NAMI Connection Facilitators are individuals living with mental illnesses and are at a point in recovery where they want to "give back" to others. They attend an intense training designed to help them develop the skills they need to facilitate a NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group. NAMI Connection Facilitators:

		Apply to be selected to attend trainings and include a reference in their application
		Receive skill training in the NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group Model
		Are volunteers
		Co-facilitate weekly 90 minute groups - working in pairs
		Commit to a minimum of one year of service
		Commit to fidelity to the NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group model

Next Training

For the next training closest to you, please refer to the Calendar to the right to select a training site and date. Please include that information in your application.

Download Information

NAMI Connection facilitators are certified by attending and graduating from a 2-day training event.
The training event is designed for facilitators to learn and practice specific skills that will guarantee a meaningful support group experience for all participants.


 

After the training event, certified facilitators know how to encourage the group to make room for all of its voices; short-circuit personal sagas; engage the group in subjects of collective interest; encourage collective thought; and circumvent negative interactions by identifying common ground for real discussion among group participants.
 

NAMI Connection support group facilitators make use of the strategies, structures, and processes they have learned from the training events to ensure the group provides a place that is safe and maintains group guidelines. Facilitator trainees are required to go through an application and screening process before being approved to attend a training event.

Your Trainers

Top Row: Laura Sweeney, Linda Peters, Florence Sparks, Sheryl Sparks, Linda Fouts, Larry Ackerman, Harriet Kronick
Bottom Row: Beth Gould, Greg Irish, Sarah Kaminskas, Amanda Spencer, Peggy Yackulich, Gretchen Anglin