About NAMI NH
NAMI NH is a statewide, grassroots network of affiliate chapters and support groups, staff and volunteers that provide information, education and support to all families and communities affected by mental illness. NAMI NH, through its support and education networks provides opportunities for people, in a safe and comfortable setting, to share each other's pain and promote hope. Together we are working hard to build a better tomorrow for our loved ones and for ourselves.
To reduce stigma and improve quality of life, NAMI NH works actively to raise awareness about mental illness, its treatments, and its impact on consumers of mental health services and their families.
As we strive to accomplish our mission we operate and incorporate cultural competency values and skills into our work with families, consumers and the public.
Improving the lives of all persons affected by Mental Illness or Serious Emotional Disorders
Please review our most recent Annual Reports (above right).
NAMI New Hampshire Mission Statement
The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI NH), a grassroots organization of families, consumers and other volunteers, is dedicated to improving the quality of life of persons of all ages affected by mental illness or serious emotional disorders through education, support and advocacy.
NAMI New Hampshire Vision Statement
People of all ages with mental illness or serious emotional disorders and their families will have access to comprehensive, integrated health care and community-based supports without discrimination or stigma.
NAMI New Hampshire History
By Peggy Straw, Founder, January 2001
In 1976, with the urging from the Executive Director of the NH Association for Mental Health I was encouraged to write every state to see if there were any support groups for families of the mentally ill as there were for families of the developmentally disabled. My daughter had had a mental illness since her father died in 1972 and I had joined the Association in hopes of finding a support group or even some information for families of people with mental illness. I wanted to know about the nature of the disease and possible services in the community. At that time, families were blamed for causing the illnesses and, although the Community Mental Health Center Act of 1963 established centers throughout the US, most of them were providing "prevention" services to people who could be identified as the "worried well". The flawed theory was that, if people could get services before they became ill, the illnesses could be prevented.
In answer to my inquiries, 39 states wrote back that there were no such groups that they knew about or no information for families beyond the patient rights booklets given out at state hospitals. Some Directors who responded to my inquiry agreed that such groups and information was needed.
In 1978, I decided that I would start such a group in NH. I was able to find a few other families that were interested. In 1979, as President of my local mental health center I attended a Convention in San Francisco where I heard of a group of Wisconsin families considering the formation of a National Alliance for the Mentally Ill. The next year, I traveled to Chicago to attend the first organizational meeting of NAMI, representing NH.
Gary Miller, NH Director of the Division of Mental Health at that time was supportive of our efforts and his successor Ron Andrews was even more so. Slowly support groups were organized all over the state with a goal of advocating for better community based services for our loved ones. When Ron died an early death, we were fearful for our future until we were called in to the Division by Ron's successor, Don Shumway. He said to us, "what do families want?" This was the beginning of a wonderful relationship that allowed New Hampshire to become, with his help and NAMI families' advocacy, one of the best mental health systems in the country, if not the best. NAMI NH helped close the old antiquated hospital and built a small up to date acute care hospital. NAMI still has a close working relationship with the hospital and continues to have an active Hospital Monitoring Committee. We also advocated for expanded support services in the community and got them.
During my tenure on the Board of the Monadnock Family Services, the Keene Community Mental Health Center, the Federal Government provided training to Board members in the field of Governance. This was invaluable training that carried over into my work on the NAMI Board. We developed a mission statement, goals and objectives and timelines for those goals. We learned that we were a policy making body, not operational managers-we learned the difference. The Executive Director was given direction by our policies and then we evaluated how well he carried them out. We formed committees that brought suggestions to the Board for policies in different areas and became proactive rather than reactive.
The main point that was driven home to us by this training was that we were stewards to the community, a tremendous responsibility to those we served, to do it well and do no harm.
With dedication, persistence and hard work our NAMI NH Board has grown substantially from our humble beginnings, as have the many affiliate groups throughout the state. We have become a Governing Board of a not for profit, 501(c)(3) organization and we are stewards to the community of people with mental illnesses and their families. We must speak with one voice so that we do not lose our credibility and we must advocate for better services for our community of people throughout the state. State resources for mental health services have been dwindling and the future of the quality of care for our loved ones is in our hands. Because there is no other organization that has the experience, knowledge and skills, nor has the same vested interest we must remain viable and present in the mental health service community. Our affiliates are the foundation upon which we built our organization. We cannot forget them and their needs. As Board members we have a tremendous responsibility. We may never have a more important job or a more rewarding one until there is no longer such a thing as mental illness.