If this role sounds like a fit for you, please fill out this application here.

Ending the Silence is a 50-minute presentation for junior high and high school students, staff, or family members, to help understand signs of mental health conditions, and what to do about it.

Ending the Silence Presenters work 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.

If this role sounds like a fit for you, please fill out this application here.

NOTE: Our Ending the Silence program will accept new volunteer applications July 14 – September 14, 2026.

Support Someone Who’s Walking a Path You’ve Already Traveled

As a Family Match Mentor, you’ll be matched with a family member who is now navigating experiences similar to ones you’ve previously lived through. Because you’ve been in their position — supporting a loved one with a mental health condition — you’re uniquely able to offer understanding, steady guidance, and hope.

Your own journey makes you the right person to help someone who is where you once were.

What You’ll Do

• Provide one‑on‑one phone support over a 3‑month match period, connecting with a family member currently facing challenges similar to your past experience.
• Offer empathy, perspective, and reassurance grounded in real lived experience.
• Help them understand realistic expectations, navigate boundaries, and feel less alone — the kinds of insights only someone who’s truly been there can offer.

Who This Role Is For

• You must be a family member supporting someone with a mental health condition (parent, sibling, partner, or adult child). This program pairs family peers only with other family peers.
• You’re in a place where you can reflect on your own journey and support someone who is now where you once stood.

✨ Bilingual Volunteers Welcome
We welcome fluent Spanish speakers for this role. Many families in our community benefit greatly from support in Spanish, and bilingual mentors help us make the program more accessible.

If this role sounds like a fit for you, please fill out this application here.

Are you 18-24 with lived experience with mental health challenges? Or are you a parent, caregiver, or professional supporting teens struggling with their mental health?

Members of the group will participate in virtual meetings to:

• Help shape programs that reflect what teens actually need
• Connect with other community members who care about youth mental health
• Build leadership skills and add meaningful experience to your resume

Whether you’re a young person looking to lead, a caregiver supporting your child’s growth, or a professional guiding young people, we’d love to hear from you.

If this role sounds like a fit for you, please fill out this application here.