attendees, consistently reporting feeling safe, supported, and more connected to others.

Helpline Team & 988 Crisis Contact Center:NAMI Chicago operates a mental health information, referral, and crisis Helpline, providing immediate support, guidance, and referrals to individuals and families. Responding to more than 700 contacts per month via phone, text or chat, Helpline Specialists collaborate with contacts to explore their needs in a supportive, no-barrier space, providing emotional support and education to enhance their agency, self-advocacy, and understanding of mental health systems and resources. Follow-up contacts offer the opportunity to support resource usage and strengthen help seeking behaviors.Through the 988 Crisis Center, NAMI Chicago provides urgent mental health support, ensuring individuals in crisis receive timely and appropriate interventions. Our crisis counselors foster an environment of care in which callers are treated with dignity while collaboratively engaging in safety planning that empowers their sense of agency and validates their experience. The NAMI Chicago Crisis Contact Center answers more than 2,000 calls per month with less than 1% needing a higher level of care. In an average of 13 minutes, Crisis Counselors are able to build rapport quickly and support de-escalation and action planning to address issues such as anxiety, suicidal ideation and depression.