HelpFamily Match Program
Family Match Program
Scroll down to learn how to become a Mentor! We need family members who are fluent in Spanish, as well.
Get Support
Do you have a family member with mental health issues? Do you feel alone and overwhelmed? We can help.
Taking care of someone with a mental health issue can be isolating and overwhelming. We can connect you with free, one-on-one support from one family member to another, by telephone. Our three-month program matches you with someone whose family member has a similar relationship and diagnosis. Our mentors have “been there,” where you are, and are ready to provide emotional support.
Over the course of 3 months, our Mentor will call you to:
- Provide emotional support.
- Listen to your story.
- Share experiences.
- Share ideas for taking care of yourself.
- Share ideas for advocating for your loved one across the mental health systems.
To get started, fill out the form below.
92% of participants are largely satisfied with their match experience.
“My mentor is awesome. When I needed the strength to get through the next 5 minutes, she would listen and say, ‘Yes, that sucks.’ She didn’t try to solve, or to minimize. She listened, and she talked about similar experiences, and how she got through them. There was nothing I could say that she hadn’t seen, done, or been through before…there was a lot of comfort in that.” — Karen, parent
Become A Mentor
Are you a parent, sibling, partner, spouse, or daughter or son of someone with a mental illness? Use your valuable lived experience to support another family member.
A Family Match Mentor provides one-to-one support over the phone for 3 months. You are paired with someone in the same relationship, loving someone with similar symptoms or diagnoses.
Through your good instincts and training in active listening, you’ll help other family members:
- Gain mental health support and feel less alone
- Understand resources at NAMI-NYC and beyond
- Maintain smooth, realistic relationships with their loved one
- Prioritize their self-care
You know the demands of loving someone struggling with mental health challenges and you know the power of support. You can provide validation and connection in the most meaningful way – because you’ve been there.
Note: We are currently looking for:
- Partner/spouse mentors
- Parent mentors
- Any family relationship for those bilingual in English and Spanish.
- Sibling mentors experienced with personality disorders. “DSM-5 lists ten specific personality disorders: paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal, antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic, avoidant, dependent and obsessive–compulsive personality disorder.”
Please contact Juen Romanoff at volunteers@naminyc.org – with “Family Mentor” in the subject line – for this application, or with any questions about being a mentor.