NAMI-NYC support groups are hosted by trained volunteers who are living with a mental health condition and/or are a family member.

Support Group Hosts provide participants with attendance and other forms, resources, and technical support, on our online support groups, via Zoom. We have support groups that meet on weekday afternoons, weekday evenings, and Saturdays.

Hosts commit to at least one support group per month for two hours. Hosts are available for one-hour debriefs. Initial training is a one-hour session, followed by shadowing at least two support group sessions. Excellent communication skills are required; multilingual a plus; also, knowledge of navigating search engines, Gmail and Microsoft tools is required.

The Host volunteer must identify as someone with a mental health condition, or as a family member of someone with a mental health condition.

NOTE: This role is open to everyone. However, we are also looking specifically for people who identify as Black, to host our Black Minds Matter support group.

Helpline Responders provide support, information, and mental health-related referrals about services for those who struggle with mental health recovery, to people with mental illness, their family members, and mental health professionals.

The Helpline operates 10am to 6pm ET Monday through Friday. You must be able to dedicate at least one 4-hour shift per week. Excellent communication skills are required; multilingual a plus; also, knowledge of navigating search engines, Microsoft tools and Gmail is required.

The Helpline Responder must identify as someone with a mental health condition, or as a family member of someone with a mental health condition.

Are you a parent, sibling, partner, spouse, 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. 

92% of participants who share feedback are largely satisfied with their match experience.  

Note: Any family member may apply to be a mentor. In particular, we need more partner/spouse mentors and more parent mentors, especially those bilingual in English and Spanish. 

Ending the Silence is a 50-minutes presentation for Junior High and High School students.

An Ending the Silence Presenter works in teams of two: a “lead presenter” (a family member or an individual living with a mental illness) and a “young adult presenter” (someone 18-30 years old, living in recovery from a mental illness).

Both roles require training with NAMI-NYC. ETS presentations are done during school hours and in the evening – anyone interested must be available sometime between 8am to 7pm ET, Mondays through Fridays.

The Ending the Silence presenter must identify as someone with lived experience of a mental health condition, or as a family member of someone with a mental illness.

As we begin to re-open our office to in-person programs, we are looking for people to serve as greeters to attendees.

• Arrive one hour before the start of the assigned program or event.
• Assist with room set up.
• Welcome participants!
• Provide masks if needed.
• Direct participants to our office (downstairs greeter) or to the correct program room (upstairs greeter).
• Assist participants with attendance form using QR code or tablet (upstairs greeter).

Greeters commit to staying at the office for 1.5 hours (90 minutes) at their scheduled time.

• Must be comfortable working with people.
• Must commute to the NAMI-NYC office at W. 38th St. and 8th Ave. in Manhattan.
• Must comply with NAMI-NYC’s COVID-19 vaccination requirements.