PSA Addresses Mental Health Stigma in the Latino Community

The National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC), which has been providing support to families and individuals affected by mental illness for over 40 years, has developed culturally responsive programs to help address the mental health needs of the Latino community. Our Helpline...

Centering the Family: What It Means to Implement Family-Focused Practice (FFP) in Adult Mental Health Care

Providers have an important role and responsibility to engage families when patients have a psychiatric hospitalization. HIPAA is often used to deny patients' families access to critical information. By educating and engaging families along the way, we can significantly reduce patient readmission...

The Transformative Power of Families Helping Families

“I can now see that my loved one and their mental illness are separate.” I was fortunate to hear this powerful insight recently from one of NAMI-NYC’s participating family members. The National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) is built on the transformative power of...

Fighting for Our Nation’s Veterans

Family members have a unique role to play in the mental health of our nation’s veterans. With the current system overwhelmed by mental health service needs and unable to provide adequate access, family members serve at the critical front line of our veteran’s mental health needs and are the...

Beacon Partners with NAMI-NYC to Educate Plan Members

Beacon Health Strategies (Beacon) is undertaking a groundbreaking public/private partnership with the National Alliance on Mental Illness of New York City (NAMI-NYC) on a pilot project that will promote and engage NAMI services for Beacon plan members in the New York City metro area. To promote...

The Family Role in Recovery: Understanding the Illness and Embracing the Process

The fear and distress are unimaginable when serious mental illness strikes families. They become confused when their loved one acts in an erratic or unfamiliar way and may feel helpless when a child or adult refuses treatment. New concerning behaviors emerge, and aspects of their loved one’s...

Parity for Consumers: What We Learned, and Where We Go from Here

State and federal parity laws help end decades of discriminatory insurance coverage for mental health and substance abuse services by insurance companies. Historically, families with mental illness have faced terrible choices, from skipping care altogether to facing bankruptcy to pay for it. In New...

Peer-Led Support Helps Parents and Caregivers Cope with Mental Illness

When her teenage daughter was diagnosed with bipolar disorder, Deniece Chi did not know where to turn for help. A native of Belize residing in New York City, she had no experience with or understanding of mental illness. Her relatives dismissed the diagnosis and suggested that a lack of discipline...