One in four families are touched in some way with a serious mental illness. Either you know a family member, a friend, or a work colleague who is struggling to overcome a mental disability. Today more is understood about mental illness but we have a long way to go to reduce the stigmatization many of those afflicted have to face. Mental illness is still misunderstood, and continues, by many, to be treated as an illness unrelated to the rest of our physical well being.
At NAMI DuPage we reach out to the community and educate students, teachers, business leaders, professional care givers, first responders, including police departments, and families. We support the families and those suffering from a mental illness and we advocate to ensure that individuals living with mental illnesses will be treated fairly and given all of the rights due to them.
Untreated or unsupported mental illness impacts all of us in our businesses, in our families and in our communities. We strive at NAMI DuPage to change the face of mental illness so that education, support and advocacy will lead to earlier diagnosis, understanding and acceptance. At NAMI DuPage we help to improve and change the lives of those affected by mental illness, which benefits us all.
Angela Adkins
Executive Director
Who We Are:
NAMI DuPage is a grass roots organization, funded primarily by individual donations and supported by volunteers with first-hand experience as caregivers and as individuals with mental illnesses.
As an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, a nationwide mental health advocacy organization dedicated to improving the quality of lives of people affected by mental illnesses. One of the largest and most innovative of 1,200 in the country and 41 in Illinois, our affiliate provides services and programs that offer relief, resources and importantly - hope for recovery - to individuals and families alike.
History:
NAMI DuPage was founded by a group of parents in 1985 who were looking for services for their children who had been diagnosed with mental illnesses. By joining forces, they thought they could advocate for improved services. NAMI DuPage has grown from this small handful of people to an organization of over 1,000 members. NAMI has been a catalyst for change and reform in DuPage County.
