Home About Us

|  |

NAMI Durham is an active, caring, friendly group of people. Our members are relatives and friends of people with mental illness, professional service providers, policy makers, people with psychiatric disabilities, and other concerned citizens. We welcome you to join us.

Support

• People who have experienced mental illness in their families need to know that there are friends who understand their problems and want to help. At NAMI Durham, we reassure newcomers they are not alone, they did not cause the illness, and they can survive and restore a degree of order to their lives.
• If you need information about the mental health care system or just want to talk to someone who’s “been there,” call one of our local contacts:

  • Linda, 919-370-4237
  • Nancye, 919-942-4033
  • Dorothy, 919-489-5515
  • Violette, 919-490-5236 (9am to 5pm)
  • Vickie, 919-493-5525

• For support and information about resources available statewide, call NAMI North Carolina ’s Helpline at 800-451-9682.

Visit our Mutual Support Meetings at 7 pm on the first and third Tuesdays of each month at Durham Center Access. Newcomers are welcome.

Education

Guest speakers keep us informed of new discoveries about the causes of mental illness and new developments in treatment, recovery, and services. Join us on the first Tuesday of each month for our education meeting at Durham Center Access. Visitors are welcome.

NAMI Durham, NAMI NC, and NAMI publish regular newsletters featuring advances in research and treatment and opportunities for advocacy. When you become a member, you get information from all three levels.

NAMI Durham offers the award-winning free Family to Family  course twice a year for 12 consecutive weekly sessions. Times vary each semester, but the course is offered at Westminster Presbyterian Church and/or at the Durham VA Medical Center. Call Violette, 919-490-5236, for more information.

NAMI Durham offers the free NAMI Basics  course twice a year for 6 consecutive weekly sessions. Times vary each semester, but the course is offered at Westminster Presbyterian Church. Call David, 919-489-5515, for more information.

Through public education, we work to reduce stigma by helping others understand that mental illness is a brain disease that is not anyone’s fault. We also teach others about the need for more and better services for people with mental illnesses.

Advocacy

We promote the development of a comprehensive, well-coordinated system of community care and high-quality hospital services for Durham County residents with mental illness. Specifically, we advocate for

• Better hospital and outpatient care
• Insurance parity
• Affordable housing
• Community programs
• Supported employment programs 
• Funding for services and research
• CIT and jail diversion programs 

Board of Directors
**Board meetings are held on the first Tuesday of the month, 6 p.m., at Durham Center Access.**
 President, Linda  Burkhart
 Vice-President, vacant
 Secretary, vacant 
 Treasurer,  Pamela  Umstead
 Membership  Chair,  Bettie  Haley 
 Newsletter  Editor,  Suzanne Carmel
 Newsletter  Production,  Bettie  Haley
 Program  Chair,  Linda  Burkhart
 Advocacy  Chair,  Everyone!
 Consumer  Representative,  Donna Foreman  
 Professional  Representative,  Sarah  Cameron  
 Family  to  Family  Coordinator,  Violette  Blumenthal
 At-large  members,  Nancye Bryan, Vickie Carpenter, Helen Drivas, David Kirsh, Mary Lutz, Julie McCormick, David Smith, Dorothy Smith

|  |