Who We Are

NAMI Vermont is the independent state chapter of NAMI, the nation’s largest grassroots, mental health organization dedicated to improving the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness.

Our staff is supported by a dedicated board and many volunteers who help provide education, advocacy, and support to those in need.

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Our History

NAMI Vermont began as a spontaneous, grassroots family movement in 1983, just six years after NAMI was founded. NAMI Vermont was incorporated as a state organization affiliated with NAMI in 1984, and today offers support groups for individuals and families, presentations like our In Our Own Voice, FaithNet and Ending the Silence programs, and educational programs like Family-to-Family, Mental Illness and Recovery, and Provider classes. All programs are free for everyone.

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About NAMI Vermont

Our Values

Our Structure

Additional Information

Our Mission

NAMI Vermont supports, educates, and advocates so that all communities, families, and individuals affected by mental illness or mental health challenges can build better lives.

Our Vision

A world where Vermonters affected by mental illness or mental health challenges have the care, support and knowledge that they need.

Our Values

Empathy: We share common experiences that develop understanding, empathy, and compassion for one another.
Acceptance: We practice non-judgmental, unbiased acceptance.
Hope: We maintain hope that through treatment and support people can and do recover.
Resilience: We believe in the resilience and capacity of individuals to recover and maintain wellness.
Honesty: We believe honesty builds self-awareness and open-mindedness.
Self-Care: We encourage self-care as a means to cope with challenges and maintain well-being.
Empowerment: We support individuals and families rebuilding their lives; we promote personal responsibility and self-advocacy; and we provide education and training that empowers individuals to develop their potential.
Inclusion: We value and respect the contributions of each person toward a better understanding of the diversity of needs and capacity among us, and we affirm the importance of those contributions toward empowerment, resiliency, and recovery.

Our Structure

As a state organization, NAMI Vermont oversees support, education and advocacy at the state level. Our NAMI Vermont Affiliates focus on the specific needs of families in its local communities and are run by dedicated volunteers. NAMI Vermont has 5 affiliates that serve counties in our state.

To see a map, click here

Greater Burlington Area Affiliate = Franklin, Chittenden and Addison counties
Rutland Affiliate = Rutland county
Southern Vermont Affiliate = Bennington, Windham and Windsor counties
Central Vermont Affiliate = Lamoille, Washington and Orange counties
Northeast Kingdom Affiliate = Orleans, Caledonia and Essex counties.