NAMI San Francisco advocates for a life of quality and dignity by providing education, resources and emotional support to families and those affected by mental illness.  We strive to end discrimination and stigma for all those persons affected by these illnesses through broader education and collaboration with the whole community.

2012 was a year of several �firsts� for NAMI San Francisco.  Several grants have come through;  we�re in a strong growth phase;  and we are on track with our goal to  expand NAMI�s core programs and reach out to many more San Francisco residents in need.    The first �first� was a grant from the California Mental Health Services Act (CalMHSA), in partnership with NAMI California and Bay-Area Affiliates to expand In Our Own Voice (IOOV).  IOOV is a unique public education led by consumers  in which they share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and addiction and achieving recovery.  IOOV presentations are given to consumer groups, students, law enforcement officials, educators, providers, faith community members, politicians, professionals, inmates, and interested civic groups.  All presentations are offered free of charge and last one hour. They put a human face on mental illness and have done wonders in breaking down the stigma of mental illness.  We have provided 67 presentations throughout the region,  by far the largest number of IOOV presentations! We now have 10 active IOOV presenters and we are certifying more mentors and teachers for our Peer-to-Peer and Family-to-Family programs starting in January.  Another �first� for 2012 is our exciting new project with the San Francisco Department of Public Health through a grant from the Community Behavioral Health Services.  This collaboration will allow us to deliver Peer to Peer (P2P) and Family to Family (F2F) classes to city-operated behavioral health clinics and community mental health service provider sites.  F2F and P2P educational classes provide families and their loved ones an understanding of mental illness and tools they need to cope with this disease.     No other governmental or private agency is offering these kinds of life-saving programs targeted to both consumers and their family members that can provide hope and a road to recovery.