*derived from the NAMI Family-to-Family Education Program: 2014 materials*
NAMI organizes its national advocacy leadership through a number of action centers at the national office, whose staffs work closely with NAMI state offices located in state capitols across the country. The Centers are as follows:
- The NAMI Policy Center monitors public policy at the federal and state level promoting innovative legislation and advocacy strategies which are then translated into action at the state and local levels.
- The CIT Technical Assistance Resource Center supplies law enforcement officers, mental health providers and advocates with the latest information about the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) program that diverts individuals with mental illness from unnecessary arrest and incarceration.
- The NAMI Child and Adolescent Action Center (CAAC) addresses the gaps in services for this vulnerable population, recommends strategies for change and action, and publishes New Beginnings, a quarterly newsletter. CAAC developed an online community for young adults, www.strengthofus.org.
- The NAMI Veterans and Military Resource Center offers help and information on mental health for veterans, active duty service members and their families. The NAMI Veterans’ and Military Council, with representatives from each state, advocates to address the pressing mental health needs of those who have served our country.
- The NAMI Multicultural Action Center expands outreach to multicultural communities, develops links with similar advocacy organizations around the world, and publishes the quarterly newsletter Avanzamos.
- The Information Help Line is NAMI’s information and referral service. Trained volunteers provide non-medical information on mental illness, referrals to NAMI programs and local affiliates, and support to all who have questins about or are affected by mental illness. 1 (800) 950-NAMI (6264) or info@nami.org.
- The NAMI Education, Training and Peer Support Center is responsible for coordinating and expanding eight national educational and support programs, involving over 7,500 trained NAMI volunteers who bring these programs at no cost to families, individuals living with mental illness, and mental health and school professionals. NAMI is unique among advocacy organizations for its commitment to family and individual peer education programs.
- NAMI Walks: Every year, thousands of concerned citizens in communities across the nation walk together to raise money and awareness about our country’s need for a world-class treatment and recovery system for people with mental illness. Won’t you join us? www.namiwalks.org