Join NAMI and help end the stigma

Our volunteers at NAMI BA are busy all year around, since mental illness strikes one in four of the population. It affects all races, religions and creeds. Our Family to Family classes are filling up quite fast. They are both closing in on the maximum amount that we can have.  We also have various wonderful support groups.

I encourage everybody to volunteer and/or contribute to NAMI Barrington. Join our wonderful board members, our teachers, our support group facilitators, our committee members and more. There is strength in numbers.

I envision a day when we will reduce the stigma of mental illness and everybody will listen to our message.

One day all people will understand organic brain disorders. One day we will get the funding that we desperately need. One day we will have viable alternatives to incarceration. One day our mentally ill family members will have adequate housing.

Things can change in our country. Slavery used to be an institution and now Barack Obama is President. Gays had many parades and much advocacy and now have the right to get married. We need to follow these examples.  One easy way to volunteer and get started is to participate in the NAMI Walk. If we keep getting great numbers of participants, we can get more media coverage.

Are you not happy with the Village of Palatine decision to deny housing for the mentally ill? Join the housing task force and make a difference. Join our Criminal Justice Advocacy for the Mentally Ill to fight the criminalization of the mentally ill.

On the national NAMI website, there is a place where you can tell your story. Come to our NAMI Illinois convention this year. Please join us and make a difference. We are the volunteers of NAMI BA.

Joseph M. Jason

President

NAMI Barrington Area