Mission Statement
Through education, support, and advocacy, NAMI Minnesota champions justice, dignity, and respect for all individuals and families affected by mental illnesses.
Impact and Programs
Accomplishments
This past year, NAMI staff and volunteers reached nearly 50,000 people. We taught 890 classes, reaching 27,863 mental health professionals, teens, employers, educators, family members, people living with mental illnesses, and others.
Our 66 peer-led support groups continue to be an essential element in recovery for people living with mental illnesses and offer critical support to their family members. Attendance at our peer-led support group meetings continues to increase, with over 10,283 seats being used at just our online support groups last year. Currently, three of the Connection support groups are for people from LGBTQA+ communities, while four are specific to people from BIPOC communities. We also have three Connection groups for young adults. In addition, three of the Family Support Groups are for people who have a loved one experiencing psychosis. The impact of these groups is best illustrated through the words of those who attend:
NAMI’s helpline continued to be a link to hope for over 3,246 people this past year.
We continued to build our mental health system during the 2024 legislative session. A grant was included to try to engage people voluntarily into treatment long before a crisis occurs. Funding was increased for respite care, school-linked mental health services, and rates for inpatient and outpatient mental health care. The department will look at Medicaid funding for children’s crisis beds, first episode of psychosis programs and clubhouses. And NAMI advocated strongly for a bill that passed that does not allow landlords to evict people who call 911 for a mental health crisis. Workforce shortages were also addressed along with prior authorization for mental health care.
Current Goals
Our focus is on the following:
• Mental health in the workplace. According to Aflac, 57% of employees are experiencing at least moderate levels of burnout. We will increase our outreach to employers offering our classes and developing a resource booklet.
• Youth mental health. Early identification is key, and half of all mental illnesses emerge by the age of 14. Efforts will be made to reach more youth, particularly in rural Minnesota, and to reach more adults who work with youth, such as coaches, scout leaders, mentors, etc.
• Suicide. With suicide rates increasing we will work with communities experiencing the greatest increase to offer classes and lock boxes. Increasing awareness of 988 and the county crisis teams is important so that people receive a mental health response to a mental health crisis.
• Support. While people wait to access treatment, they can gain support and knowledge by attending our peer led support groups. We will look at expanding the number of our support groups and increasing the diversity of our support groups’ leaders.
• Wellness. We will increase the number of wellness classes for community members, so people learn simple steps to promote good mental health.
• Serious mental illnesses: We will continue to offer classes and one-to-one assistance to help people navigate the mental health system and learn how to help a loved one.
Community or Constituency Served
Children and adults with mental illnesses and their families throughout the state of Minnesota.
Geographic Area Served
Entire state of Minnesota
