NAMI Westside Los Angeles offers free education programs along with support, guidance, and hope for the growing number of Angelenos affected by mental health conditions.
NAMI Westside LA is an affiliate of the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), the nation’s largest grassroots mental health organization dedicated to building better lives for the millions of Americans affected by mental illness. NAMI provides education, support, and advocacy to improve the lives of those living with mental illness, as well as their families and friends, mental health professionals, and all who share NAMI’s vision and mission. The nonprofit organization was founded in 1979, and now has more than 210,000 members and 1,200 affiliate groups across the U.S.
In August 2021, the Lowell Milken Family Foundation (LMFF) partnered with NAMI Westside LA with a gift of $1.2 million to provide programmatic and operational support. The three-year commitment ensures that NAMI Westside LA—whose programs reach thousands of families, individuals and educators each year—will expand their ability to offer FREE in-person and virtual programming in both English and Spanish, as well as operational funds to continue to attract, retain and support its leaders.
One focus of NAMI Westside LA's efforts is "Ending the Silence," a school program designed to give middle and high-school students, teachers, and parents an opportunity to learn about mental health, including information about warning signs, facts, statistics, and how to seek help for themselves or a friend.