The National Alliance On Mental Illness (NAMI) is a national organization headquartered in Arlington Virginia with affiliates in all 50 states. The St. Louis affiliate was founded in 1978 by families affected by schizophrenia.
An array of programs are offered - most using a peer to peer model. Programs for people with mental illness are led by people who also have a mental illness. Family programs are led by people who have experienced mental illness in their own families.
NAMI believes recovery from mental illness is possible. It advocates for policies, treatments, and supports that improve the likelihood of recovery.