NAMI DuPage Family Services & Support Groups

NAMI DuPage offers a wide variety of support services for people who have family members or loved ones living with a mental health condition. Our goal with these services is to provide an open space for these families to speak candidly about their challenges, help each other through their learned wisdom, and to learn more about how to care for their loved ones.

For more information, please contact Suzanne Gowdy, Director of Family Support Services,
at [email protected], or by phone at (630) 752-0066.

Peer Support Services

SUPPORT GROUPS

educational courses for families

Peer support services

Peer support workers for families are called Family Partnership Professionals. They are individuals who have been successful in their process and help others experiencing similar situations. Through shared understanding, respect, and mutual empowerment, these NAMI DuPage peer support workers help families enter and stay engaged in their loved ones recovery process.

Support Groups

Family Support Group

NAMI DuPage’s Family Support Group welcomes people who have family members or loved ones living with a mental health condition. Led by trained NAMI facilitators who are going through similar experiences, we hope you will feel encouraged by talking openly about your challenges, and by learning from shared experiences from other participants. A faith-based version of this support group is available, as well as a virtual version in Spanish hosted by NAMI Illinois. We hope to see you there!

Wheaton

Meeting Address:
NAMI DuPage
Linda A Kurzawa
Community Center
115 N County Farm Road
Wheaton, IL 60187

Day: Wednesday
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Important notice on the limitations of NAMI Support Groups

Naperville

Meeting Address:
Calvary Church – Naperville
9S200 Illinois Rte 59
Naperville, IL 60564

*Enter through Door 25. Room numbers are 233-4, 2nd floor. Elevator accessible. 

Day: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Important notice on the limitations of NAMI Support Groups

OAK BROOK - (FAITH-BASED)

Meeting Address:
Christ Church of Oak Brook
501 Oak Brook Road
Oak Brook, IL 60523

*Meeting in Room 264 on the main level.

Day: 1st and 3rd Mondays of the month
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Important notice on the limitations of NAMI Support Groups

NAMI Grupo de Apoyo Familiar - (Virtual y en español, organizado por NAMI Illinois)

En línea a través de Zoom  Haga clic aquí para obtener más información sobre cómo unirse.

Grupo de apoyo NAMI’s family(en colaboración con NAMI KDK y el condado de NAMI Lake)
Este grupo se reúne: 

  • El segundo sábado del mes, de 10 a 11:30 horas (se requiere inscripción antes de las 8:30 horas de la mañana del día de la sesión)
  • El cuarto jueves del mes, de 19:00 a 20:30 horas (Es necesario inscribirse antes de las 16:30 horas de la tarde de la sesión)

Parent Support Services

Parent Support Group

Our parent support groups are for parents with children (under the age of 18) who are living with a mental health condition. Join us to hear real successes from real people who have found recovery from mental illness, and from young adults and their parents about their lived experiences.

Day: 1st and 3rd Thursdays of the month (meets In-Person at the same time as the Teen Support Group, no registration required)
Where: 115 N County Farm Rd., Wheaton
Time:
 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

 

Important notice on the limitations of NAMI Support Groups

Family Peer Support

Interested in having a 1:1 session for further support? Family support is also provided by our Family Partnership Professionals, who use their experience in supporting a loved one living with a mental health condition to provide hope, resources and support. For more information about setting up an appointment, visit our Peer Support page by clicking the button below!

Suicide Loss Connections Group

The suicide loss connections group meets for those who have lost a loved one to suicide. This group provides people:

  1. A safe place, where those who have lost a friend, family member or loved one to suicide can share openly about their feelings and experiences
  2. An environment of hope, understanding and respect
Meeting Address:
NAMI DuPage
Linda A Kurzawa Community Center
115 N County Farm Road
Wheaton, IL 60187

Day: 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month
Time: 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Important notice on the limitations of NAMI Support Groups

Educational Courses For Families

Family-to-Family Educational Course

Family-to-Family is a free 8-week educational course designed specifically for adult family members (18+) and others who have adult loved ones living with a mental illness. The course is taught by other family members who have received intensive training for these presentations. The 2.5 hour class meets for 8 consecutive weeks, and each session builds upon the previous topics covered. Over 300,000 family members have graduated from this evidence based national program.

Visit the Family-to-Family Class series page for more information on upcoming classes and how to register!

This course includes:

1. Current information about mental health conditions, co-occurring brain disorders and addictive disorders

2. Up-to-date information about medications, side effects, and strategies for medication adherence

3. Current research related to the biology of brain disorders and the evidence-based, most effective treatments to promote recovery

4. Acquiring strategies for handling crises and relapse

5. And so much more valuable information!

 

NAMI Ending the Silence – Families

Our Ending the Silence education programs were created here at the DuPage County, Illinois affiliate to provide mental health educational presentations to students, parents and school staff. Since its inception in 2007, it has since been recognized and adopted by NAMI National, and is now presented by NAMI affiliates across the country. Our family version of this program includes a 1-hour presentation for adults with middle or high school aged youth that includes warning signs, facts and statistics, how to talk with your child, and how to work with school staff.

For more information about our Ending the Silence programs, or to schedule a presentation, visit our Youth Services page.

NAMI Family & Friends Seminar

NAMI Family & Friends is a FREE seminar that informs people who have loved ones living with a mental health condition on how to best support them. Whether you choose the 90 minute, 2 hour or 4 hour version, you will benefit from the opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support.

The seminar is led by those with lived experience of supporting a family member living with a mental health condition, and will guide you through the following topics:

For questions about this seminar, please contact Jessica Schneider at [email protected], or by phone at 630-752-0066.

1. Understanding diagnoses, treatment and recovery

2. Effective communication strategies

3. The importance of self-care

4. Crisis preparation strategies

5. NAMI and community resources

NAMI Homefront Educational Program

NAMI and the Department of Veterans Affairs have joined together to offer NAMI Homefront Classes virtually.

The program is designed to help family members understand and support their Service Member or Veteran while maintaining their own well-being. NAMI Homefront leaders have personal experience with mental health conditions impacting their Service Member or Veteran.

Registration is required. For more information and to register, please click here.

NAMI Basics OnDemand

NAMI Basics OnDemand is a free, six-session online education program for parents, caregivers and other families who provide care for youths (aged 22 and under) who are living with mental health symptoms. Diagnoses discussed in the class include: childhood onset of bipolar disorder, childhood onset of schizophrenia, depression, ADD, ADHD, anxiety disorders, OCD and eating disorders. Trained family members, who have firsthand experience with the rewards and challenges of raising children with mental illnesses, volunteer to teach Basics.

This course includes information about the following topics:

1. How mental illnesses are brain disorders

2. Getting an accurate diagnosis

3. An overview of treatment options

4. Impact on family members

5. Navigating the system for your child, (school, mental health)

6. Manage a crisis, solve problems and communicate effectively

NOTE: If you are registering more than one person, please include all participant names.