Advocacy Organizations and Support Groups

The CHOICE Program works collaboratively with the Mississippi Department of Mental Health, Mississippi’s Community Mental Health Centers, and Mississippi Home Cooperation to provide intensive case management and temporary rental assistance to make housing affordable throughout the state of Mississippi for individuals with serious mental illness.

Website: https://www.muteh.org/choice

Families as Allies is the only statewide organization in Mississippi run by and for families of children with behavioral health challenges. We support each other and work together to make things better for our children. Our mission is to make sure families are partners in their children’s care. We believe that families know their children better than anyone, families are their children’s strongest advocates and systems should follow laws and policies about families’ and children’s rights

Our core values define us. We value every child and family, excellence, partnership and accountability. Our work is built on three pillars: families, community and positive change. These are the ways we support each pillar:

Families

• Telephone and in person family-to-family information, support and assistance with system navigation
• Family training in commonly encountered issues and systems
• Advocating with families to get what they want for their children, including written responses and formal grievances

Community

• Initial and ongoing training and coaching of parents and caregivers who provide support to other families
• Training those working with families in family-driven practice and system advocacy
• Community awareness events
• Collaboration on community level teams and initiatives

Positive Change

• Statewide grassroots network
• Family-driven evaluation of systems and programs
• Leadership training for families so they can affect change at the systems level
• Technical assistance to policy makers and evaluators
• Membership on infrastructure groups and committees
• General and specific public awareness campaigns
• Partnership with the Mississippi Wraparound Institute

Website: https://www.faams.org/

Address:
840 E. River Place
Suite 500
Jackson, MS 39202

Phone: (601) 355-0915
Toll-free: 1-800-833-9671

Mental Health Association of South Mississippi has been working to support and empower people who suffer from mental illness since 1963.

In response to the presence of stress and mental illness, Mental Health Association of South MS provides resources and support services for those seeking mental wellness and recovery within our community.  This includes mental health, intellectual disability disorder, substance abuse and homelessness issues. Each year the organization serves over 3,900 meals, provides assistance to 250 people experiencing homelessness, provides supportive housing for 15 chronically homeless individuals and provides wellness information to several hundred people.  Five Certified Peer Support Specialists work for the agency; these individuals have lived experience with mental health challenges and can help others in their recovery.

Website: https://msmentalhealth.org/

Address:
4803 Harrison Circle
Gulfport, MS 39507

Phone: (228) 864-6274

Services

NAMI Family Support Group – NAMI Family Support Group is a peer-led support group for family members, caregivers and loved ones of individuals living with mental illness. Groups generally meet on a monthly basis but may meet weekly. The hallmark of a NAMI support group is leveraging the collective knowledge and experience of the other participants.

NAMI Family-to-Family – The Family-to-Family Education Program is a free, 12 class course for family caregivers of individuals with severe mental illnesses. The course is taught by trained family members and provides: current information on the major mental illnesses such as schizophrenia, major depression, bipolar disorder, obsessive compulsive disorder, and others; information about medications; strategies for handling crises and relapse; and most of all, how to cope successfully with a major challenge in your life, which will in turn allow you to best support your mentally ill loved one to work toward recovery.

NAMI Basics – NAMI Basics is signature education program for parents and other caregivers of children and adolescents living with mental illnesses. The NAMI Basics course is taught by trained teachers who are the parent or other caregivers of individuals who developed the symptoms of mental illness prior to the age of 13 years. The course consists of six classes, each lasting for 2 ½ hours. The course and all instruction materials are free to participants.

NAMI Family & Friends – NAMI Family & Friends is a free 90-minute or four-hour seminar that informs people who have loved ones with a mental health condition how to best support them. It’s also an opportunity to meet other people in similar situations and gain community support.

NAMI Peer-to-peer – NAMI Peer-to-Peer is a recovery-focused educational program for adults who wish to establish and maintain wellness in response to mental health challenges. The course provides critical information and strategies related to living with mental illness.

NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group – NAMI Connection is a weekly recovery support group for people living with mental illness in which people learn from each others’ experiences, share coping strategies, and offer each other encouragement and understanding. For information about the NAMI Support Group in your area, call (601) 899-9058.

NAMI In Our Own Voice – In Our Own Voice (IOOV) is a unique public education program developed by NAMI, in which two trained consumer speakers share compelling personal stories about living with mental illness and achieving recovery.

NAMI Ending the Silence – NAMI Ending the Silence is an in-school presentation about mental health designed for high school students. Students can learn about mental illness directly from family members and individuals living with mental illness themselves.

NAMI Parents &Teachers As Allies – NAMI Parents and Teachers as Allies is an in-service mental health presentation for current and future school personnel. It familiarizes you with the early warning signs of mental illness in children and adolescents. You will learn how to support students experiencing mental health challenges and how to effectively partner with families to connect these students to services early.

NAMI On Campus – NAMI on Campus provides information and resources to support students’ mental health and to empower them to take action on their college campuses. It helps to ensure that all students have positive, successful and fun college experiences.

Website: https://namims.org/

Address:
2618 Sutherland St.
Ste 100
Jackson, MS 39216

Phone: (601) 899-9058
Phone: (800) 357-0388 – not a crisis line