This is an exciting time the Barrington Area chapter!

Our board has grown to 12 members, each bringing their own expertise. • We will offer 2 Family- to-Family courses in the Fall. We have been told that our spring session of Family-to-Family had the largest graduating class in more than 250 F2F classes that have been taught in Illinois. • We will continue with the support group and newly formed discussion groups. • We will offer the Visions for Tomorrow classes for families caring for children with a brain disorder and a support group for these families. • We’re planning social events and informative speaker meetings. • Our Peer to Peer education classes in recovery will soon be a reality as well as a support group. • We have a new website and monthly newsletter. • We are distributing information to hospitals and medical care facilities and soon will be training to outreach to schools and police. • We are laying the groundwork for a social outlet and job networking for consumers as well as a Latino outreach.

We need to say a huge thank-you to all of the people who have jumped in and made these achievements possible! This is great work. Thanks so much to everyone involved!

Read more news from your local NAMI chapter



NAMI Links

NAMI Barrington area website

NAMI National Organization

NAMI's Mission & Activities



Family focus: Tips for living with someone with a mental illness

Here’s an article you may find interesting: a bipolar consumer offers ten tips for parents, partners and pals of someone with a serious mental illness. Among his points: never give up hope, allow time for treatment and recovery, educate yourself, empathize, set boundaries, put aside blame, and take care of yourself. (Please note that this piece is not written or endorsed by NAMI, but simply something we hope you will find helpful.)

Read "Points to Ponder"



Consumers corner: Taking inventory

My mother keeps offering me success stories, but I don’t want to read them. I want to write my own. I want to be healthy. I want others to share my success story with their loved one. But it dawns on me that it’s not going to happen if I just sit here and pout.

So here is a self-exploration that winds through the alphabet; stepping stones to realizations. So many times we forget to ‘take inventory’ of ourselves because we are so busy trying to keep it together right now. Some of these questions may even benefit others in your family, so I urge you to print this out and lay it on their beds, so they can take inventory, too. I love what Stephen Propst says at the end, “The magic is not in the questions, however. The magic happens when you take actions in response to them. Only then do you begin to see positive changes happening in you life.” I realized that when I want to get better, it just won’t come over night. I have to work at it and this is a wonderful way to start. 

Read "Taking Inventory from A to Z"



Join NAMI

We hope you’ll join NAMI and support our advocacy for the mentally ill. The cost is only $35 (adult and spouse) or $10 (for consumer). If this cost will create a financial hardship, we have a limited number of open door memberships available at a reduced fee.

Membership form

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If you don't wish to join right now, but you'd like to receive our free newsletter, simply use the "Join our mailing list" below or send  an email: namiba@northstarnet.org



Emergency Numbers
Local police/ambulance: 911 
State police: 847-294-4400
Crisis team, Alexian Brothers, Hoffman Estates
  (24 hour): 847-755-8140
State suicide hotline: 800-784-2433


email: namiba@northstarnet.org
phone: 847-382-6623 
web: http://www.namibarringtonarea.org/index.html

NAMI Barrington Area
PO Box 474
Barrington, IL  60010