NAMI Greater OKC

10/09/2026

Oversleeping with bipolar disorder is not laziness. It may be hypersomnia, a sleep symptom that can affect mood, energy, and daily life. Here's why it happens and what helps: https://www.bphope.com/sleeping-too-much-with-bipolar-why-it-happens-and-what-helps/

10/09/2026

Teaching young people about mental health helps them recognize when they – or a friend – need support. NAMI’s initiatives for youth and young adults are meant to help young people know they’re not alone and that help is always available. Bring mental health awareness into your home or classrooms with NAMI’s youth and young adult resources today.

10/09/2026

NAMI Smarts for Advocacy Training: Module 1, Telling Your Story

NAMI Smarts for Advocacy is a skill-building training that helps people affected by mental health conditions turn their passion and lived experience into effective grassroots advocacy.

This workshop provides hands-on learning to help participants build and strengthen the skills needed to advocate for mental health issues. Whether you are new to advocacy or have years of experience, you will leave with clear messages, practical step-by-step tools, and the confidence to take action and make a difference.

The training begins with its core skill: Telling Your Story. In this module, participants learn how to craft and share a compelling version of their personal story that can serve as a powerful foundation for issue advocacy.

Once you have your story, it’s time to use it.

Your personal experience is one of the most powerful tools in mental health advocacy. During this in-person training, we’ll walk through how to shape your story so it resonates with policymakers and helps them understand why mental health policy matters.

When: Tuesday, October 20, 2026
Time: 6:30–8:00 PM
Where: NAMI Oklahoma, 3009 NW 63rd Street, Suite A2, OKC OK 73116

Virtual option available.

Space is limited to 15 participants, so be sure to register early if you’d like to attend. To register, visit https://bit.ly/Smarts1026

10/05/2026

There isn't a handbook for caring for someone living with a mental health condition.

Some days you may know exactly what to do. Other days, you may not know where to turn.

That's why the NAMI Family Caregiver HelpLine is here. Whether you have questions, need help finding resources, or simply want to talk with someone who understands caregiving through lived experience, you don't have to navigate the journey alone.

Support doesn't have to solve everything today. Sometimes it starts with one conversation.

- Call 1-800-950-NAMI (6264) and press 4
- Text FAMILY to 62640
- Learn more: nami.org/family

10/05/2026

Mental Illness Awareness Week begins today. 💚

This year, we’re exploring how science and lived experience work together to deepen our understanding of mental illness and create better pathways to care.

Research helps us understand mental health conditions, but the experiences of people living with mental illness — and the families and communities alongside them — help give that research meaning. When people share their stories, they can challenge stigma, identify gaps, and help shape what comes next.

Throughout , we’ll share stories, resources, and information that show how we can turn science into hope.

Visit NAMI.org/miaw to learn more.

10/05/2026

10/02/2026

People with serious mental illness need support to make sure they receive the best possible medical treatment and have safety and security in their lives.

I am grateful to these amazing folks who spoke during my Interim Study on how to make sure people get better care by effectively involving guardians.

This is an urgent issue. People with serious mental illness make up 38% of our jail population (while only 6% of the state’s population) and 20-33% of people experiencing homelessness. Without the right care and support, people can cycle through hospitals, jails and homelessness repeatedly. We should not let it get this bad— involving guardians early and often in care could help.

Thanks to Jason Musgrove from NAMI Oklahoma for presenting data about the importance of caregivers; Sarah Smith and Charla Collins for always telling your story to advocate for better care and systems. And thank you to speakers from the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health for presenting about the law, the agency’s interpretation of the law and current protocols in our state clinics and hospitals.

We will be analyzing what law, budget and policy changes could help. I am committed to making our systems serve people better.

10/01/2026

NAMI Greater OKC members attended the Interim Study at the Capitol on barriers to guardianship for individuals with Serious Mental Illness. Jason Musgrove, NAMI Oklahoma, presented the challenges we encounter when seeking information and treatment for our loved ones.

10/01/2026

Involuntary psychiatric treatment, also called civil commitment or court-ordered treatment, is a necessary part of the care continuum for people with SMI who are unlikely to engage in treatment voluntarily and who will likely experience significant harm if left untreated. While passing a law does not always automatically create a fully operational treatment program, it establishes the legal framework for treatment access and rights protections, creating opportunities for meaningful and lasting improvements for people with SMI.

To learn more about involuntary treatment laws and how you can support improvements in your state, read the full SMI Digest here: https://www.tac.org/smi-digest-involuntary-treatment-laws/ https://www.tac.org/?p=36580