NAMI Washington

Support & outreach: Nami Washington's array of support and outreach efforts are focused on educating washingtonians about mental health conditions, treatment, support services and recovery. In fy2023, Nami Washington hosted the 19th annual namiwalks Washington event where supporters gathered at three locations across the state to celebrate recovery, advocate for a more robust mental health service system, and combat the stigma associated with mental health conditions. The annual state conference brought over 100 members and providers together for a day of educational workshops focused on all aspects of mental health treatment, recovery, and system operations. Affiliate support, development and community engagement is part of our support and outreach activities. Nami Washington provides organizational development support for our alliance of affiliates, and we consult and provide educational opportunities on how to run a nonprofit, board development and retention and function, committee building, volunteer recruitment and engagement. Through our sharing hope and compartiendo esperanza, and me mente and me fuerza educational programs, we work with community leaders in the black/african american and the latino/a/e/hispanic communities to bring discussion of mental health and resources to them. We also provide educational programming to all faith communities via Nami faithnet. Nami Washington holds a performance storytelling event, the brainpower chronicles, featuring six Nami members who share their mental health journeys during a 1-evening performance. In 2023 this event was held on november 18th with a combined in person and virtual audience of approximately 125.

Advocacy: Nami Washington is the largest membership-based mental health organization in the state of Washington and is recognized as the leading voice on mental health issues among state lawmakers and among local mental health policymakers across the state. Nami advocates continue to fight for policy changes and health care transformation that raises the bar on mental health treatment and support services which promote recovery and timely access to services and supports, reduce barriers to effective treatment, and preserve families and communities. Nami's grassroots advocates and volunteers are active with their state legislators, informing them of positive developments in the mental health system and advocating for improvements that will lead to more positive mental health and health care outcomes. They also advocate with local mental health authorities, county commissioners, city leaders, law enforcement and first responders, and others in local communities across the state.

Education: Nami Washington offers an array of peer education and training programs and services for individuals living with a mental health condition, family members/caregivers of people living with a mental health condition, providers and the general public at no cost to participants. These education opportunities provide critical information and support not found elsewhere in the mental health and addiction system. These programs draw on the lived experience of people living with a mental health condition and family members/caregivers who have been extensively trained in Nami's signature education program to help others through these programs. Nami Washington holds teacher, facilitator, and presenter trainings for its core education and support group programs: connection recovery support group, family support group, peer to peer class, family to family class, basics class for parents with young children, homefront class for family member/caregivers of active duty military of veterans, provider education presentation program for frontline workers, ending the silence presentation for middle/high school students; parents; educators, and in our own voice presentation program for any group interested in hearing from a person living with a mental health condition in recovery. Staff and volunteers also field information and referral calls from individuals and families about treatment and support services in their local communities across Washington.