Supporting a Loved One With Mental Illness in Placer County
In crisis right now? Call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or reach Placer County crisis support at (916) 787-8860 or (888) 886-5401.
These lines are staffed for emergencies. The support described below is ongoing peer support, not a crisis service.
Loving someone with a mental illness can be one of the loneliest jobs there is. You learn the warning signs. You carry the worry. You take the late-night phone calls. And often you do all of it while the people around you assume you're fine, because you're the one holding everything together.
September is Suicide Prevention Month. Most of the attention, rightly, goes to the people living with mental illness. But the people who love them carry something too, and they need support built for them. In Placer County, that support is free, and it's closer than you might think.
NAMI Placer County
NAMI Placer County runs free, peer-led family support groups for anyone caring for a person living with mental illness, including families and friends of people who are having suicidal thoughts.
The groups are led by people who have been where you are. No one there needs you to explain what it feels like to love someone through this. They already know.
NAMI Support Groups: When Your Loved One Has Mental Health Conditions
NAMI support groupsmeet monthly in Roseville, in Rocklin, and on Zoom, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. You can find the current schedule on theevents calendarat namipc.org. There's no fee. Your loved one doesn't need a diagnosis. You don't need a referral. You show up, and you're in the room.
For families who want to go further, NAMI Placer also offers free education classes: Family-to-Family, Peer-to-Peer, Basics, and Homefront. Each one is built for a different situation, from a parent raising a struggling teen to a family supporting a veteran. The classes run at different points through the year. You can ask about the next session through the Program Interest Form on their website.
One thing worth being clear about: these groups are ongoing support, not emergency help. They are mental health support in the broad sense, not suicide-specific. But families walking through a loved one's suicidal thoughts are welcome there, and understood there.
For Emergency Mental Health Assistance and Suicide Prevention
In crisis right now? Call or text 988 (the Suicide and Crisis Lifeline), or reach Placer County crisis support at (916) 787-8860 or (888) 886-5401.
If tonight is an emergency, call for help immediately.
If what you're carrying is the longer weight of loving someone through mental illness, NAMIsupport group is for exactly that.
You have been the strong one for a long time. For 90 minutes a month, you can be the person who gets supported instead.
Find the next Placer County family support group on the calendar at namipc.org, or email[email protected]to ask where to start.
FAQ
Who are the NAMI Placer County family support groups for? Family members, caregivers, and friends of someone living with mental illness, including loved ones of people experiencing suicidal thoughts. The groups are peer-led and free.
Do I need a diagnosis or a referral to attend NAMI? No. There is no required diagnosis, no referral, and no fee. You can just come.
Where and when do the groups meet? Monthly in Roseville, in Rocklin, and on Zoom, from 6:00 to 7:30 pm. The current schedule is on the calendar at namipc.org.
Is this the same as crisis help? No. These groups are ongoing peer support, not an emergency service. If you or your loved one is in crisis, call or text 988, or call Placer County crisis support at (916) 787-8860 or (888) 886-5401.
What if the person who is struggling wants support for themselves, not just the family? NAMI support groups are focused on families and caregivers. The NAMI Connection peer support group for adults living with mental illness is not currently offered here. Education classes such as Peer-to-Peer are offered periodically, so it's worth asking through the Program Interest Form on their website.
