Our Mission
NAMI Juneau’s mission is to provide education, advocacy, support, and public awareness so individuals affected by mental illness can build better lives.
Education
We provided many peer-led workshops and classes about suicide prevention and mental health. Learn about our peer-support associate class, our suicide prevention trainings, and keep an eye on our calendar for all our upcoming educational opportunities. For organizations interested in bringing a mental health training to their workplace see our Custom Trainings & Presentations.
Advocacy
We engage in local advocacy around issues affecting our community. The best way to stay engaged with our advocacy efforts and learn how to get involved is to sign up for our newsletter.
Support
If you are seeking mental health resources for yourself or someone you support, reach out to us. We can answer questions about mental health resources in Juneau, and help you navigate juneaumentalhealth.org. Learn about our peer-led support groups.
Public Awareness
To help make our community a better place for individuals affected by mental illness to live, we do public awareness activities to help spread accurate information about mental illness and break down stigma. We table at many community events to help spread this information. Reach out if you’d like to invite us to your tabling event.
History
Founding
The original organization, which later became NAMI Juneau, was founded in 1986 as the Juneau Alliance for the Mentally Ill (JAMI) associated with the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI). The founders were instrumental in starting the first local programs for the mentally ill, including the operation of a Respite House for 8 people and apartments for 12. Eventually, as this organization developed into the primary source of mental health services, it became the Mental Health Center, and the advocacy, education, and support functions of the family and consumer organization formed their own group known as the Iris Group.
Our Name
Later in 1998, this group changed its name to NAMI Juneau. The group that started NAMI Juneau supported the founding of JAMHI. While we are no longer connected, that explains the similarities in our names!
Polaris House
In 2001 supporters of NAMI Juneau started Polaris House, which is also an independent organization. NAMI Juneau is a 501 c-3 organization.
Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition
In 2020, the Juneau Suicide Prevention Coalition became a program of NAMI Juneau.