About Us

If your loved one suffers from a major mental illness, we can help.

NAMI San Fernando Valley (National Alliance on Mental Illness San Fernando Valley )or NAMI SFV is the San Fernando Valley affiliate of THE NATIONAL ALLIANCE ON MENTAL ILLNESS, the largest grassroots mental health organization in the nation, with over 1,100 affiliates serving communities like ours.

NAMI SFV is an all-volunteer organization for families and friends of those with severe mental illness and those living with mental illness.

NAMI San Fernando Valley provides hope and help through education,
support and advocacy:

• Mental illness is among the top ten causes of disability in USA.
• Mental Illness is not anyone’s fault.
• Mental illness is caused by chemical imbalance in the brain.
• There is no cure for severe mental illness, but there are effective treatments and medications, and there is hope for recovery.
• One in four Americans will face some kind of mental illness in their lifetime. Most will recover fully. Treatment works!

ANNUAL REPORT

NAMI SFV Annual Report provides an in-depth look at our accomplishments in service to families and individuals in our community. To request a printed copy of the report contact us at 818-994-6747

Services & Programs

All NAMI San Fernando Valley programs are free and include:

• Family to Family
  Free, 12-week course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illness taught by trained family members.
• Peer to Peer
  Understanding and support for those coping with and recovering from mental illness taught by trained NAMI members who are living with mental illness.
• NAMI BASICS
  Free, 6-week course for family caregivers of young children who are exhibiting early signs of mental illness.
  
• In Our Own Voice
  A 60-90 minute presentation by men and women whose lives have been interrupted by mental illness and who share inspiring personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery.
• Speaker Series
  Professional experts provide valuable information followed by question and answer sessions.
• Speakers Bureau
  To invite a NAMI SFV speaker to your organization, or to schedule an In Our Own Voice presentation, contact Milton Decker.
• Family Support Groups
  Open support groups for family members, friends and persons with mental illness.
• What’s Happening
  Schedule of Meetings & Classes
• NAMI WALKS
  Annual stigma-busting, fundraising walk in October at Santa Monica Third Street Promenade. Breathtaking ocean-view walk and an opportunity to walk shoulder to shoulder with families and individuals living with mental illness, and stepping out to end stigma.
  Learn how you can help.

Family-to-Family Twenty Years

2011 marked the 20-year anniversary of Family-to-Family, NAMI’s signature education program. Family-to-Family (F2F) is an evidence-based practice, which means that the more than 200,000 graduates of F2F have participated in a program that truly works. F2F classes are available free of charge in communities across the country, offering help and hope to millions of families affected by mental illness.

A national study confirms the value of Family to Family classes, " NAMI's Family-to-Family Education program "significantly" improves coping and problem-solving abilities of family members of individuals living with mental illness, according to a landmark study published in the current issue of Psychiatric Services, a journal of the American Psychiatric Association."

The 12-week course is taught by trained family members who have first-hand experience in living with and caring for individuals with mental illness. To learn more and to read personal stories from participants, please visit the Family-to-Family website.

NAMI SFV ANNUAL REPORT 2011

Dear NAMI SFV friends,

As new President of NAMI San Fernando Valley, I want to thank you for your continued commitment to NAMI and for the opportunity to serve our affiliate, our families, and our community. It is my great pleasure to bring you up to date on all our affiliate has accomplished in the past year under the leadership of our outgoing President Suzanne Schmidtke. It is my hope and my goal to maintain the momentum of service Suzanne has set in motion during her tenure as President. I am honored to have your support and the service of our
2011 NAMI SFV Board of Directors:

Board Officers:

President	Joe Conrad
Secretary	Beth Arnold
Treasurer	Barbara Gauthier
1st Vice President	Julia Robinson Shimizu
2nd Vice President	Milton Decker
3rd Vice President	Tina Howard

Board Members:

Zee Dankworth	Jeff Fox
Mary Harpel	Heidi Lennartz
Jim Randall	David Stairs
and	Tom Walsh

Committees: Advocacy, Communications, Education, Finance, Fundraising, Membership, Outreach, Special Projects, Support Groups, Volunteers, NAMI WALKS. All NAMI SFV members in good standing are eligible to serve on any of these vital committees.
I also wan t to thank all who contributed their stories to our
Wisdom Legacy web based book project. Your experience can help many families and loved ones now and into the future. Ron Artest of the World Champion L.A Lakers wrote the forward to our book. Ron champions efforts to reduce the stigma of mental health issues and encouraging those who are suffering to get help. Contact us or call 818-994-6747 to pre-order your copy.

I thank each of you for the important role you play in NAMI SFV and in service to our community. I look forward to sharing another spectacular year with you and to seeing you at an upcoming event or NAMI WALKS!

Sincerely,

Joe Conrad
President, NAMI SFV

 

NAMI SFV Educates, Inspires and Informs

Our robust schedule of educational programs and resources continued to grow in 2010. These include our monthly Expert Speaker Meetings; weekly Support Groups, Family-to-Family and BASICS classes; In Our Own Voice presentations; advocacy, outreach and awareness to overcome stigma; and online and printed resource guides to help families and individuals living with severe mental illness.

• We trained In Our Own Voice presenters to share personal stories of living with mental illness.
• We trained Peer to Peer mentors and BASICS and Family-to-Family Teachers to conduct more of our free classes serving individuals and families in the community.
• We expanded our service area to include the Santa Clarita Valley and now offer10 ongoing support groups each month in Van Nuys, Reseda, West Hills, and Santa Clarita to ensure those who need us can gather in their community of choice.
• We hosted 11 Expert Speaker sessions on topics ranging from Social Security Benefits to consumers in recovery to our popular Ask The Psychiatrist evening.
• We offered 4 of our signature Family-to-Family classes in the San Fernando and Santa Clarita Valleys and offered Spanish Language Family-to-Family class in Pacoima.
• We educated 76 Family-to-Family graduates and 10 NAMI BASICS caregiver graduates.
• We informed and inspired our community with 8 In Our Own Voice presentations, providing a close up look at the challenges of living with mental illness, and the triumph of recovery.
• We mobilized a growing list of NAMI – SFV members to effectively advocate for mental health services through our e-news outreach.
• We provided information and comfort by responding to 604 calls and 50 Spanish language calls to our NAMI SFV phone line with information on classes, housing and board and care options, crisis guidance, doctor referrals, jails information, NAMI WALKS and volunteer info and more.
• We distributed 269 information packets requested by phone and provided materials, speakers, and information to our community through health fairs, radio and TV news and special events.

NAMI SFV Inclusion and Expansion

• We published NAMI SFV brochures in Spanish and distributed to the community.
• We held 4 (Ask the Psychiatrist Nights in Spanish.)
• We provided 1 Spanish language Family-to-Family class in Pacoima.
• We co-hosted an Armenian language mental health event that was taped and played on Armenian television in partnership with the Armenian Relief Society of Western USA, Inc.
• We welcomed consumers to our board and our membership roster.

• We participated in annual Interfaith Clergy Breakfasts in partnership with Los Angeles County Department of Mental Health (DMH).

NAMI SFV is an all-volunteer grassroots organization. We welcome volunteers interested in serving on one of our many committees: Communications, Finance, Fundraising, Membership, Outreach, Special Projects, NAMI WALKS, and more. If you would like to learn more about becoming a NAMI SFV Volunteer, contact us today at 818-994-6747. A volunteer will return your call as soon as possible.

NAMI San Fernando Valley continues to respond to cries for help, to offer comfort and crucial information to families in crisis and meaningful support to individuals living in recovery.
We engage in advocacy, research, support and education and offer resources through our website
( www.namisfv.org ), our bi-monthly newsletter, and our lending library available at Expert Speaker Meetings and support groups throughout the San Fernando Valley. Members of NAMI are families, friends, and people living with severe mental illness. Our NAMI SFV phone lines connect callers to English & Spanish speaking volunteers who provide referrals, resources and reassurance.

_____________________________________________________________

Thanks to our NAMI WALKS Coordinator Beth Arnold and her team, we expanded our NAMIWALKS program to 25 teams and raised over $20,000 at the annual 5K fundraising walk at Santa Monica Third Street Promenade. Over 4,000 walkers stepped out to end stigma, celebrate recovery, and honor loved ones living with mental illness.

Mark your calendars for the 2012 walk! Saturday, October 6, 2012

Teams can already register for the 2011 walk. Teams can already register for the 2011 walk at http://www.nami.org/namiwalks. Be sure to select NAMI-SFV as your affiliate. Also, watch our NAMI-SFV calendar to learn how you can be a NAMIWALKS volunteer.

_____________________________________________________________

2010 NAMI SFV Financial Report - Treasurer Barbara Gauthier

INCOME	EXPENSES
Membership 13,935	Operations 16,348
NAMI WALKS 2009 – net - 13,366	Outreach 3,997
Donations 2,872	Donations 3,066
Macy’s Community Shopping Day 1,979	Leadership Training 330
Tributes 1,066	TOTAL ANNUAL EXPENSE 23,741
TOTAL ANNUAL INCOME 33,958	NET INCOME 10,217
	TOTAL ASSETS 100,856

_____________________________________________________________

Support NAMI SFV every time you shop.

Enroll in the Community Contribution program and Ralph’s Grocery will donate up to 4% of your grocery purchases to NAMI-SFV when you register your Ralph’s rewards card on-line at www.ralphs.com and select National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) SFV. If you prefer, you may request a letter from NAMI SFV to bring to your local Ralph’s. Call 818-994-6747 for info.

 

^ Back To Top