NAMI Far North
Mission Statement
NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness, is the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness.
NAMI Far North is organized to serve those impacted by mental illness in Bonner and Boundary Counties of Idaho. Through advocacy, research, support and education, NAMI Far North is dedicated to improving the quality of life for persons living with serious mental illness and for their families and friends.
NAMI National started as a small group of families gathered around a kitchen table in 1979 and has blossomed into the nation’s leading voice on mental health. Today, we are an alliance of more than 600 local Affiliates and 48 State Organizations who work in your community to raise awareness and provide support and education that was not previously available to those in need.
Information
Objectives 2020
NAMI Far North will provide an afterhours mental illness crisis line staffed by local, licensed Masters level mental health clinicians M-F, 5 PM – 8 AM & Sat 8 AM – Monday 8 AM. The line will provide supportive listening, links to available community resources, and transfers to existing 911 services if needed.
Objectives 2019
NAMI Far North will provide an afterhours mental illness crisis line staffed by local, licensed Masters level mental health clinicians M-F, 5 PM to 8 AM and Sat 8 AM to Monday 8 AM. The crisis line will provide supportive listening, links to available community resources, and transfers to existing 911 services if needed.
Objectives 2013
Sustain Crisis Intervention Training for law enforcement. This program is designed to improve the outcomes of police interactions with people with mental illnesses by training officers to prevent and to de-escalate a crisis when encountering people with mental illness. The program provides tools for responding more safely and compassionately to people with serious mental illness giving officers additional options over arrest and incarceration when they encounter people in crisis, improving public safety, reduces officer injuries and time officers spend dealing with mental disturbance calls.
Objectives 2010
Use advocacy, research, support and education to improve the quality of life of seriously mentally ill persons and their families. Raise awareness of the connection between mental illness and homelessness, discrimination, victimization and the stigma experienced by the mentally ill. Protect their human rights while advocating for effective treatment; thereby empowering them to become productive citizens. Decrease stigma, teach tolerance and respect, create an understanding of symptoms and behaviors, and encourage recovery and re-entry through educating families of those living with severe mental illness, the mentally ill themselves, the community at large, and the public service workers who are the first responders in the event of mental illness crises.
Objectives 2009
Use advocacy, research, support and education to improve the quality of life of seriously mentally ill persons and their families. Raise awareness of the connection between mental illness and homelessness, discrimination, victimization and the stigma experienced by the mentally ill. Protect their human rights while advocating for effective treatment; thereby empowering them to become productive citizens. Support a community-wide awareness and fundraising project to increase membership and sustainability to enable NAMI Far North to lead community collaborative efforts for a more just and equitable treatment and housing for the mentally ill in Idaho.
