NAMI San Diego’s Community Advocacy Services Program provides recovery-oriented services for individuals and families in San Diego’s public Behavioral Health System. Our services include advocacy training and peer support for persons and family members with lived experience with the intent of improving services delivery for community members receiving services in the Behavioral Health system of care. In addition, we obtain and elevate the collective community voice to inform the BHS continuum of care. This aligns with the San Diego County’s intent to create a Trauma Informed System of Care, by receiving community feedback to minimize re-traumatization of community members who continue to receive services in San Diego’s Behavioral Health System.

NAMI Smarts of Advocacy is an interactive training certification program that transforms passion and lived experience into skillful grassroots advocacy. It is open to those new to advocacy and those who have been amplifying voices for years. Different cohort training options are provided. After the completion of Modules 1 – 3, advocates will be able to share their stories with the local community and policymakers. All advocates will be invited to attend our San Diego County Peer Council. 

If you are interested in joining one of our trainings, or would like to provide these trainings to your clients or staff, please click on the link sign up for our Interest List. Once we have dates set for some of our trainings, we will reach out to you via email where you will be able to sign up and register for our classes. If you have any questions, please feel free to contact us at CommunityAdvocacy@namisd.org.

NAMI San Diego’s Peer Council will be a monthly meeting that invites peers and community members to discuss effective ways to improve San Diego’s Behavioral Health System of Care. We hope to collaborate with the public, peers, service providers, organizations and the County in order to get perspectives from all sides to find the best solutions for mental health services, outreach and resources within San Diego County.

All are encouraged to attend. All age groups, all sectors of the county, anyone who has been impacted by mental health or substance use issues. This council is meant to amplify the voice and needs of the community. We expect to begin meeting monthly starting January 2023. Please click the link below to join the mailing list if you are interested.