About Us
National Suicide Prevention Lifeline:
Call or text 988 to be connected with a trained crisis counselor. Reach by web chat at 988lifeline.org/chat
Who We Are
Our Mission: NAMI Syracuse strives to better the lives of individuals and families affected by mental illness through advocacy, support, public awareness, and education.
Our History: 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.
NAMI Syracuse Today: NAMI Syracuse is an affiliate of NAMI-NYS and NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Today, NAMI Syracuse is a vital and active non-profit advocacy organization with a membership of over 500 families. In 1998, PROMISE Residential Project, Inc. was established and manages two houses to serve persons with mental illness.
NAMI Syracuse provides:
Monthly Support Group Meetings
Information and Resources through our NAMI Syracuse office
Bimonthly NAMI Syracuse newsletter
Family-to-Family, a free 8 week family support and education program
A free speakers bureau of family members, peers, and professionals who will do presentations about mental illness and the stigma associated with mental illness
Events including educational conferences, speaking engagements at churches/schools/organizations, social engagements, and our main fundraising event, the Hopela Raffle
Would you like to help people and change lives? If so, inquire about joining NAMI Syracuse as a volunteer program facilitator to deliver education and support to those who need it. Contact the NAMI Syracuse office at (315) 487-2085 or namisyracuse@namisyracuse.org on weekdays between 10 AM and 2 PM to reach a NAMI staff member.
NAMI Syracuse Personnel 2024
Officers
Hank Wilcox
President
Joeseph Ridgway
Vice President
Lynn Spagnola Fofi
Secretary
Christopher DeVoe
Treasurer
Staff
Marla Byrnes (unpaid volunteer)
Interim Executive Director
Ann Canastra
Signature Programs Coordinator
Jeremy Montague
NAMI Syracuse Office Coordinator