This year, we’re proud to celebrate four decades of supporting families and individuals affected by mental illness.

1982:  Sitting around a kitchen table, parents caring for their children living with mental illness discussed the lack of resources and support.  NAMI-NYC was born.  Our organization was the first of its kind centering family support in the mental health community. 

1997-1999:  We offered Family-to-Family, NAMI’s first family education program.  Our initial support groups are created for both peers and family members.

2000:  We hosted our inaugural Ken Book Awards, recognizing books increasing public understanding of mental illness. 

2001-2003:  We created our first program in Spanish, Familia de Familia, and launched our work to deliver our programs in other languages.

2004:  We created our Parent Match (now Family Match) program, providing mental health support from one family member to another. 

2005:  We launched In Our Own Voice, centering personal stories to change attitudes, assumptions, and stereotypes about people living with mental illness. 

2006:  We provided workplace mental health resources to companies as a supplement to their Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs). This was the first iteration of our Workplace Mental Health Initiative. We also hosted our first Walk event at the South Street Seaport with 1,000 participants. 

2008:  Following significant recession cutbacks at NYC housing programs for people living with mental illness, we created our social groups to offer social connection and community meals.

2008:  We hosted our first Community Mental Health Fair at SCAN NY’s Johnson Cornerstone Community Center in East Harlem. This event ultimately became our annual CARES Fair. 

2014:  We launched our award-winning #IWillListen campaign, partnering with bands and artists to share their lived experience with mental illness and break stigma. 

2015:  We launched our Ending the Silence Program, talking to middle and high school students, their parents, and staff about mental illness.

2019:  With assistance from the van Ameringen Foundation, we launched our Advocacy Ambassador Program, training over 180 New Yorkers to meet with elected officials and elevate their stories in order to enact social change.

2020: We pivoted online to meet the needs of the community during COVID-19.  We also developed new programs to address systemic inequities further exacerbated by the pandemic, including our LGBTQ+ Peer-to-Peer class, as well as our Familiares y Amistades (Family and Friends), Black Minds Matter, and AAPI support groups.

2021:  We launched our Wall Street Mental Health Collaborative, bringing together financial services firms to reduce stigma for employees and across the industry.  

2022:  We hosted our 16th Annual Walk and inaugural Mental Health Street Fest.  We raised over $1 million for our community, the first NAMI affiliate to do so. 

2022:  NAMI-NYC celebrates 40 years of families helping families.  NAMI-NYC is one of the largest of over 600 national affiliates with a staff of 22 and a budget of over $4M.  NAMI-NYC’s office move nearly triples our space to accommodate our growing community.