NAMI Illinois

NAMI Illinois NAMI Illinois is the not-for-profit statewide organization of the National Alliance on Mental Illness

With more than 210,000 members, NAMI (the National Alliance on Mental Illness)
is the nation's leading grassroots advocacy organization solely dedicated to
improving the quality of life for individuals living with mental illnesses and their
families.

We’re proud to see NAMI Illinois represented at this year’s Program Coordinators’ Learning Expo!Luisa Cicero, Statewide ...
10/14/2026

We’re proud to see NAMI Illinois represented at this year’s Program Coordinators’ Learning Expo!

Luisa Cicero, Statewide and Affiliate Programs Manager, and Juan Velez, Lead Consultant for Compartiendo Esperanza, will present “Stronger Together: Connecting Affiliates into a Statewide Model for Latino Mental Health,” bringing NAMI Illinois’ work and experience into a conversation about how affiliates can connect across communities to strengthen Latino mental health support.

This is work that depends on relationships. Every community brings its own needs, knowledge, and experiences, and connecting that local expertise across a statewide network creates opportunities to learn from one another and reach more people.

We’re excited for Luisa and Juan to share what NAMI Illinois has been building and bring new ideas back home with them.

Executive Director Sara Gray and Affiliate & Statewide Programs Manager Luisa Cicero traveled through the region this we...
10/13/2026

Executive Director Sara Gray and Affiliate & Statewide Programs Manager Luisa Cicero traveled through the region this week with one goal: listen.

They met with State Senator Terri Bryant in Murphysboro to hear more about the needs of communities across her district. They sat down with Senator Erica Harriss in Edwardsville to continue that conversation in another part of the region. They shared meals with local leaders, behavioral health partners, and the NAMI Jackson County Steering Committee.

Every stop added another perspective.

What resources are already working? Where are people still struggling to find support? What partnerships could make a difference? And where can NAMI Illinois be more useful to the people already doing this work every day?

Those answers do not come from sitting in one office. They come from going where people live and work, listening to the people who know their communities, and building relationships that continue after the trip home.

We came back with ideas, new connections, and plenty of work ahead of us.

Southern Illinois, thank you for the conversations, the hospitality, and the honesty. We’ll be back.

Thank you to Centerstone for supporting the 2026 NAMI Illinois Annual Statewide Conference!Events like this one require...
10/12/2026

Thank you to Centerstone for supporting the 2026 NAMI Illinois Annual Statewide Conference!

Events like this one require meaningful investment, and Centerstone's sponsorship contributes directly to what we are able to offer attendees, which include advocates, individuals with lived experience, family members, mental health professionals, and community leaders from communities across Illinois.

We value this partnership, thank you Centerstone!

The agenda is live, and the NAMI Illinois 2026 State Conference is officially taking shape!Across two days, we’re bringi...
10/12/2026

The agenda is live, and the NAMI Illinois 2026 State Conference is officially taking shape!

Across two days, we’re bringing together people from throughout Illinois to share what they know, challenge how we think, and explore what community care can become.

This year also brings something new. Attendees will have access to a Wellness & Restoration Room sponsored by BAXTALY NFP, offering a quiet place to step away, reset, and recharge between sessions.

We’re also excited to welcome Illinois Chief of Behavioral Health Dr. Inger Burnett Zeigler for remarks Friday morning.

There is so much packed into October 23 and 24, and now you can see it all for yourself.

Explore the full agenda and register: https://namiillinois.org/conferenceregistration2026/

10/09/2026

GREAT 💚 NEWS!

NAMI Chicago welcomes the restoration of specialized LGBTQ+ crisis services through the 988 Su***de & Crisis Lifeline’s “Press 3” option.

Special thanks to Raja Krishnamoorthi, The Trevor Project, Equality Illinois, and the many advocates, providers, and young people who supported the push for the "Press 3" option. https://namichicago.org/blog/restoration-of-988-lgbtq-crisis-services/

We have something to celebrate!NAMI Illinois Executive Director of Finance & Operations Julia Gospodinova represented ou...
10/09/2026

We have something to celebrate!

NAMI Illinois Executive Director of Finance & Operations Julia Gospodinova represented our team at Forefront’s Annual Summit in Chicago, spending the day learning and connecting with people doing incredible work throughout Illinois’ nonprofit sector.

The Summit gave Julia a chance to dig into big questions about how nonprofits grow, adapt, stay resilient, and prepare for what their communities will need next.

Then came some pretty exciting confirmation about the work happening right here at NAMI Illinois: our organization scored over 90% on Forefront’s Organizational Health Framework.

That matters.

Every program we support, partnership we build, resource we share, and advocacy effort we take on depends on having a strong organization behind it. The systems and processes may not always be the part of our work you see in photos, but they help make everything else possible.

Julia came back with fresh ideas, new connections, and plenty for our team to talk about.

We’re proud of the organization we’re building, and even more excited about where we can take it next.

This Mental Illness Awareness Week, we’re joining NAMI in turning science into hope. 🧡Progress in mental health care hap...
10/08/2026

This Mental Illness Awareness Week, we’re joining NAMI in turning science into hope. 🧡

Progress in mental health care happens when research and lived experience inform one another. Throughout this week, NAMI is highlighting how stories, innovation, early support and diverse perspectives can help us better understand mental illness and strengthen the ways we support people and communities.

Here in Illinois, we see the importance of that work every day. When knowledge grows and real experiences are heard, we can challenge stigma, improve access to care and build a mental health system that better serves everyone.

Learn more about Mental Illness Awareness Week and : https://www.nami.org/get-involved/awareness-events/mental-illness-awareness-week/

10/07/2026

Good intentions matter. But in the middle of a mental health crisis, knowing what to actually say and do matters just as much.

Troy Siewert knows that from experience — 30 years in law enforcement and more than 1,000 mental health crisis interventions.

At the NAMI Illinois 2026 State Conference, Troy will bring those lessons into When Good Intentions Aren’t Enough, a session that looks closely at why our attempts to help someone in crisis can sometimes feel anything but helpful — and what we can try instead.

And attendees won’t just hear about those approaches. They’ll practice crisis intervention skills together in the room.

We’re excited to have Troy bringing three decades of hard-earned knowledge to this year’s conference and giving attendees something they can carry with them long after the session ends.

Hear from Troy in the video, then come learn with him this October.

📅 October 23–24
📍 Benedictine University | Lisle, Illinois

Register for the NAMI Illinois 2026 State Conference: https://namiillinois.org/conferenceregistration2026/

When policies change, Illinois families deserve to know what those changes could mean for their lives, and they deserve ...
10/06/2026

When policies change, Illinois families deserve to know what those changes could mean for their lives, and they deserve the chance to ask questions directly.

That brought NAMI Illinois to Aurora on September 8th.

Board Member Dr. Calynn Lawrence, Director of Affiliate and Statewide Programs Luisa Cicero, and Executive Director Sara Gray joined the League of Women Voters Aurora Area, Illinois and Protect Our Care Illinois Coalition for a community conversation about changes to Medicaid, Affordable Care Act Marketplace coverage, and SNAP.

Policy decisions can quickly become deeply personal when they affect someone’s healthcare, mental health support, food assistance, or ability to care for their family. NAMI Illinois is committed to making sure communities have clear information, useful resources, and opportunities to make their experiences heard.

We’re grateful to Tania Traverso, the League of Women Voters of the Aurora Area, and the Aurora Public Library, Illinois for creating space for this conversation, and especially to the Aurora-area residents who showed up, asked questions, and shared what these changes could mean for them.

The conversation doesn’t end when the presentation does. Illinoisans’ experiences need to remain part of the discussion as these changes take effect.

Watch the full presentation: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WPs9PfqOS9s

A big thank you to Definium Therapeutics for sponsoring the 2026 NAMI Illinois Annual Statewide Conference.Definium Ther...
10/05/2026

A big thank you to Definium Therapeutics for sponsoring the 2026 NAMI Illinois Annual Statewide Conference.

Definium Therapeutics' support helps bring together the advocates, individuals with lived experience, family members, professionals, and community leaders who make up Illinois's mental health community. We are glad to have them as a partner!

Address

101 North Wacker Drive , 17th Floor
Chicago, IL
60606

Website

,

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when NAMI Illinois posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Shortcuts

Share

Category