NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation's largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. What started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 has blossomed into the nation's leading voice on mental health. Today, NAMI unites the power of thousands of local affiliates, state organizations and volunteers to realize our mission. NAMI envisions a world where all persons affected by mental illness experience resiliency, recovery and wellness. By providing education, support, advocacy and awareness, NAMI works every day to eliminate these barriers to getting help and provides vital, hands-on support to those who need it most. In working toward a vision of a world free of the stigma associated with mental illness, where individuals can seek treatment for a mental health condition as easily as they can seek treatment for a cold, NAMI can positively change the lives of those affected by mental illness.

A formal strategic plan guides NAMI's work. From 2015–2019, NAMI is focusing on the following strategic drivers: 1. Build a Movement—broaden public awareness and inclusion at national, state and local levels; 2. Leverage Technology—expand use of technology to build capacity and connection; 3. Drive Advocacy—lead advocacy efforts that drive increased access and quality; 4. Focus on Youth—develop and implement strategies that engage youth, young adults and their families; and 5. Strengthen the Organization—grow and develop the financing, infrastructure and capacity to support a vibrant and bold organization. To learn more about NAMI's strategic plan and the structure to carry it out, please visit https://www. nami. org/About-NAMI/Our-Structure.

NAMI is uniquely positioned as the largest grassroots mental health advocacy organization in the United States. Having been created by parents of children with serious mental illness, NAMI is an organization that reflects “lived experience" in all it does. NAMI is structured as an alliance of over 900 local affiliates, 48 state organizations and thousands of volunteers who work in local communities across the country. Local affiliates and state organizations identify and work on issues most important to their community and state. By leveraging the skills and passion of its diverse staff, NAMI has capabilities in the following key areas:Information, Support and Education Powered by the unique understanding of people with lived experience, NAMI's support and education programs help people affected by mental illness to realize their full potential, cope with the stresses of life, work productively and meaningfully contribute to the world. NAMI creates, maintains and disseminates a host of free programs to support and educate those with mental health concerns and their families. Across the country, thousands of trained NAMI volunteers bring these peer-led programs to their communities. In addition, NAMI's toll-free HelpLine (800-950-NAMI) responds to hundreds of thousands of requests each year, providing free referral, information and support—a much-needed lifeline for many. Public Policy and Advocacy NAMI is the preeminent voice on Capitol Hill and in state legislatures that advocates on behalf of those living with mental illness and their families. NAMI promotes common-sense solutions to local, state and national public policy landscapes by fighting for early intervention, community support services and access to affordable mental health care. Public Awareness, Partnerships and Outreach NAMI is changing the national conversation on mental health and reaching new audiences every day. Throughout the year, but particularly during Mental Health Month in May, NAMI launches campaigns to raise public awareness of mental illness and inspire action. Such campaigns fight stigma, provide support, educate the public and advocate for equal care. In addition, the NAMIWalks program is a prominent awareness-building activity that takes place in 80 communities nationwide.

NAMI uses a number of measurement and evaluation tools to assess our progress. For example, we develop logic models and results trails for priority programs. Each contains key performance indicators to gauge performance. These frameworks are used and reviewed by NAMI leadership as well as our Board of Directors to understand the effectiveness of our work and our ability to advance our mission.

Each year, NAMI's movement to build better lives for people affected by mental illness grows stronger. The national momentum and willingness to address mental health conditions continues to increase. While mental illness remains a complex, poorly understood issue, NAMI has made real progress with educating the U. S. community. People increasingly understand the inequalities that individuals affected by mental illness face. Here are just a few of NAMI's recent accomplishments:• In 2016, NAMI celebrated a milestone in mental health history with the passage of H. R. 34, the 21st Century Cures Act. The bill incorporates measures and funding to help Americans with mental illness get the care they need. • The number of participants in NAMI programs topped one million over a five-year period. The relatively new Ending the Silence program, which reaches middle and high school students, grew 60% in 2016, to include 2,000 presentations in 21 states. • NAMI's “Train the Trainers" program taught 150 teachers and facilitators to train new teachers and facilitators in their states, thus growing NAMI's education programs to a potential reach of nearly half a million people across the country. • NAMI fights the stigma of mental illness in many ways. For example, Halloween attractions such as “haunted asylums" link people with mental illness to violent horrors. NAMI pushes back against such stigma, resulting in national awareness and closings of offensive attractions. One sign of progress is that many voices outside the mental health community have joined NAMI in speaking out against such stigma. Despite such progress, stigma remains. For far too many generations, mental illness has been a persistent social taboo. The United States has openly addressed various illness and diseases including HIV/AIDS, disabilities and cancer. Yet mental illness remains something we do not talk enough about. In addition, many barriers exist to receiving mental health treatment, such as lack of awareness, violations to the mental health parity act and stigma. Nearly 60% of people with mental health conditions did not receive mental health services in the previous year, which means millions of people are not getting the help they need. This gap needs to be closed. Further, uncertainties remain with mental health care funding and the future of the health care coverage. Without sufficient funding, scientific research and hope for better treatments fall behind. Funding will also provide advocacy and education to ensure access to mental health care and parity are followed and enforced and that more communities have crisis-intervention and early-intervention programs.