NAMI Connection
NAMI Connection is a recovery support group for adults living with mental health issues. Attendees learn from each others’ experiences, share coping strategies, and offer each other encouragement and understanding. For more information about NAMI Connection, contact Jay Yudof, MS, Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner, NAMI New Jersey Recovery Programs Coordinator, at (609) 642-6959, [email protected].
NAMI Connection Online Support Group
NAMI Connection is being offered online, using the Zoom platform. Click here to learn more and register.
Visit your county affiliate’s webpage for information on local Connection online support groups.
New Connection Online Support Group for the LGBTQ+ community
NAMI NJ offers a NAMI Connection peer-led recovery online support group for individuals (18+) in the LGBTQ+ community who have a mental health condition. This monthly meeting is held on the last Sundays, 7:00pm-8:30pm ET. All meetings will be 90 minutes and are entirely confidential. View flyer to learn more. Click here to register.
New Connection Online Support Group for Asylees and Refugees
NAMI NJ and Interfaith Rise collaborate to offer a NAMI Connection Recovery Online Support Group for asylees and refugees. This monthly meeting is held on the 3rd Fridays, 4:00pm-5:00pm ET. Download flyer to share. Contact [email protected] for more information or to register.
What You’ll Gain
By sharing your experiences in a safe and confidential setting, you gain hope and develop relationships. The group encourages empathy, productive discussion and a sense of community.
NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group will help you:
– See the individual first, not the illness
– Recognize that mental illnesses are medical illnesses that may have environmental triggers
– Understand that mental illnesses are traumatic events
– Aim for better coping skills
– Find strength in sharing experiences
– Reject stigma and not tolerate discrimination
– Not judge anyone’s pain
– Forgive ourselves and reject guilt
– Embrace humor as healthy
– Accept that we cannot solve every problem
– Work for a better future in a realistic way
Please contact us for information about how to become a volunteer facilitator.
What People are Saying
“NAMI Connection has enabled me to take a good look at my illness and see that I am not alone. The program has given me additional tools to not only accept my illness, but to help others along the way.”
“… People can solve problems [at a NAMI Connection Recovery Support Group]. It isn’t just a bunch of sad stories; people are coming up with solutions and stuff to do for the next week. One of our group attendees is taking her meds and getting herself to her counselor and is just about able to go back to her career in great part due to Connection.”
NAMI Connection Support Groups in New Jersey:
(For the latest information, please visit county webpages)
Atlantic County
2nd Mondays of each month, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Absecon United Methodist Church
W. Church St. and Pitney Road, Absecon, NJ 08201
Contact person: Milo at (609) 568-0648
A NAMI Family Support Group takes place at the same time and facility as this meeting.
Bergen County
2nd Monday of each month, 7:30 pm
Church of the Presentation, 271 W Saddle River Rd, Upper Saddle River, NJ
4th Thursday of each month, 7:30 pm – 9 pm
CarePlus, 610 Valley Health Plaza, Paramus, NJ
Contact person: Lara at (201) 646-0333
View flyer
Burlington County
1st Saturday of the month, starting on March 4, 2023
12:00 pm – 1:30 pm
Masonville Rancocas United Methodist Church
200 Masonville Centerton Road, Mt Laurel, NJ 08054
Camden County
2nd and 4th Wednesdays of each month
2:00pm – 3:00pm
Donald Mays Self-Help Center
204 White Horse Pike, Barrington, NJ 08007
For directions call (856) 429-9940
Cumberland County
3rd Monday of each month, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Inspira Fitness Connection, 2nd floor Board Room,
1430 W. Sherman Ave., Vineland, NJ 08360
Contact person at meeting location: Tony Cotto at (856) 691-1205, ext. 15
A NAMI Family Support Group takes place at the same time and facility as this meeting.
Essex-Passaic County
1st Sunday of each month, 2 pm
St. George’s Church
555 Ridgewood Rd., Maplewood
Gloucester County
Every Wednesday, 6:30 – 8:00 pm
537 N. Broad St., Woodbury, NJ 08096
For info, call Barbara at (856) 686-5500
View flyer
Hudson County
3rd Tuesday of the month, 7:00 p.m. – 8:30 p.m.
Register here
This online Zoom meeting has two breakout rooms for NAMI Connection Support Group (individuals in recovery) and NAMI Family Support Group (family members)
Mercer County
1st & 3rd Wednesdays, 2 – 3:30 pm
2nd & 4th Thursdays, 7 – 8:30 pm
NAMI Mercer NJ
Whitehorse Executive Center, 1235 Whitehorse Mercerville Rd., Building C, Suite 303, Hamilton, NJ 08619
(609) 799-8994
www.namimercer.org
Middlesex County
2nd Friday of each month, 4:15-5:15 pm
Moving Forward Community Wellness Center
25 Elizabeth St., 2nd Floor, New Brunswick, NJ 08901
(732) 317-2920
LGBTQ Connection Group
Last Sunday of each month, 4 pm
Pride Center of NJ, 85 Raritan Ave., Suite 100, Highland Park
Monmouth County
2nd and 4th Mondays of each month, 7:15 – 8:45 pm (no meeting 12/25)
Colts Neck Community Church
25 Merchants Way, Colts Neck, NJ 07722
A NAMI Family Support Group takes place at the same time and facility as these NAMI Connection meetings.
3rd Friday of each month, 1:00 – 2:00 pm
CARE Community Wellness Center, 80 Steiner Ave., Neptune City, NJ 07753
Phone (732) 4NAMI-4U
www.namigm.org
1st and 3rd Sunday of each month, 1:00 – 2:30 pm
Freehold Community Wellness Center, 17 Bannard St., Ste. 22., Freehold, NJ 07728
Morris County
3rd Sunday of each month, 4:00 – 5:30 pm
St. Clare’s Behavioral Health (Boonton Campus), Executive Dining Room
130 Powerville Road, Boonton, NJ 07005
Facilitators: (for information call)
– Rob Faulkner (781) 686-6225
– Melissa Kiritsis (201) 317-8174
Ocean County
Speaker meeting, followed by peer and family support circles
2nd Wednesday of each month, 6:30 – 9:00 pm
Ocean County Court Cafeteria (adjacent to Parking Garage, third level)
129 Hooper Avenue, Toms River, NJ 08753
Salem County
1st Wednesday of each month, 7:00 – 9:00 pm
Union Presbyterian Church
254 Shell Road, Carneys Point, NJ 08069
Somerset County (Will continue to meet)
1st Thursday of each month, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Richard Hall Community Mental Health Center
North Bridge Street, Bridgewater, NJ
For more information, call:
– Patrick Mellin: (908) 801 – 7106
– Sue Ferranti: (908) 296 – 3732
View flyer
Sussex County
PTS Connection
For veterans, police, and first responders recovering from post-traumatic stress (PTS) as a result of their service
4th Tuesday, 7:00 – 8:30 pm
Bridgeway Rehabilitative Services
93 Stickles Pond Rd., Newton, NJ 07860
For info call (973) 865-0605 or (973) 729-6534
Union County
4th Tuesday of each month, 7:30 pm
RWJ Fitness, 2120 Lamberts Mill Road, Scotch Plains
Warren County
1st Saturday of every month, Starting September 2, 2017, 11:30 am – 1:00 pm
Oxford Second Presbyterian Church
65 Washington Avenue – Oxford, NJ
View Flyer
For information about peer support groups for African American, Hispanic and Latino, Chinese American, and South Asian adults with lived experience of mental health issues, visit the four NAMI NJ’s ethnic outreach programs.
Program Contact:
Jay Yudof, MS, Certified Psychiatric Rehabilitation Practitioner
NAMI New Jersey Recovery Programs Director
(609) 642-6959, [email protected]
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