The National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Tri-Valley, in collaboration with other community agencies and organizations, is dedicated to improving the quality of life for those whose lives are affected by mental illness. The nonprofit's volunteers provide peer support groups, educational classes, workshops, presentations, and more at no cost. Mental illness is very common, according to Marsha McInnis, President of NAMI Tri-Valley. One in five U.S. adults experience a mental illness each year, one in 20 U.S. adults experience a serious mental illness, and one in six U.S. youth aged six to 17 experience a mental health disorder each year. 

Mental illness affects individuals, their families, and whole communities. One unique focus on the part of NAMI Tri-Valley is working to help prevent suicides. The nonprofit formed the Keep Hope Alive Collaborative, a safety net founded with the guidance of Veterans Affairs, Palo Alto Health Care System. The collaborative explores innovative ways to lower the risk of suicides in East Alameda County.  

"NAMI Tri-Valley is a safe place for anyone who is wanting or needing help, support, and information," says McInnis, who founded NAMI Tri-Valley in 2005. "Some simply need someone to listen. We are here to give support, resources, advocacy skills, and education on these illnesses. We are family caregivers, peer consumers, and mental health professionals who focus on mental health in the Livermore, Dublin, and Pleasanton areas."

Some areas of concern include suicide, access to care, transportation to care, and community commitment to support our individuals who may need understanding and care, especially during a mental health crisis. The nonprofit's priorities include supporting family involvement in care, educating the public on mental health and mental illness, linking to crisis services, and linking to services and support for all ages. 

There may be numerous roadblocks to finding care, notes McInnis. They include health insurance limitations, a shortage of beds in psychiatric hospitals, and a waiting list of people needing help. NAMI Tri-Valley's role is to educate the public about the problems; possible solutions, if any; and legislation and policies that may be enacted that would affect loved ones and their families.

"Understanding the mental health system of care and how to navigate it is highly complex," she says. "NAMI Tri-Valley tries to help connect people to where they feel they need to be in this complicated maze. Based on lived experience, we know that trying to find help for our loved ones can be extremely difficult. Oftentimes a family member will meet with resistance from their loved one as a component of a mental health condition that renders the person unable to have insight into their illness, which is called anosognosia. This often is more difficult to help as the person without the insight easily refuses help."

As a result, families who want to support loved ones with mental illness may find themselves struggling with an imperfect healthcare system as well as a loved one unable to acknowledge that they are ill. NAMI Tri-Valley offers help with both issues by educating families on how to better cope with caregiving with ideas on how to better communicate or best support their loved ones. 

The nonprofit often invites guest speakers to discuss their areas of mental health expertise. Its Family-to-Family Education Program is a free eight-week course for family caregivers of adult individuals with severe mental illnesses. Taught twice a year, the course covers basic information on these illnesses and teaches knowledge and skills to help family members cope more effectively. The group also holds many workshops. On Saturday, August 9, 2025, NAMI Tri-Valley will cohost a one-day workshop on suicide prevention for family caregivers.

For more information about NAMI Tri-Valley, please visit www.namitrivalley.org, www.facebook.com/NAMITriValleyCalifornia, or www.youtube.com/channel/UCgHeP897sVtCs7sBRy5Epyw.