Volunteer

Volunteers assist us with office help, including mailings, answering phones, organizing files, making phone calls, creating documents in various computer applications (Word, Excel, and/or Google Docs, and Google Sheets), and other office tasks. Whether you have office experience or not, we could use your help, either on a weekly or as-needed basis. Mailings are generally once a month for about 3 hours.

Work with us on our marketing efforts! Help us let people know that NAMI-NYC is here to help families and individuals affected by mental illness.

Share our program-related social posts on your channels. We’ll work together to get our program news out to a wider audience.

You must have an active account with at least one of these platforms that we use: Twitter, and/or IG, and/or Facebook.

This can be more than one person, with each spending ~1 hour/week.

Provide support, information, and mental health-related referrals about services for those who struggle with mental health recovery, to individuals living with mental illness, family members, and mental health professionals. The Helpline operates 10a-6p Monday through Friday. You must be able to dedicate at least one 3-4 hour shift per week – more than one shift may be available. Excellent communication skills are required; multilingual a BIG plus; also, knowledge of Microsoft and Google tools is helpful.

You’ll work with the Support Programs Coordinator to ensure that Helpline resources and other support program information stays up to date. Excellent communication skills are required; multilingual a BIG plus; also, knowledge of Microsoft and Google tools is helpful.

We need friendly bodies! Throughout the year, we have larger events, like NAMIWalks NYC in May, and our Seeds of Hope Gala in October. We also have monthly public education events, where we may need volunteers to sign people in and show them to their seats. Finally, we often participate in health fairs and other tabling events, where we need volunteers to share information about our programs and services and sign people up for our newsletter. Volunteering at small events usually requires a minimum of a 2-hour commitment, with a range of 3-5 hours for the big events.

Parents of children who became ill before the age of 13 only. Learn to teach this 6-week course for parents of children and adolescents that reviews the impact of mental illness on the family, treatment, support, coping, and navigating child serving systems. You must be a graduate of NAMI Basics class in order to be considered for NY state teacher training.

For family members only. Learn to teach this 12-week course that reviews aspects of mental illness, support, coping, medication and treatment, and navigating the mental health system. You must be a graduate of Family-to-Family class in order to be considered for NY state teacher training.

For adults living with mental illness only. Develop your public speaking skills and share your personal experience of recovery from mental illness to decrease stigma and increase public awareness about mental illness. IOOV is a structured outreach presentation with which you can become a role model for hope and recovery for other mental health consumers in the community. The presentation puts a human face to mental illness and is also used to provide insight into the consumer experience of recovery for mental health professionals, students, and family members.

For adults living with mental illness only. Learn to teach this 8-week program for individuals who struggle with a persistent mental illness and who are interested in wellness and recovery. You must be a graduate of Peer-to-Peer class in order to be considered for NY state teacher training.

For family members and adults living with mental illness only. Become a peer support group leader and provide support, education, and practical knowledge to other consumers and family members. Groups meet weekly, bi-weekly, or monthly throughout New York City. If you are interested in becoming a Support Group Facilitator, please begin actively attending one of our groups before applying to volunteer.

For parents of children or adults, or spouses/partners, siblings, or adult children of someone living with a mental illness. Experienced family members provide a small amount of telephone support to someone else whose family member has been recently diagnosed or is struggling with new challenges. This commitment is approximately six hours a month and is done from home.