About Us

Who We Are

NAMI Syracuse, an affiliate of NAMI-NYS and NAMI (National Alliance on Mental Illness), is a non-profit, self-help, support and advocacy organization dedicated to improving the lives of all persons affected by mental illness through outreach, education, and community collaboration.

In May 1981, 12 people met to form PROMISE, an acronym for “Parents and Relatives Of the Mentally Ill Supporting Each other.” By 1984, PROMISE had grown to include a Board of Directors with by-laws, incorporation as a non-profit, and had become a member of NAMI-NYS and the national NAMI organization. Eventually the name was changed to NAMI-PROMISE and most recently to NAMI Syracuse.

Today, NAMI Syracuse is a vital and active non-profit advocacy organization with a membership of over 500 families. We are celebrating our 40th Anniversary this year of 2021. In 1998, PROMISE Residential Project, Inc. was established and manages two houses to serve persons with mental illness.