Letter from the Board Chair

This past year has been one of extraordinary growth and change for NAMI Chicago.

We’ve operated in a time when public health and the social sector face devastating cuts. These challenges are real, and they make it harder than ever for people living with mental illness to access basic necessities like food, housing, and health care. The system is more fragmented, more confusing, and more out of reach for too many. Still, we remain hopeful. We’ve stayed true to our mission and to what matters most: showing up for each other with integrity, urgency, and care.

We also navigated a leadership transition, as our longtime CEO, Alexa James, stepped down. Her legacy is built into the foundation we stand on, and we are grateful for her years of visionary service.

As we look to the future, we do so with hope and a deep sense of responsibility. The need for mental health care continues to grow. So will we. We are more motivated than ever to keep fighting for those living with mental health conditions, especially in a time when so many still struggle in silence.

We have a strong foundation. A clear mission. And a community of people like you who make this work possible.

Thank you for standing with us.

Let’s keep going.

Tere Garate
Chair, Board of Directors
NAMI Chicago

988 Suicide and Crisis Lifeline

Our 988 call takers become lifelines on some of the darkest days of peoples’ lives. For someone in crisis, just having a calm, compassionate voice on the other end of the line can be the first step toward safety and healing.

24,000+ calls answered

11.7 min average talk time

<1% escalated to emergency service

“When I listen in on calls, I can hear the transformation unfold from a caller who starts out completely dysregulated, with panic in their voice and chaos in the background, to someone who’s calmer, more grounded, and expressing thanks the counselor by the end. Our counselors build trust in a short window, often just by being present and dependable.”

— 988 Supervisors’ Perspective

NAMI Chicago Helpline

No matter what someone is going through, we’re here. Our Helpline offers trusted guidance, emotional support, and real connection — not just for people living with mental illness, but for the loved ones who stand with them.

11,600+ calls answered

100 texts and chats
(in the first three months since launch)

21.6 min average talk time

62% called for themselves

38% called on behalf of someone they care about

“Without our support, people would end up in the wrong places due to lack of guidance. Our presence gives people autonomy and choice in a system that often lacks both. For some, we’re the only person they can talk to. They’d otherwise be completely alone.”

— Helpline Supervisors’ Perspective

Peer Support in Action

There’s nothing more powerful than being understood. NAMI Chicago’s Support Groups connect people with others who’ve been there - who know what it’s like, and who can offer support without judgment. Beyond groups, our Recovery team helps individuals living with mental illness transition out of long-term care to greater independence in the community.

350 support groups held with 1,700+ attendees, consistently reporting feeling safe, supported, and more connected to others

190+ individuals supported through our Intensive Home and Rehabilitation Support program, with 24 successfully transitioning from long-term care into community living

370+ residents across four rehab facilities engaged through our Engagement & Support Pilot

“Meeting NAMI Chicago in my time of crisis with my son meant so much to me. I felt truly cared for, and the opportunity given to me to volunteer for Family-to-Family many years back was a crucial experience in my life. The ups and downs of being a caregiver to a child with a dual diagnosis have tested my faith and challenge me still today. If it had not been for the triage and the anecdote I experienced through the support and training from NAMI Chicago, I would still be hopeless and helpless. NAMI Chicago equipped me to hold on and, in these times, that is all I can do. Thank you for your labor of love, empathy, and compassion in your service.”

— Hattie Polk

Care Coordination

For many people living with serious mental illness and their loved ones, access to care feels impossible. For those cycling through systems and falling through the cracks, coordinated support means a real second chance. At NAMI Chicago, they find a safety net: someone to help them navigate, someone to catch them if they fall.

350+ individuals supported by our Clinical Support Team through crisis stabilization, treatment coordination, and long-term recovery

155 participants served across seven Mental Health Courts, including 73 new participants this year

“It’s been 16 years of trying to find the right help for my daughter. Since we started working with NAMI Chicago in 2023, someone has been by my side — calling every week, checking in, never letting me give up. When I was ready to lose hope, they’d say, ‘We’re not giving up on you or Valerie.’ That grounded me. They’re my angel. It’s still hard, but I refuse to give up on my daughter.”

— Suzanne McKeel

Education and Engagement

At NAMI Chicago, we believe mental health goes beyond clinical walls. It matters just as much in our workplaces, schools, churches, and homes. That’s why we meet people where they are - having real conversations, breaking down stigma, offering actionable tools, and ultimately building community and strengthening support systems in our daily lives.

275 police officers trained through Crisis Intervention Training

6,000+ youth reached through Ending the Silence

30+ workplace trainings delivered to support mental health at work

5,000+ Helpline cards distributed at community engagement events across Chicago and suburban Cook County

Policy Wins

We helped secure $16.5 million in ongoing funding for mental health services in Illinois’ 2026 budget for public university and community college campuses, ensuring young people across Illinois get the support they need to succeed.

Thanks to successful advocacy efforts, the State of Illinois amended the Telecommunications Excise Tax rate to generate $40 million annually for 988, mobile crisis teams, and community-based alternatives to emergency rooms and police response.

We released a white paper on the current crisis care system in Cook County, identifying critical gaps and advancing solutions to build a system that actually provides the care people in crisis deserve.

“NAMI Chicago and family, you are on the front lines of affordable and accessible behavioral health access for everyone. Kids, adults, first responders all across the lifespan. Yes, people have needs more than they ever have, but stigma is down more than it’s ever been, and people are willing to seek the support that they have long needed. And so the fact that you are there to pick up the phone to help families navigate, to facilitate peer support is exactly what we need in this moment.”

— Lindsey LaPointe, Illinois State Representative

Program Spotlight

This year, we took a bold step forward to reach more people. Thanks to a grant from Cook County Health, we launched new text and chat options through the NAMI Chicago Helpline, giving people, especially young adults and those who prefer digital communication, a way to reach out on their own terms.

To support the expansion, we launched a public awareness campaign rooted in empathy. The goal was simple: remind people that support is real, free, and here whenever they’re ready to call us.

This expansion is about more than technology and marketing. It’s about meeting people with dignity and compassion in the moments that matter most and making it easier to say, “I need help.”

Call our Helpline today or save our phone number for tomorrow

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The People Behind the Work

Behind every call answered, group led, or crisis de-escalated is a person who chose to show up. Our staff work every hour of every day, supporting people through their most difficult moments. All of these incredible individuals deserve to be supported just as much as they support our community.

Named a 2024 Winner for Chicago’s Best and Brightest Companies to Work For

119 total staff employed, with 55% identifying as BIPOC

7.8% reduction in voluntary turnover from previous year

At NAMI Chicago, we’re committed to building a workplace rooted in connection, care, and belonging. Diversity is a core part of our culture, and we continue to create space for all voices, experiences, and identities to be seen, supported, and celebrated.

In 2025, we also moved into a new home - a space that better supports our growing team, improves collaboration, and allows us to serve our community with even greater impact.