Get help right now

| Call or text the NAMI Chicago Helpline | 833-626-4244 | Free and confidential |

Get help right now

Call or text the NAMI Chicago Helpline
833-626-4244 | Free and confidential

Normal is

No one actually feels normal. Mental health is messy, complicated, and different for everyone. And that’s OK. NAMI Chicago is here for you.

Moving Chicago beyond crisis

Bringing leaders across sectors together to strengthen prevention, expand recovery supports, and build a more connected system of community-based care.

Find the support that’s right for you

Whatever your situation, NAMI Chicago can help you find the right support, resources, and next steps.

Navigating the mental health system

Finding care, understanding your options, and knowing where to start can feel overwhelming. We’ve pulled together information to help you navigate mental health treatment, types of providers, insurance, legal processes, and support services across Chicago and suburban Cook County.

Advocating for a mental health system that works for everyone

In Cook County, nearly 1 in 4 people (more than 1.2 million), need behavioral health support. Yet over 400,000 are not getting the care they need.

Too many people are still falling through the cracks due to gaps in access, workforce shortages, and a fragmented system that leaves people without support when they need it most.

NAMI Chicago is working to change that. We advocate for policies that expand access to care, strengthen the crisis response, and build a more connected, community-based mental health system.

Breaking down barriers to mental health care for everyone

NAMI Chicago connects people to support in moments of crisis and stays with them beyond that first call. Each year, we serve more than 40,000 people across Chicago and suburban Cook County through programs that provide immediate help, ongoing support, and pathways to long-term recovery.

988 Crisis Lifeline

24/7 support for people experiencing a mental health crisis, including de-escalation, crisis intervention, and connection to ongoing care.

Classes, Presentations + Trainings

Mental health education and training for schools, workplaces, faith communities, and healthcare settings.

Care Coordination

Ongoing, individualized support for people with serious mental illness, helping them move from crisis toward stability and long-term recovery.

NAMI Chicago Helpline

Free, confidential emotional support, information, and referrals. Our local specialists help you navigate mental health and human services across Chicago.

Recovery Services

Support for individuals transitioning from institutional care to independent, community-based living.

Support Groups

Free, confidential peer support groups led by people with lived experience.

Free and confidential peer-led support groups

NAMI Chicago offers free support groups for adults living with mental health conditions and for family members, friends, and caregivers supporting someone on their mental health journey.

Be part of the community shaping mental health in Chicago

Change doesn’t happen all at once. It takes many people and happens through small, consistent actions over time. Whether you donate, volunteer your time, advocate, or show up to an event, every action, big or small, helps reduce stigma and expand access to mental health support across Chicago.