NAMI Atlantic County, New Jersey

NAMI Atlantic County is an independent self-help advocacy group. Affiliated with the National Alliance for Mental Illness (NAMI) and NAMI New Jersey, the organization provides family support, education, and advocacy for families with loved ones who have a mental illness or co-occurring mental illness and substance abuse. Members are also active on local mental health boards and advocate for improved mental health services. NAMI Atlantic County presents the Family to Family Education Course in the spring and fall of each year. This free 12-week course is designed for the families of persons who have been diagnosed with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, clinical depression, obsessive compulsive disorder or panic disorder. Topics include information about these diseases, coping skills, biology of the brain, medications, community resources, handling crisis and relapse, empathy for the ill family member, rehabilitation, communication skills, and advocacy.