Support Volunteers

Contact Us

NAMI Minnesota
800 Transfer Road, #31
Saint Paul, MN 55114

phone: 651-645-2948
toll free: 1-888-NAMI-HELPS
fax: 651-645-7379

email: nami-mn@nami.org

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Support Group Volunteers

One of the three pillars of NAMI Minnesota’s mission is to provide support to people living with mental illnesses and their families throughout Minnesota.  We accomplish this through the generosity of volunteers who give their time to facilitate our support groups.

The volunteer facilitators have a shared experience with the group participants.  They are screened by NAMI Minnesota and then go through an extensive 2 to 3 day training to prepare them to facilitate a support group.  

All of the support groups are facilitated by teams.  We require at least two people to start a group.  We do this to prevent volunteers from being overwhelmed and ensure people are able to take time off for scheduling conflicts, vacation, or illness.  If you are interested in becoming a support group facilitator and do not have a partner, we can likely match you with an already trained facilitator or another applicant.

Training for support group facilitators happens twice a year, typically in the spring and fall.  The next training dates and deadline to apply are listed for each support group below.  

Interested people should submit both a volunteer application and support group facilitator application .

If you require a paper copy of the applications or have any questions, please contact Laura Winterstein, volunteer resources director, at 651-645-2948 x110 or lwinterstein@namimn.org .

For Family Members who have a Loved One with a Mental Illness

Family-to-Family Support Group Facilitator

The Family-to-Family support groups are for family and friends who have a loved one living with a mental illness.  We also have an iteration of the group, Daughters and Sons, for adult children who have a parent living with a mental illness.

Commitment : 90 Minutes per Meeting + Prep & Clean-Up Time; 2 Meetings per Month; 2 Year Commitment

Spring 2012 Training : Saturday, April 21 (1:00 pm – 9:00 pm) and Sunday, April 22 (8:00 am – 5:00 pm) in St. Peter, MN (Shared Accommodations Provided)

Spring 2012 Application Deadline : Applications will be accepted on a Rolling Basis but are Preferred by Monday, March 5, 2012

Parent Resource Group Facilitator

The Parent Resource groups are for parents and caregivers who have a child under 18 years old living with a mental illness.

Commitment : 90 Minutes per Meeting + Prep & Clean-Up Time; 1-2 Meetings per Month; 2 Year Commitment

Spring 2012 Training : Saturday, April 21 (1:00 pm – 9:00 pm) and Sunday, April 22 (8:00 am – 5:00 pm) in St. Peter, MN (Shared Accommodations Provided)

Spring 2012 Application Deadline : Applications will be accepted on a Rolling Basis but are Preferred by Monday, March 5, 2012

For People Living with a Mental Illness

NAMI Connection Support Group Facilitator

The NAMI Connection support groups are for people living with a mental illness and follow the model set forth by NAMI National.  This 10 minute video provides a good overview of the groups.

Commitment : 90 Minutes per Meeting + Prep & Clean-Up Time; Weekly Meetings for One Year

Spring 2012 Training : Friday, April 20 (8:00 am – 7:00 pm), Saturday, April 21 (8:00 am – 7:00 pm), and Sunday, April 22 (8:00 am – 2:30 pm) in St. Peter, MN (Shared Accommodations Provided)

Spring 2012 Application Deadline : Applications will be accepted on a Rolling Basis but are Preferred by Monday, March 5, 2012

Open Door Support Group Facilitator

The Open Door support groups are for people living with panic or anxiety disorder.  Through a standard format, participants learn strategies for anxiety management and lifestyle awareness.

Commitment : 90 Minutes per Meeting + Prep & Clean-Up Time; 2 Meetings per Month; 1 Year Commitment

Next Training :  The next training will be scheduled when there is significant interest from people interested in facilitating.

For Veterans

Vet Connection

The Vet Connection groups are for veterans with deployment experience who are experiencing difficulty with reintegration.

Commitment : 90 Minutes per Meeting + Prep & Clean-Up Time; Weekly Meetings for One Year

Sprint 2012 Training: Friday, April 20 (8:00 am – 7:00 pm), Saturday, April 21 (8:00 am – 7:00 pm), and Sunday, April 22 (8:00 am – 2:30 pm) in St. Peter, MN (Shared Accommodations Provided)

Spring 2012 Application Deadline : Applications will be accepted on a Rolling Basis but are Preferred by Monday, March 5, 2012