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NAMI Family Support Group Facilitator
NAMI Family Support Groups are 90-minute, twice-monthly support groups for family members and friends of people with mental illness, held under the guidance of 2 volunteer facilitators.
All NAMI support groups follow a peer-based, mutual support group model and are led by trained facilitators with lived experience. Facilitators are not counselors or teachers; they give the group structure by opening and closing each session, guiding discussion, and shifting discussion when necessary.
Support Group Facilitator
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Minimum Age Requirement
Applicants must be 18 years or older
Volunteer Commitment
A 6-month commitment upon completion of training, co-facilitating 2–5 support group meetings a month.
Reports To
Program Coordinator
Schedule
1st and 3rd Mondays of each month, 7:00–8:30pm
Location
Support groups were fully virtual at the time the handbook was written (Feb. 2022). Facilitators receive an email with the meeting link and participant roster the night of each group, and should facilitate from a private space that protects participants’ confidentiality (not a public place such as a library or coffee shop).
Responsibilities
- Work cooperatively with your co-facilitator to conduct the group.
- Respect the privacy of support group attendees by creating an environment of confidentiality and by holding sensitive, private, and personal information in confidence. You must also be prepared to break confidentiality when you believe there is a danger of harm to a participant or others.
- Offer respect, understanding, encouragement, and hope to peers in the group coping with mental illness.
- Send attendance and weekly reporting forms to the Program Director.
- Fulfill refresher requirements.
- Encourage attendees to join NAMI and become advocates.
- Actively maintain your own wellness and respect your emotional and physical limitations.
Requirements
- Personal experience with mental illness (corresponding with the support group) and living well in recovery.
- Willingness to share one’s own lived experience with mental illness.
- Strong commitment to supporting individuals dealing with mental illness.
- Complete the process to become a support group facilitator, including filling out the volunteer application and completing an interview with the Program Coordinator.
- Complete a 2-day peer support group training.
- Have attended at least four NAMI support groups.
- Current member of NAMI or willing to join.
- Responsible, with good organizational skills and strong people skills.
- Desire to facilitate and adhere to the NAMI support group model.
Required Training
2-day peer support group training